Desperate Times Three - Revolution Read Online Free Page A

head and turned to walk down the steps. He didn’t trust her, and the last thing he wanted was for her to get the wrong idea. They were simply walking down to meet the neighbors. That was all.
    Paula followed him as he walked down the driveway and out the gate. The morning was clear, and the day promised to be one of the warmest yet in an unusually early spring. The lawn was already green in spots, and the air smelled faintly of fresh flowers. Paula stepped next to Jimmy and smiled at him seductively. “You’ve still got a great ass,” she said.
    “Knock it off.”
    “I was just making conversation. Don’t get all weird on me. Look at that thing; it’s as big as a house.”
    “That’s why they call them motorhomes .”
    “Why do you have to be such an asshole?”
    Jimmy only smiled and shook his head. Paula returned the smile, and they continued walking. Jimmy could now see the driver of the rig, and he was much younger than Jimmy had expected. He had always associated these big motorhomes with retirees, but the man who stepped out of the driver’s seat looked as if he were still in his twenties.
    “He’s kinda cute,” Paula whispered.
    “Don’t get any ideas,” Jimmy whispered back to her. “You’ve already got a boyfriend.”
    “I don’t see any ring on my finger. I can do whatever the hell I want.”
    They locked eyes for a moment, and Jimmy saw Paula for what seemed like the first time. Poor Doc, Jimmy thought. Doc had fallen madly in love with this woman, and she had been playing him for a sucker all along. Doc had cut his hair; he’d trimmed and colored his beard and was now working out two hours each day. He had devoted himself to her, and Jimmy had never seen him happier. All of that was about to change; Jimmy was somehow sure of it.
    “Look, Nate,” Mark Dundlemore said as he pumped the hand of the new guy. “This is Jimmy and his friend Paula. They live next door.”
    The young man smiled at them, but Jimmy could see that his eyes weren’t on him. “Nate Vetter,” he said. “Nice to meet you.”
    “What a beautiful motorhome you have,” gushed Paula. “I just love it.”
    Jimmy stepped forward and shook Vetter’s hand. “Jimmy Logan,” he said. “This is Paula Peterson.”
    “You sure got a good-lookin’ woman,” Vetter replied, still eyeballing Paula’s exposed cleavage. “You’re a lucky man.”
    “We’re not together,” Paula quickly interjected. “We used to be, but Jimmy found someone else.”
    “Really?” Vetter asked.
    “And so did she,” Jimmy said. “Paula has a boyfriend, and he’s next door. He’s a doctor. You should come on over after you get settled and meet everyone. Paula and I just wanted to come over and introduce ourselves.”
    “Jimmy, I can speak for myself. So, Nate, where is the rest of your crew?”
    “What crew? I’m up here all by myself.”
    “Yep,” Dundlemore said, stepping between them as his family went back to whatever it was that they had been doing. “Nate’s dad and I were pretty close. I said that we’d look out for him. Nate used to be a builder. New home construction, isn’t that right?”
    “That’s right,” Vetter said, turning to face the lodge. “And it looks like I have my work cut out for me. How bad is it in there? That place looks pretty shabby.”
    “It’s not as bad as it looks. Take a walk around; I’ve got to get back to Trish. She’s got a bug up her ass today, and I’d better not piss her off. Maybe Paula would be nice enough to show you the cabins? They stretch out all the way to the end of the bay. Go ahead and claim one.”
    “Paula?” Vetter asked with a leer. “Would you be so kind as to give me the tour?”
    “I don’t know,” Paula said, turning to Jimmy. “as long as he doesn’t go running back to report me to Doc. You wouldn’t do that, would you, Jimmy?”
    Jimmy narrowed his eyes and waved them off. “What you do is none of my business. Just don’t be gone too long. I