Dark Mountain Read Online Free PDF Page A

wondered if Arnold had remembered to set the lamp timer before they left. No point bothering to ask, though. If he’d forgotten, it was too late now.
    Her mind drifted to the last time she’d seen Scott O’Toole. They’d gone over for dinner and bridge. Scott had complimented her on her perm. That must’ve been over a year ago, closer to two. How could June walk out on a man like him? Must be more to it than meets the eye. Maybe he was fooling around on the side. Sure had plenty of opportunity, being away half the time. And those flight attendants. Everyone knows how they are. June was no slouch, not by any stretch of the imagination, but a guy like Scott’d be a real prize for lonely stews. A lot of temptation there. Take a strong man to resist.
    Thank God Arnold stopped flying. He might have to work nights when the shift bid didn’t go his way, but at leasthe came home to his own bed and wasn’t alone in hotels all across the country. Would’ve been nice for him to have a pi lot’s pay and prestige, but she’d rather have him as he is. They got by just fine, thank you, and she didn’t have to spend all her time worrying.
    Poor June must’ve been worried sick, wondering if he’d go down or get himself shacked up with some stew. Who was that—Jack?—no, Jake. Jake Peterson. Had a whole second family in Pittsburgh. Must’ve come as quite a shock to his wife—
both
wives. Wasn’t even a Mormon, not that that would’ve made it right, but…Alice’s thoughts slipped away as sleep overtook her.
    The road up the mountainside had once been paved, but winter snow, spring runoff, and summer sun had broken up the asphalt, leaving a dusty shambles. The car bounced over ruts and potholes as Scott steered slowly up the grade.
    Ahead, a Volkswagen appeared around a bend.
    “What now?” Karen asked.
    “He’s small.” Scott eased the car to the right until branches squeaked against its side. He stopped.
    “Hope he’s careful,” Karen said. She was gripping the armrest.
    “If he’s not,” Scott told her, “he’ll have a very thrilling ride for a few seconds.”
    A girl in the passenger seat of the VW had her head out the window. She was looking down, apparently contemplating just such a ride. From her perspective, Scott imagined that the sheer drop-off must look bottomless. After a moment, she pulled her head in and said something to the driver.
    The VW crawled closer. The young bearded man behind the wheel grinned at Scott as he inched alongside. “Lovely day,” he said.
    “Yep,” Scott agreed. “How far to Black Butte?”
    “Take you an hour.”
    “The road get any better up ahead?”
    “No. Tell you what, though, there’s an RV about a mile behind me.”
    “Thanks for the warning.”
    “Have a good one, friend.”
    “You, too.”
    The Volkswagen finished passing, took to the center of the narrow road, and sped off with a cloud of dust.
    “A camper?” Karen asked. She looked sick.
    “What’ll we do?” Julie asked from the back.
    “I guess we’d do well to find a wider place in the road before he shows up.”
    “No sweat. Right, Dad?” Benny asked.
    “No sweat,” he said, and pulled away. He drove slowly, looking for a place to turn out. Ahead, the road bent back in an uphill hairpin. He took the curve. Now
they
were on the outside, the slope dropping away sharply to the right. “Maybe a little sweat,” Scott admitted. He picked up speed. The car lurched and jarred as it rushed up the grade.
    Should’ve played it safe, he thought. Should’ve stopped back at the bend. But now he was committed. What he could see of the road ahead didn’t look good. The mountainside rose up steeply to the left, leaving no room for turning out. To the right, there was no more than a yard’s width before the ground fell away. Even if he parked at the very edge, he doubted there would be room for a recreational vehicle to squeeze through.
    “What’ll we do?” Karen asked.
    “If worse comes to worst,