Iced Tea Read Online Free PDF Page A

I’ve been out running errands most of the day.   I’m not far from your parent’s house now.   I’ll swing by in a few.”
    “I’ll be here.”
    My mom had been listening to the conversation. “Cara, Love, what was that all about?”
    “Oh, Joe wanted to meet with me, and I figured, since I’d have to repeat the whole conversation anyway, I might as well just have it here.”
    “Don’t be fresh with me young lady, I’m pleased you decided to meet the young man here, I think it is better for all concerned.   Shall I fix a pot of tea?   Should I call your brother and see if he would care to join us?”
    “I’m sure that we’ll be fine Mom.”
    “Well, with all the talk of the neighbors, making them sound as if they’d be ready at the door, pitch fork in hand, I thought it might be that you are a bit worried.”
    “No, not worried, really, just cautious.”
    “Well, Love, cautious is always a good plan.   I’ll put out some refreshments and await the arrival of your current puzzle.”
    “Thanks Mom.”
    It only took about twenty minutes for Joe-the-cop to show up at my parent’s house.   He rang the doorbell, and shuffled around on the porch until my mom opened the door to him.   No doubt he was a little uncomfortable with all the eyes of the neighborhood on him, perceived or real.   No way you can almost run over one of the founding members of the block, and not draw the ire of all the neighbors.   Most of them served popsicles to me in my youth, paid me to baby-sit in my teen years, and cheer for me even now.
    “Officer, please, come in.”
    “Thank you Mrs. O’Flynn.   Please, call me Joe.”
    “Thank you, Joe.   Cara is in the family room.   Please, follow me.”
    I admit, I waited in the family room, and forced my mother to answer the door, so that Joe couldn’t go all psycho and pull me out of the front door and serial murder-ize me, right there, on my mother’s porch, before anyone could do anything to save me, and then I’d be splayed out, with my legs all akimbo, and tragic, forever in my mother’s memory, looking like a rag doll.
    I further admit, that every once in a while, I am a bit dramatic.
    Joe trudged in after my mother.   I know he is a big bad cop and probably not a serial killer, but evidently my mother gave him a look because at the moment, he more closely resembled a twelve-year-old boy who had been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to be doing, by his best friend’s mother, which is worse than being caught by your own mom.
    “Cara.”
    “Joe.”
    “We need to talk.   Privately.   Is there somewhere we can go?”
    “Joe I don’t mean to be difficult but after the stunt you pulled, right out in front of this very house, I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you without Teagan’s help.   And, I wasn’t going to ask this, but now I am.   Were you out at the cemetery off Bumble?”
    “When?”
    “Today.   About three hours ago.”
    “No.”
    “I could have sworn I saw your car out there.”
    “I didn’t have my car three hours ago.”
    “What?”
    “My sister had my car this afternoon.   I borrowed her truck so that I could move something.   I wouldn’t be surprised if she was out there.   She lost her fiancé not long ago and she goes out there pretty regularly.”
    “I’m sorry to hear that.”
    “Me too.   Can we talk?”
    “We can go out front, but I’m not going anywhere with you, and I swear on all that’s Holy, if I yell, the whole block will come running, and there is no way in Hell that you will convince anyone ever again that your intent was innocent.”
    “I got it.”
    “Mom, we’re going out in front.   If you hear me scream, shoot to kill.”
    “I’ll do that, Love.   I’ve yet to miss a target.”
    Joe’s eyes got huge, after all, Florida is a ‘right to carry’ state, and anyone can carry a concealed weapon after a bit of training, “She’s kidding, right?”
    My mother’s face was inscrutable,