Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
“Hank was probably doing an order. The girls let loose Saturday night. Mom probably drank all of his top shelf tequila.” Ella is a snake, first bullying Tulsa when she was younger, then being a certified cunt and returning the letter which was addressed to me, and again when Tulsa called after she returned and we were finally on the right damn path.
“That’s what he said, well, not about your mom. The crowd got bigger, beer was consumed, a lot of food, so he was in there. Now, here’s the good part. Hank told me Ella was at the bar after Tulsa and you left, said there was a fight. It wasn’t with Tulsa, Nelle, or your mom. Ella and another woman got in a dispute. Hank broke it up, escorted both parties out of the bar.” Ella likes to play. This time, it seems she lost at her own damn game.
“So, you see, I’m letting you know. I figured it’d be better for me to show up here, tell you, than to show up at Tulsa’s place of employment or your house later tonight. The file is going to be taken care of. Ella will be slapped with a fine for filing a false report, using man hours when it wasn’t necessary. The only problem I’m seeing is, this will create a domino effect. Either Ella will stop with this high school crap, or things are going to escalate. Watch your back. The fact that Ella is going after Tulsa when you fired her, it’s messed up.” I close my eyes. Tulsa Rose is going to lose her shit when I tell her the news, damn near a month later. We haven’t heard or seen a peep out of Ella, then all of a sudden, over the weekend, this happens. This shit stinks to high heaven.
“Tulsa’s going to be pissed. I never would have thought Ella would go after her. Me? Yes. Not the other way around. The whole reason for having an audience was in case of blowback. All I’d need is for her to try and pin me with a charge I’d have no proof I didn’t commit. Now, it seems like I threw Tulsa out of the frying pan straight into the fire.” I rub a hand down my face, wondering how to break the news to her, because there’s no way I’ll ever keep this from her, not when I’ve finally got her in my arms.
“Nah, she’s a tough girl. She’ll be alright. Anyways, I’m out of here. I’ll take care of Ella, probably make an appearance at her family’s sit-down dinner, scare her with the probability of jail time. I’m thinking the fine she’d only laugh about.” Judd stands, and I do the same. Looks like I’ll be delivering this shit to Tulsa at work, on a damn Monday no less.
“Thanks for telling me and not going to Tulsa first. I know you’re breaking protocol, and, well, I appreciate all you’ve done, Judd.” We shake hands. He’s done a few things along the way, like the incident with the cleaners at Tulsa’s house when she was in Alabama as well as a few others.
“The least I can do,” Judd responds, then takes his leave. I grab my phone off my desk, unlock it, and call Tulsa. If she’s not at the Mockingbird House, I’ll have to go to her office. The last thing I need is for her to hear Judd was here and get a watered-down version.
“Hey, honey, this is a surprise,” she answers on the second ring.
“I like that, butterfly, a lot. I’m heading out of the office. Where yea at?” I attempt to keep it light when all I want to do is run out the door, climb into my truck, and fly through town to get to her.
“Ledger, look at the time. I’ve already gone to the office, then to Mockingbird, hit the grocery store, and now I’m pulling up to the house.” Fuck, the day completely got away from me. I look at my watch. It’s nearing three.
“I guess I’m heading home. See you soon.”
“Love you, drive safe,” Tulsa replies.
“Love you, too. Always, butterfly.” I hang up, walk out the door, make sure it’s locked, and head to my truck. Getting to my woman is the only thing on my mind right now.
31
TULSA ROSE
“Honey, I’m home!” I feel like we only got off the phone five minutes ago when Ledger announces his presence. Surely, it’s been longer than that, or time got away from me while I put away the groceries, three different types of pickles included I bought for the rest of the week, as well as steak, corn on the cob, and potatoes for dinner. I wasn’t kidding about Ledger grilling tonight. The weather is still nice out for a Florida spring. Soon, it’ll turn to summer, and we’ll be escaping inside to get out of the heat.