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Chapter 5Sunday morning, I put Laura’s and Richard’s bags in the back of my truck. He’d been sopissed at being turned down that he left his bag behind. The truck was the same one I had hidmy suit under that first night in the Bakers’ barn. Feeling bad about how little they were payingme, Gary and Ruth had offered me the truck if I wanted to fix it up. Buying parts for the almostantique vehicle had wiped out a lot of what they paid me but to have a truck of my own made itworth the sacrifice. One of my first purchases, boggling Gary’s mind since the truck was still onblocks and buried under the mound of garbage, was a stainless steel tool box for the bed. I toldhim it was incentive to get the truck running. He took the excuse without complaint. Now thebox was bolted down and locked tight, hiding and protecting my suit. I’d wanted to throw itaway but couldn’t convince myself that it would never be found. Also, no matter how much Itold myself to forget the past and just live my new life, a small part of me couldn’t let go of it.It was four thirty in the morning and the sky was dark. We hadn’t planned on such an earlydeparture but Mrs. Dawson had checked the weather the night before and was worried about thefirst snow of the season arriving while we drove. The weather report said it would start snowingat about ten in the morning and then move east, reaching Lawrence and Kansas City around fiveo’clock that night. Laura and I had both argued that we would be well ahead of the storm for thesix and half hour drive but in the end, Mrs. Dawson’s worrying trumped our reasoning.“You sure that thing can make it all the way to Lawrence?” Laura asked groggily.“Don’t listen to her. She doesn’t know you like I do,” I said soothingly and stroked therusted hood.Laura rolled her eyes before hugging her mom.“Are you sure you can’t come with us, Mom? I’d love to have the extra time with you.”
 
“Oh, I wish I could, dear but you know I can’t leave. Ruth’s ready to pop and twins tendto come early.”Mrs. Dawson was Red Water’s closest thing to an emergency medical tech. She was acertified midwife and permanently rooted to her home until after the babies were born. Sheriff Dawson had made up an excuse for not coming, saying his deputy was sick so he was the town’sonly protection against the terrorists. After joking about the imminent attack that had beencoming for thirty years, he’d told me the truth.“You need to go to college,” he had told me. “I want you to take her home and check things out. Get a feel for it.”“I’m happy here,” I argued but he wouldn’t have any of it.“Adam, you know that Brenda and I love you like a son and we know you’re happy herebut you need to get an education.”“What about keeping the town alive?” I said. “You won’t be doing your job very well if you send me away.”“I’m not saying you have to leave forever. Go there, check it out, see if you like it.Maybe it won’t be a good fit for you. Lord knows it certainly wasn’t for me, but you need togive it a chance. If you like it, plan on going back when you have enough money. Get youreducation and then come back here. You’ll be better for it and Red Water will have the benefitof another college grad.”He told all of that to Laura as well. Told her to make sure I got a good feel for what I’dbe missing if I chose to not get a college education. She agreed it was probably a good idea butstill wished one of her parents was coming with us.
 
After the disaster that was Thanksgiving, Friday and Saturday had passed very quickly. Iwent back to work at the Bakers’ on Friday and half of the next day. Laura had spent the dayswith her parents and in the evenings had visited friends. Our time together had been limited totwo family dinners, which was as much a disappointment as a relief.“Drive safe, Adam. Don’t speed until you’re out of my jurisdiction,” Sheriff Dawsonsaid when I got behind the wheel.The truck was warm, swirling the heat around us and already I could smell the faint scentof her skin. It was going to be a long drive.Sheriff Dawson stopped me from closing the door and grabbed my shoulder. He pulledme down, whispered and shoved something into my hand before backing away and slamming thedoor.“Bye, honey! We’ll see you in a few weeks for Christmas!” Mrs. Dawson said, tearsstarting down her cheeks.Laura waved and fought back tears of her own.I rolled up the window and backed slowly down the driveway. Sheriff and Mrs. Dawsonwaited on the porch until after I’d put the truck in drive and started east.“So,” Laura said, wiping her cheeks with the stretched-out sleeve of her royal blue andred sweatshirt, “What sage advice did Dad give you there?”I held up the small roll of bills he had pushed into my hand.“He told me to stop somewhere nice for lunch and to have a good time.”“Is that all?” she asked skeptically, crinkling her forehead as she lifted an eyebrow.“Yeah, that’s all,” I said.“Nothing about Richard then?”
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