One Good Deed(82)
“How is Shaw?”
“He’s fine. Tough man.”
“It was sweet of Ernestine to let me stay here.”
“Once you two get to know each other, I think you’ll be friends.”
“She’s very nice.”
“So, did you two gals talk about me?” He said this in a joking way, but underneath, a nervous Archer wanted some genuine answers.
“Talk about you? How do you mean?”
“I don’t know. I guess how gals talk about guys.”
She sat up straighter, pursed her lips, and said in a disapproving tone, “What, like comparing performances in the sack?”
“I never slept with Ernestine.”
“Says you.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Well, it’s not like I would care, Archer. We’re not married.”
“Okay,” he said, feeling a bit disappointed by her response.
“She thinks you’re nice. And you saved my life, so you’re okay in my book, too.”
“You’re a funny gal, Jackie.”
“No, I’m just not what you’re used to encountering in a ‘gal.’”
“You speak the truth there,” he said.
This seemed to defuse her standoffishness and she curled up next to him and said, “What about the debt that my father owes Marjorie Pittleman?”
“What about it?”
“In case you forgot, you were supposed to go out there again and get it paid.”
“Hell, I had pretty much forgot about that.”
“I don’t see how you can afford to do that. It’s a lot of money, Archer. Unless you want to keep butchering hogs.”
He mulled this over. “Well, the fact you’re no longer with Pittleman is a good thing. Your daddy might pay based on that. Hell, Marjorie might need the money now.”
“Five thousand plus interest,” she said. “That would come in handy.”
“You been giving this some thought, I see.”
“What else do I have to do?” she shot back, but then smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
“But your daddy made it pretty clear that the only way he’ll pay the debt, and me, is if you come back home, Jackie. And you’ve made it just as clear that you’re not gonna do that.”
She fingered his lapel. “But what if I agreed to…to meet with him?”
Archer glanced sharply at her. “Why would you do that?”
“He is my father. And you do need the money.”
He held her at arm’s length. “Jackie, don’t base this on me getting paid.”
“But I could meet with him. In fact, it might be best.”
“Are you sure?”
“I don’t know, Archer, but I think I have to try. Me almost getting killed? Well, it makes a person think, you know.”
“Look, you don’t have to worry about it now. You just need to stay here and rest and, well, just get right in the head. Somebody trying to kill you takes time to get over.”
“No, I think I need to get this resolved, Archer.”
“Okay, but how? Would you go out there to meet with him?”
He saw her perceptibly shudder.
“No, I can’t go out there. But…but you could tell him that I can meet him at my house.”
“You sure about that?”
“I am. Can you go tomorrow and tell him?”
“If that’s what you want. What time do you want him to meet you?”
“Say around nine o’clock tomorrow night.”
“Fine. I’ll be right there with you.”
“No, Archer, I don’t want you there.”
“But why? Why meet with the man alone?”
“I won’t have to. Ernestine can come with me.”
“But she doesn’t know anything about this.”
“Which is why I think she’s the right person to be there. She won’t have to be with us while we’re meeting, just in the house.”
Archer thought about Ernestine’s skill with a gun, which might come in handy. But if Tuttle brought his shotgun…
“Look, if he has his shotgun, you don’t let him in.”
“He won’t have his shotgun, Archer. Good Lord, he’s my father.”
Archer studied her for a moment. “Look, you’re not thinking of doing anything to him, are you?”
She suddenly glared at him. “Why do you ask that?” she snapped.
“No…no reason.”
“You do have a reason. What else did he tell you when you were in the car with him?”
“I already told you.”
“Not everything.”
“Jackie, you don’t need to hear this now.”
“Yes, I do,” she snapped. “I’m tired of you keeping things from me, Archer.”
“He said that you and your ma were a lot alike. Beautiful, but…”
“But what?”
“I guess you two butted heads a lot.”
“We didn’t see eye to eye on everything. There is nothing wrong with that.”
“No, sure there’s not.”