Impossible Places Read Online Free PDF

accidental-like. Like fun we did.
    “After you,” she said to me.
    Now, I was at least ten years younger than this lady, but when she spoke to me I just got real quivery all through my body, and it wasn’t from the heavy-duty pharmaceuticals I’d been gulping, either. She’d whispered, but it wasn’t whispering. I knew it was her normal speaking voice. I’ve had sexier things whispered to me than “After you,” but none of ’em made me feel the way I did right then, not even those spoken on my fourth date with Elaine, which ended up in the back of my old pickup truck with her murmuring throatily to me, “Whatever you want, Dave.”
    Somebody has to be real special to make “After you” sound like “Whatever you want.” My initial curiosity doubled up on me. It was none of my business, of course. Here I was a married man and all, two kids in college and a third thinkin’, and I oughtn’t to be having the kinds of thoughts I was having. But I was running half an hour ahead of my schedule, and the snow was staying manageable, and I thought, well hell, it don’t hurt nothing to be friendly.
    “You local?”
    She smiled slightly, not looking up at me. It got darker fast when we stepped outside, and those damn crosses were making like a xylophone in my head. But damned if I didn’t think she was so pretty she’d crack, despite the fine lines that had begun to meander their way across her face. She pushed her jacket up higher on her body and turned up the sheepskin collar.
    “It’s cold, and I’ve got to go,” she muttered. Her words made me shiver slightly, and it wasn’t from the snow. “Nothing personal. I just don’t believe in talking to strangers.”
    What could I say? How could I reassure her? “Heck, I don’t mean no harm, ma’am.” I think maybe that got to her. Not many folks these days say
heck
and
ma’am
, especially truckers. She glanced up at me curiously. Suddenly I wasn’t cold anymore.
    “Where are you from?”
    “I asked you first.”
    “All right. I live here, yes. You?”
    “L.A. right now, but me and my wife are from Texas. West Texas. The back o’ beyond.” Funny how Elaine had slipped into the conversation. I hadn’t intended her to. But I wasn’t sorry.
    “Nice of you to mention your wife.” She’d picked up on that right away. “Most men don’t. That’s why I try to come into town around dark. You’d think an old lady like me wouldn’t have that kind of trouble.”
    “No disrespect intended, ma’am, but I’ve never set eyes on an old lady looked like you do.” I nodded toward the cafe/gift shop. “You do those wood carvings?”
    “Yes. Do you like them?”
    “I’ve seen a lot of that kind of stuff all over the country, and I think yours stack up real well against the best. Real nice. Good enough to show in a big gallery somewhere.”
    “Willie’s place is good enough for me.” Her voice was honey and promise. “This is my home now. The people up here leave you alone and let you be what you want to be. I’m happy.”
    “You married?”
    “No, but I have friends. It’s enough that they like me for what I am. I’ve been married before, more than once. It never worked for me.”
    The snow was starting to come down harder.
    “I’m sorry.”
    She must have seen the concern on my face. “Got far to go?”
    “Reno and on to Tahoe. Groceries for them folks that are trying to make it the easy way. Can’t let the high rollers go hungry.” Her smile widened slightly. It made me feel like I’d just won a new rig or something.
    “No, I guess you can’t.” She tossed her head slightly to her left, kind of bounced a little on her feet. “It’s been nice talking to you. Really.”
    “My name’s Dave.”
    “Good meeting you, Dave.”
    “You?”
    She blinked away a snowflake. “Me what?”
    “What’s your name?”
    “Jill,” she said instantly. “Jill Kramer.” It was a nice name, but I knew it was fake.
    “Nice meeting you too, Jill. See