One Night Only (79 page)

“Ruth
?
It
’
s
Michael
.
H
i
.
.
.
No
,
no
t
Michae
l
fro
m
The
Butcher
’
s
Apro
n
–
Michae
l
fro
m
th
e
pub
.
Th
e
T
o
p
O’The
Road
?
Y
eah
.
Y
ou
r
frien
d
i
s
her
e
an
d
sh
e
i
s
saf
e
an
d
sound.
I’l
l
sta
y
wit
h
he
r
til
l
yo
u
ge
t
bac
k
here
.
Oka
y
.
.
.
ok
a
y
,
l
o
v
e
. No,
it
’
s
no
problem
whatsoeve
r
.
See
you
in
a
few
minutes.
”

H
e
hun
g
u
p
an
d
pulle
d
ou
t
a
stoo
l
fo
r
Gin
a
b
y
th
e
ba
r
.
“
Y
o
u
ha
d
the
m
worrie
d
sick,
”
h
e
said
.
“Ca
n
I
ge
t
you
a
drink
?
They’r
e
no
t
to
o
fa
r
awa
y
.
”

“No
,
no,
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“
I
mean
,
than
k
yo
u
fo
r
th
e
offer an
d
than
k
yo
u
fo
r
gettin
g
i
n
touc
h
wit
h
Rut
h
bu
t
I
think
I’v
e
ha
d
quit
e
enoug
h
t
o
drin
k
fo
r
thi
s
tim
e
o
f
th
e
da
y
.
I
fee
l
terribl
e
fo
r
causin
g
suc
h
worr
y
.
I
wa
s
totall
y
carried awa
y
.
Mor
e
tha
n
yo
u
coul
d
imagine.
”

Sh
e
giggle
d
an
d
stare
d
a
t
a
beermat
,
listenin
g
t
o
Michael
slurpin
g
hi
s
pint
.
H
e
wa
s
a
ver
y
bi
g
ma
n
compare
d
to Marco
.
H
e
ha
d
th
e
loo
k
o
f
a
ma
n
wh
o
shoul
d
wea
r
a
Stetson
,
sh
e
thought
.
Y
eah
,
h
e
wa
s
lik
e
a
n
American
.
Lik
e
a
red-haire
d
T
exa
n
i
f
ther
e
wa
s
suc
h
a
thing
.
H
e
seemed
friendl
y
an
d
sh
e
fel
t
saf
e
wit
h
hi
m
bu
t
h
e
ha
d
tol
d
he
r
off
big-tim
e
an
d
no
w
sh
e
wa
s
eve
r
s
o
slightl
y
afrai
d
tha
t
she
,
in
he
r
tips
y
loved-u
p
worl
d
o
f
grea
t
se
x
an
d
p
i
n
k
c
h
a
mp
ag
n
e
,
wa
s
i
n
deep
,
dee
p
trouble
.

A
t
tha
t
th
e
girl
s
burs
t
i
n
throug
h
th
e
doo
r
lik
e
a
scene
fro
m
a
n
ol
d
W
estern
.
Gin
a
kne
w
fro
m
th
e
loo
k
o
n
T
ess
’
s
fac
e
tha
t
the
y
didn
’
t
kno
w
i
f
the
y
wante
d
t
o
hu
g
he
r
o
r
hit he
r
.

“Gina
!
Wher
e
o
n
eart
h
hav
e
yo
u
been?
”
crie
d
T
ess.
T
es
s
wa
s
definitel
y
th
e
scar
y
one
.
I
f
sh
e
ha
d
been
Gina
’
s
teache
r
a
t
school
,
sh
e
woul
d
hav
e
bee
n
petrified
.

“Than
k
yo
u
s
o
muc
h
fo
r
gettin
g
i
n
touch
,
Michael,” sai
d
Poll
y
.
“Than
k
Go
d
yo
u
ha
d
Ruth
’
s
busines
s
card fro
m
earlie
r
.
W
e
ha
d
jus
t
begu
n
t
o
searc
h
alon
g
th
e
beach an
d
we’
d
alread
y
don
e
th
e
rive
r
.
Jesus
,
Gin
a
wher
e
th
e
hell
wer
e
you
?
W
e
didn
’
t
eve
n
hav
e
you
r
numbe
r
t
o
cal
l
and
se
e
i
f
yo
u
wer
e
oka
y
.
”

Michae
l
stoo
d
u
p
fro
m
hi
s
ba
r
stool
.
“
W
ell
,
sinc
e
my
goo
d
dee
d
ha
s
bee
n
don
e
fo
r
th
e
da
y
,
I
thin
k
I’l
l
head hom
e
an
d
pu
t
m
y
fee
t
u
p
fo
r
a
while
.
Ladies
,
it
’
s
bee
n
a
pleasure
.
Ruth
,
I
d
o
hop
e
t
o
hea
r
fro
m
yo
u
ver
y
soon.
”