a large barn and stables. And while the structure wasn’t a part of the original structure, it was still a very sturdy barn, and while it only needed a coat of paint, Grady still hadn’t decided to keep it or tear it down. Had it been built a little farther from the house, there would simply be no decision to be made. That same tenant had even made an attempt at adding some indoor plumbing. And while it wasn’t nearly enough, it still was a lot better than the outdoor outhouses of the past. The hot water heater wasn’t large enough to heat the kitchen sink. So the first thing that Grady had added was a larger unit, to handle the task at hand. The entire property sat on about two hundred acres of plush green pastureland. The gravel driveway that entered through two large stone-covered pillars ran about one hundred yards before it reached the circular portion of the driveway in front of the porch that led to the front doors of this once-grand old house. Looking away from the house, a flat pasture stretched out for several hundred yards before they ended at the base of the hill that surrounded the town of Mattersonville.
Grady Windslow had brought two things with him when he moved into the huge house—his charming twenty-year-old daughter, Katie, and a secret that went back to the war itself, a secret that they would have to keep to themselves until they had all of the pieces to the puzzle.
Girl Problems
Saturday was just another day. Michael and his best friend, Rick, had just finished their shift at the dock where they had spent the last ten hours loading and unloading the ships that called the port of Savannah home. It might not be the most sought-after job in the world, but still it was an honest job, and the pay was decent. And like any other Saturday in this two-bit town, their nightlife would consist of a stop off at the local soda fountain for a fast bite to eat, then it was home for a shower then off to the movies. For every Saturday night, the theater would change the picture show. This week would be no different.
As they took their seats at the booth by the window, Rick asked the same question that he had asked for the past three weeks. “So who are you taking to the Fourth of July picnic?” he asked.
“Jesus, don’t you ever quit? I told you before I’m not going,” Mike replied.
“Why not? Hey, why don’t you ask Betty? She’ll go with you I bet.”
“Lay off. When I find just the right girl, I’ll let you know, okay?” Mike replied.
“The right girl? I told you before, she doesn’t exist. How about Susie Barnes? She just broke up with her boyfriend I hear,” Rick answered.
“Susie Barnes, are you kidding? Besides I might have to work,” Mike answered.
Floe, the waitress, walked up to their table with her ticket book in hand, ready to jot down their order. “What’s it going to be this time, guys, the usual?” she asked.
“Floe, how about a girlfriend for Mike here?” Rick asked. “He’s lonely.”
“Rick, quit it. Floe, tell him that true love is worth waiting for, isn’t it?” Mike said.
“Son, you’re asking the wrong person. I’ve been waiting for years, and look at me, I still live with my parents, and I’m closing in on twenty-five,” she told him.
“See, Mike, you need to broaden your horizons, is all.”
“I’ll take a burger and fries and a malted, but take him with you,” Mike said as he pointed at Rick.
Floe just smiled. “And you?” she asked.
“Yeah, give me the usual,” Rick told her.
Floe scribbled their orders down and went to put their order in.
“Hey, you can take Floe,” Rick said as he started laughing.
“Oh yeah, an older woman, that would go over good tomorrow at church I bet,” Mike answered.
“Yeah, I can just picture your mom dragging you from church by your earlobe,” Rick added.
“Well, I don’t think she would go that far, but—” Mike answered as Rick cut him off.
“Oh yeah, she would. We’re talking about your mom, remember?”
“Yeah maybe she would at that,” Mike responded.
Just then, Mr. Petersen stopped in front of their table. “Hello, Michael, tell your dad that I just got the lumber in for his barn. I’ll deliver it on Monday. Okay?” he asked.
“Sure thing, Mr. Petersen, I’ll be sure to tell him when I go home,” Mike answered.