Act of Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

other titles. One caught his eye: Living the Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing. He hadn't read that one in years. When he had the farming bug the book had attracted him. They had a lot to say about homesteading, its joys and benefits. They were a bit eccentric, but there was good material there, a lot to be said for their simple existence. That reminded Hanson of his granddaddy's farm. Weedy, lifeless, weathered.
    He took Living the Good Life down and opened it to the fly page.
    "Daddy?"
    Hanson turned to look at his daughter, JoAnna. His mind must really be preoccupied. It was rare someone could walk up on him that easy. Hanson smiled, "Good morning, sweetheart."
    JoAnna had the same smile as her mother. In fact, except for the reddish tint to her afro hairdo, she was nearly the spitting image of Rachel. She was dressed in green slacks—a bit too tight, Hanson thought—and a white blouse that wasn't exactly lowcut, but a bit too revealing. The mounds of her breasts pushed at the fabric precariously. High school certainly had changed since he was a kid.
    "Daddy, I need ten dollars."
    "That's quite a good morning."
    "Sorry. Mom said for me to ask and to hurry. I've got to finish getting dressed. I need it for cap and gown reserve."
    "Ummm." Hanson returned the book to the shelf, took out his wallet and gave JoAnna two fives. "Graduation, huh?"
    "Right," JoAnna slid the money into her pants pocket.
    "You know, young lady, if you had a quarter in your pocket you could tell if it was heads or tails."
    "What?"
    "The pants. They're too tight."
    "Oh, Daddy. They're not any tighter than anyone else's. I got to run and finish dressing. I haven't even got my shoes on." With that she turned and made for the stairs.
    Graduation, Hanson thought. Christ, time slipped up on you . . . suddenly he was sweating.
    Fear moved inside his brain like a lizard on a hot rock, and for a moment there was an image, fleeting, but identifiable. It was JoAnna, his lovely JoAnna, and she was as Bella. Ripped, ruined, wasted. Black whipped with red. A hunk of hamburger on a cold slab smoking with cold refrigerated breath.
    He said weakly, "JoAnna."
    JoAnna had just reached the stairs. "Wha . . ." And then she saw his face. She went to him quickly, took hold of his arm. "Daddy?"
    "It's okay. Really."
    "Daddy, are you all right?"
    "Yeah."
    "You sure?"
    "Just dizzy for a moment."
    "You're sweating."
    "Just a little dizzy. Tired I guess. A cold maybe."
    "You look like death warmed over. You better sit down." She held his arm as she guided him to the leather chair next to the window. Hanson sat. "You gonna be alright? You want me to get Momma?"
    "No. I'm over it already. Just working too hard."
    "You always work too hard. That's not news. Maybe you need to see a doctor."
    Hanson smiled. "I'm alright, baby, really. Go on. Get ready for school, and don't say anything to momma. It's passed. Really."
    JoAnna worked her lip. He did look better. "You're all right, then?"
    Hanson nodded.
    "For sure? You're not just telling me that?"
    "I'm not just telling you that. I'm fine. Nothing rest won't cure. I'm going to take a little nap when you two get out of my way. Okay?"
    "Okay."
    "Run along. I'll take a couple of aspirins in a minute."
    "Alright," and she went.

    *

    Upstairs JoAnna added perfume and a few rake strokes to her hair, slipped on some soft, low cut shoes. She never could figure how Mary and the rest of the girls wore those big, clunky shoes to school. Her feet would have been so much mud by the end of the day. Dressing for the boys, she guessed.
    Well, she did a bit of that herself. Actually for one boy, Tommy Rae Evans. They had been dating for over a month now, and each date had been a little hotter and heavier than the last. He had almost gotten into her pants last time, but at the last moment she had chickened out. If her daddy found out, well, as the old saying went, it would be too wet to plow.
    Of course, if Tommy tried again this weekend—she