Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
I pulled out my phone just as my meal arrived.
“Here you go.” The waitress slid the plate under my nose.
“Thanks.” I nodded.
“Would you like a refill?” She pointed to my empty mug.
“No, thanks.” I was all too aware of the perils of alcohol.
The waitress moved on, and I put my phone down, the food too distracting to ignore. As I dug in, I remembered what had driven me out of Nashville in the first place. My wife—soon-to-be ex-wife—and I had met at a country bar. I was fresh out of the academy and celebrating my first job. There was a live band, and everyone was dancing a country line dance. The girl next to me was pretty enough, and she latched onto me as soon as the song came to an end.
I bought her some drinks, thinking she might be an easy lay, which was true. I’d had too much, and I wasn’t thinking with the head on my shoulders. She pushed her way into my life, and a year later, we were married. All the crazy that she must have been hiding came out as soon as we tied the knot. She got paranoid, accused me of sleeping with every female officer on the force. She threw things at me, breaking windows and television screens. I got sick of it within the first few months but stuck around for too many damn years because that’s what you’re supposed to do when you get married.
She had left me three months ago with no explanation. Just when I thought I couldn’t live with her bullshit anymore, she up and disappeared. It was a relief but also a wake-up call. She took most of our savings, emptied out our bank account, and thought she left me for broke. I put in overtime at work for the past three months, saving every last penny. I canceled all our credit cards, hers and mine, and shut off everything that wasn’t essential. I was determined to save enough to make a life for myself somewhere else, somewhere she couldn’t find me. She took our brand-new Ford Bronco too, forcing me to buy an older, used truck. I didn’t want the car payments, so I paid cash for the vehicle I was driving.
For a few months, while I was squirreling money away, I continued working in Nashville. Coming home after a long day on the job to my own space where no one hollered at me was almost too good to be true. I thought I could be happy, newly freed from married life. But I wanted more than my old life, and I was sick of being reminded of her at every turn.
I put in my two weeks at the Nashville Police Department and put my house on the market. I had no idea where to go, but then I remembered Dillon and his flight from the city years ago. Now I had a new job and possibly a cabin in the mountains, if I played my cards right. The only thing that could make life better would be if I could find Angie and break it off officially. But that was a problem for another day.
I finished my steak and eggs, really more of a breakfast meal than dinner, but I didn’t care. I walked back to the hotel, unlocked the door with the plastic card, and pulled off my shirt. The air conditioner was churning loudly, so I shut it off. I pulled my shoes and socks off and sat down on the bed, glancing at myself in the mirror.
I wasn’t vain, but I was athletic and proud of my body. I might not have a six-pack, but I had a respectable four and solid biceps. The man in the mirror had more than a five-o’clock shadow. He looked tired and out of place in a corporate hotel room. At the same time, there was a calm to my reflection that I wasn’t used to seeing. It was as if I had been living within a storm for years and the clouds had just now lifted.
I pulled the phone out of my pocket. One last thing to do before taking a shower and falling asleep.
“Hello?” The voice on the other end managed to imply impatience in just one word.
“Hello. My name is Jason White,” I said, “I’m calling about the cabin for sale.”
“Yes?” More impatience.
“Is it still for sale?”
“Yes, it’s still on the market,” the guy said.
“Can I see it?” I was too tired for this. It was like pulling teeth.
“Alright. I can meet you tomorrow at noon.”
“Fine,” I said. “Text me the address.”
I hung up with that jerk and threw my phone up on the nightstand. Wondering if I would have enough energy to take a shower, I undid my belt and pulled my pants down. I was tempted to put it off for the morning, but the travel and the work had me feeling dusty. A quick rinse and I could wash off the day. I stepped into the bathroom, closed the door, and turned on the spray.