Stillborn Armadillos (John Lee Quarrels Book 1) Read Online Free
Author: Nick Russell
"I'm a grown woman, Daddy, and I make my own decisions. I'm the one that started it, not him."
"I don't care who started it," D.W. shouted, pointing a finger at his son-in-law "You oughta' be hung!"
"Oh he is, Daddy. Trust me! That's why I'm here."
"That's enough of your sass, young lady. You get some clothes on and you do it right now."
She gave him a fake pout but walked back into the bedroom with her cup of coffee.
"I'd beat your brains out if you had any!"
"Look, D.W., I don't... what I mean to say is... oh hell, just shoot me and get it over with!"
"I really should. Lord knows I want to."
Beth Ann poked her head out the bedroom door and said, "Ain't nobody shootin' nobody! Now look here, Daddy, I started this. John Lee never came on to me. I'm the one who made the first move, and the second, and the third, too! If Emily was home takin' care of business, this wouldn't of been happening."
"This ain't about your big sister!"
"Sure it is, Daddy. I grew up getting her hand-me-downs. Her clothes, her stereo, even her car when you bought her a new one for graduatin' from college. What makes this any different?"
John Lee wasn't sure he appreciated being a hand-me-down, but he knew a lot worse things could be happening to him at the moment, and he thought there was a good chance that they still would. But before the situation could get worse, D.W.'s cell phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket, pushed the button and curtly asked, "What?"
He listened for a moment, then said, "Yeah, I found him. He'll be there in just a bit."
He ended the call and looked at John Lee and said, "The State Crime Lab has a crew on the way out to that construction site. They should be gettin' there within the next half hour so. Do you suppose you could get your sorry ass dressed and out there to meet them?"
"Yeah, I'm on it."
The sheriff shook his head and said, "This ain't over, John Lee. Not by a long shot."
He turned and stormed out the door and across the deck down to his Tahoe. Opening the door, he turned back to look at John Lee one more time and shook his head, then crawled inside and drove away.
"Well, that was awkward," Beth Ann said. She was sitting on his bed, still wearing just his T-shirt.
"Awkward? I'm lucky he didn't shoot me!"
"I don't know why you two are making such a big thing about this. It's just sex."
"Yeah, well maybe your daddy's kind of old fashioned that way."
He took the jeans off, pulled a fresh uniform from the closet and began to get dressed. "Do you have to leave in such a hurry?"
"Yes, Beth Ann, I have to leave. You heard him say the State Crime Lab was on the way out there to where we found those skeletons."
"Those dead people ain't gonna come back to life, so what's the hurry?"
He shook his head and continued dressing. "You just don't get it, do you? We can't keep this up, Beth Ann."
"Well I don't know about that. Tired as you was last night, you didn't seem to have any problem keeping it up."
"You know what I mean."
She reached out and groped him as he was trying to buckle his pants and said, "You know what I mean, too."
"Stop it, okay? Just stop it? This thing with us, it's just..."
She put her face close to his, until their noses were touching, and said, "It's just sex, John Lee. I ain't planning to fall in love with you, and I know you're still in love with Emily, though I sure don't know why, with all she's put you through. But it's just sex. I'm enjoying it, and I sure didn't hear you complainin' last night. So what's the big problem?"
He started to argue with her but realized it was pointless, and he didn't have the time anyway. "I've got to go. Can you give Magic something to eat before you leave?"
"Leave? I was gonna stay here."
"No, you're not. I never know when Emily's going to come back for something, and I really don't need any more drama in my life, okay?"
"Yeah, I know what she comes back here for. Same reason I'm here. The sooner you understand that, the sooner you'll get
"I don't care who started it," D.W. shouted, pointing a finger at his son-in-law "You oughta' be hung!"
"Oh he is, Daddy. Trust me! That's why I'm here."
"That's enough of your sass, young lady. You get some clothes on and you do it right now."
She gave him a fake pout but walked back into the bedroom with her cup of coffee.
"I'd beat your brains out if you had any!"
"Look, D.W., I don't... what I mean to say is... oh hell, just shoot me and get it over with!"
"I really should. Lord knows I want to."
Beth Ann poked her head out the bedroom door and said, "Ain't nobody shootin' nobody! Now look here, Daddy, I started this. John Lee never came on to me. I'm the one who made the first move, and the second, and the third, too! If Emily was home takin' care of business, this wouldn't of been happening."
"This ain't about your big sister!"
"Sure it is, Daddy. I grew up getting her hand-me-downs. Her clothes, her stereo, even her car when you bought her a new one for graduatin' from college. What makes this any different?"
John Lee wasn't sure he appreciated being a hand-me-down, but he knew a lot worse things could be happening to him at the moment, and he thought there was a good chance that they still would. But before the situation could get worse, D.W.'s cell phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket, pushed the button and curtly asked, "What?"
He listened for a moment, then said, "Yeah, I found him. He'll be there in just a bit."
He ended the call and looked at John Lee and said, "The State Crime Lab has a crew on the way out to that construction site. They should be gettin' there within the next half hour so. Do you suppose you could get your sorry ass dressed and out there to meet them?"
"Yeah, I'm on it."
The sheriff shook his head and said, "This ain't over, John Lee. Not by a long shot."
He turned and stormed out the door and across the deck down to his Tahoe. Opening the door, he turned back to look at John Lee one more time and shook his head, then crawled inside and drove away.
"Well, that was awkward," Beth Ann said. She was sitting on his bed, still wearing just his T-shirt.
"Awkward? I'm lucky he didn't shoot me!"
"I don't know why you two are making such a big thing about this. It's just sex."
"Yeah, well maybe your daddy's kind of old fashioned that way."
He took the jeans off, pulled a fresh uniform from the closet and began to get dressed. "Do you have to leave in such a hurry?"
"Yes, Beth Ann, I have to leave. You heard him say the State Crime Lab was on the way out there to where we found those skeletons."
"Those dead people ain't gonna come back to life, so what's the hurry?"
He shook his head and continued dressing. "You just don't get it, do you? We can't keep this up, Beth Ann."
"Well I don't know about that. Tired as you was last night, you didn't seem to have any problem keeping it up."
"You know what I mean."
She reached out and groped him as he was trying to buckle his pants and said, "You know what I mean, too."
"Stop it, okay? Just stop it? This thing with us, it's just..."
She put her face close to his, until their noses were touching, and said, "It's just sex, John Lee. I ain't planning to fall in love with you, and I know you're still in love with Emily, though I sure don't know why, with all she's put you through. But it's just sex. I'm enjoying it, and I sure didn't hear you complainin' last night. So what's the big problem?"
He started to argue with her but realized it was pointless, and he didn't have the time anyway. "I've got to go. Can you give Magic something to eat before you leave?"
"Leave? I was gonna stay here."
"No, you're not. I never know when Emily's going to come back for something, and I really don't need any more drama in my life, okay?"
"Yeah, I know what she comes back here for. Same reason I'm here. The sooner you understand that, the sooner you'll get
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