F T Hemmingway
A family saga Volume Two
CHAPTER ONE
Many things were now extremely clear to Gabriel Scott. He settled back in his favorite chair nursing his gin tonic, promising himself that, tonight, he wouldn't get sloppy drunk. Hell! He had waited too damned long! After having read the note his wife, Dottie, had written to her daughter, Charity, revealing the truth of her paternity, Gabe's memory went back to years ago when he and Dottie were married.
How had it happened? He hadn't understood it then. He hadn't understood why or how it was that Dottie had ignored him… then, suddenly, before he knew what was happening, he was married to her. He had had Dottie out on a couple of dates, but he hadn't been able to get a third one with her; meanwhile, he knew, she had been dating some of the Redfern College men. Christ! He hadn't had time to ask himself what was happening. She was just there… and available. He had taken her to a drive-in movie and was pleasantly surprised when she allowed some heavy petting.
… But, on their next date, that same week, she had pleaded not feeling well and didn't want to go skating.
"… Maybe, we could just go for a ride, in your car… Gabe…" she suggested. "If you don't mind…?"
"Okay."
He had been driving his old Mercury station wagon, the car on which he had, painstakingly, restored the wooden body to its original condition. He was proud of the car and liked to show it off. Naturally, he wanted to show Dottie off, too. He cruised the streets of Redfern, stopping at a drive-in hamburger stand that was a favored hangout for the high school crowd. They ate burgers, fries and drank Cokes. Gabe felt just a little proud to be seen with the girl who was, undoubtedly, the most beautiful in their senior class. She was by far the most popular, too, and he didn't question why she chose to go out with him. The fact that she was there with him was enough… and there seemed to be a promise of more intimacy to come. Damn! She's beautiful! I wonder if I've got any chance at all… of getting next to her…? Christ! I'll bet she's a damned good lay!
It hadn't taken very long to find out. As they drove away from the hamburger stand, Dottie had slid over close to him. "Let's drive up into the mountains, Gabe… where it's nice and quiet… okay?" she asked.
"… And private…?" he added.
"Real private!" Dottie affirmed.
With a worried look at the fuel gauge, he made a quick estimate of the distance and a mental calculation of the money he possessed. He couldn't do it, he decided, but he could find that privacy. It was not very far away. He laid it on the line to her, honestly, "I don't have enough gas… or money, Dottie… but I know a place where we can park… and have all the privacy we want…"