The Road to Wrinkle Ranch Read online

  The Road To

  Wrinkle Ranch

  By Nick Russell

  Copyright 2020 © By Nick Russell

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing by the publisher.

  Nick Russell

  E-mail [email protected]

  Also By Nick Russell

  Fiction

  Big Lake Mystery Series

  Big Lake

  Big Lake Lynching

  Crazy Days In Big Lake

  Big Lake Blizzard

  Big Lake Scandal

  Big Lake Burning

  Big Lake Honeymoon

  Big Lake Reckoning

  Big Lake Brewpub

  Big Lake Abduction

  Big Lake Celebration

  Big Lake Tragedy

  Big Lake Snowdaze

  Big Lake Fugitive

  Big Lake Wedding

  Big Lake Ninja

  Big Lake Quarterback

  Dog's Run Series

  Dog’s Run

  Return To Dog's Run

  John Lee Quarrels Series

  Stillborn Armadillos

  The Gecko In The Corner

  Badge Bunny

  Mullets And Man Buns

  Strawberry Slugbug

  Sweet Tea And Jesus

  Dead Romeos

  The Road To Wrinkle Ranch

  Standalone Mystery Novels

  Black Friday

  Nonfiction

  Highway History and Back Road Mystery

  Highway History and Back Road Mystery II

  Meandering Down The Highway; A Year On The Road With Fulltime RVers

  The Frugal RVer

  Work Your Way Across The USA; You Can Travel And Earn A Living Too!

  Overlooked Florida

  Overlooked Arizona

  The Gun Shop Manual

  Keep up with Nick Russell’s latest books at www.NickRussellBooks.com

  Chapter 1

  When the woman screamed, Lonnie McBride was grateful there was no one around to hear her. He did love the sound of Audrey screaming, and he knew just how to make her do it. Oh yeah, he knew exactly how!

  With one final earsplitting scream, Audrey climaxed, flinging her head from side to side, her long red hair a tangled mess. Sitting astride him, she put her hands on his bare chest and looked down at him.

  “Jesus Christ that was good! You know how to push all my buttons, don’t you, baby?”

  “And don’t you forget it,” Lonnie smirked, thrusting his hips up and drawing a moan from her.

  God, it was like he could go all day and all night long! She grinned and rocked herself backward two or three times, then said, “No. No more right now.”

  He thrust up again, and then a third time. She bit her lower lip and rocked herself again, then shook her head and dismounted, rolling beside him on the bed. She put her head on his chest, teasing his nipple with her tongue.

  “You know you want more.”

  “Yeah, I do. And I’m going to have a lot more,” she said, reaching down to cradle him in her hand. “But not right now. I’ve got a closing in less than two hours.”

  “The Plunkett place? The three-bedroom ranch on Pine Street?”

  “Yeah.”

  “They finally got their financing in place?”

  “It took a bit of convincing, but we got it done. The sellers agreed to accept half of the down payment up front, with a balloon payment for the balance due in six months.”

  “Sweet.”

  “Between the commissions on this deal and that 25-acre property out by the old Van Ness farm, there’s going to be a brand-new Lincoln Navigator sitting in this girl’s driveway next month. I’ve already got it picked out!”

  “You always get what you want, don’t you?”

  “You bet I do.” She tugged at him and smiled as she said, “Except for this. When do I get this on a regular basis, Lonnie?”

  “You’ve been getting it on a regular basis. You got it yesterday and again this morning. I may have to cut you off a little bit so I can sell a house or two now and then.”

  “You know what I mean. When are we gonna make this happen?”

  “Come on, Audrey, don’t make this more complicated than it already is. You’re married, and so am I.”

  “But we belong together. You know that as well as I do, Lonnie.”

  “And we will be together someday, baby. But this isn’t the right time.”

  He stroked her hair, while at the same time gently pressing down on her head. She knew what he wanted and gave it to him for a moment, then sat up and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I’ve really got to go.”

  “Yeah, me, too before Roger starts calling, looking for me.”

  Audrey got out of the bed and walked across the room to the bathroom, flipping on the light. She smiled as she looked at her body in the full-length mirror on the wall. Was it vanity to say that she had it all together? Creamy white skin, high, firm breasts, a trim waist, long shapely legs, and the mane of red hair to her waist that made her stand out in any crowd. She knew what a man liked, and she had learned a long time ago how to use what she had to her best advantage. Then she noticed the mark on the side of her left breast and frowned.

  “Dammit, Lonnie, you did it again!”

  “Did what?” His grin told her that he knew exactly what he had done.

  “How am I supposed to explain a hickey to Sonny?”

  "Shoot, girl, that dumb ass probably won't even notice it."

  "He ain't going to notice it because I'm going to cover it up with a Band-Aid. But you can't keep doing that, Lonnie. Last time, I had to tell him that there was a Band-Aid on it because I got a biopsy on my boob. The idiot walked around for a month expecting me to tell him I had cancer. What am I supposed to do now? Tell him I had another lump?"

  “Don't tell him anything. Who cares what he thinks?"

  "I care, Lonnie!"

  "Nonsense. If you cared about him, you wouldn't be here with me doing the things we were just doing."

  "That's not what I mean and you know it! I care because I don't want to have a bunch of drama, okay?"

  "So move out. Then we can be together more often."

  She stepped back through the bathroom door and looked at him hopefully. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

  "I don't know, what do you think I’m saying?"

  "That we could move in together?"

  "Not now. It's just not the right time, Audrey. But if you had your own place, I could come over ..."

  "Forget it," she said, then slammed the bathroom door and sat down on the toilet to pee. That was just like Lonnie, wanting her to change her life to make things more convenient for him but not willing to give up anything on his end to be with her.

  She finished, wiped, flushed the toilet, and went back into the bedroom. He was dressed and had already made the bed. It was always like this, hurried couplings and then they went their separate ways until the next time. Audrey couldn't complain about the sex. It was great. More than great. It was the most fantastic thing she had ever experienced. But how the hell did she wind up falling in love with Lonnie? That wasn't supposed to happen. How had they described it when it started? Screwing the competition. That's all it had been, just sex. But now... now being with Lonnie was all she thought about, day and night.

  "Get a move on or you're going to be late."

  Audrey looked at her wristwatch and said, "Damn." Hurriedly dressing, she ran a comb through her hair as they walked downstairs. Lonnie opened the door and looked arou
nd to make sure no one was nearby, knowing that nobody would be. He locked the model home’s door and they got in his red Corvette. He didn’t bother opening Audrey's door for her. Checking her hair and makeup in the vanity mirror on the passenger side, Audrey looked at the digital clock on the dashboard. Five minutes to get back to where she had left her car, fifteen minutes back to town, and she would still be at the closing in plenty of time.

  Driving out of Wildflower Estates, past the six model homes, three on each side of the street, the real estate agent in Audrey couldn't help but be envious of the exclusive listing Lonnie had. She wondered how he had schmoozed the developer like he had. If the place ever took off, he was going to make a killing.

  That's one more reason they needed to be together. Between the two of them, they could start their own brokerage and own the real estate market in Somerton County. She needed to talk to Lonnie about that someday. The problem was, every time they got together, talking didn't last long because before they knew it, they were naked and moaning in a tangle of sweaty passion.

  Lonnie pulled up to the railroad crossing just as the gates were lowering. Audrey looked at the clock again impatiently. She was tempted to tell him to drive around the gates, but the train was coming too fast and there was no way they could make it across safely. That's all right, she still had time to make it to the closing. Just barely, but she had time.

  Audrey's mind was on her upcoming meeting and Lonnie was asking himself how he was going to get out of the relationship with Audrey. Why did she have to expect it to be more than what it was? It was just sex. When it started out, that’s all it had been. And while the woman was a wildcat in bed, no question about that, he wasn't going to give up what he had at home to be with her. Not that he was in love with Darci or anything like that, but he knew the consequences of betraying her.

  No, he had to figure out some way to get out of this mess without Darci ever finding out. Or, worse than Darci, of Vince finding out. But he knew enough about Audrey to know that he had to tread softly. The problem was that he was as drawn to her as she was to him. If he could just figure out some way to get her to lay off the love stuff and accept it for what it was, they would all be better off.

  Wrapped up in their own thoughts, neither of them noticed the big vehicle that pulled in behind them just as the train’s locomotive passed the crossing, its horn blaring. Audrey was calculating her commissions in her head. If she could wrap up the deal on the two acres with the mobile home and fishing pond by the end of the month, she could upgrade to the Black Label Lincoln Navigator. Now that was a car! For his part, Lonnie was thinking about that little treat Audrey had given him at the end. He sure liked that. Liked it a lot. Hell, if Darci would do that for him he probably wouldn’t be stepping out on her at all.

  A sharp jolt at the back end of the Corvette got both of their attention.

  “What the hell?”

  Another thump, this one a little harder.

  “Did he just hit your car?”

  A third thump that jolted them in their seats.

  “I don’t know what this idiot’s problem is, but I’m gonna kick his ass!

  Lonnie unsnapped his seatbelt and was reaching for the door handle when he felt his vehicle start to move forward.

  “What’s he doing, Lonnie?”

  Even with his foot on the brake to try to hold the Corvette in place, it was inching forward closer and closer to the crossing gate. The Corvette was a decent vehicle by all accounts, but it was like a pygmy trying to resist a giant. There was the sound of tires squealing and they could smell rubber burning. Now the front end of the Corvette was against, and then under, the crossing gate.

  “Do something, Lonnie!”

  “I’m trying to!”

  He thought about jamming the transmission in reverse when the crossing gate snapped under the pressure and they were pushed forward violently, almost up against the speeding train. Lonnie reached for the gear shift again but there was one final hard push, driving them into the side of a long line of rolling boxcars. Audrey screamed, but the sound was drowned out by the crossing guard bells, the noise of the train’s massive wheels on the steel rails, and the terrible shrieking sound of metal against metal as the nose of the low-slung Corvette was caught by one of the train’s wheels. Audrey screamed again as the windshield exploded in her face. The car was pulled sideways and forward, fiberglass, leather seat material, and human flesh all ground together in one horrendous mess.

  The other vehicle sat there for a moment longer. Then the driver shifted into reverse, backed away from the railroad crossing, and drove off.

  Chapter 2

  “Well, looky here what the cat drug in," Sheriff D.W. Swindle said, smiling and standing up when the attractive blonde woman walked into his office. "It sure is good to see ya, Maddy. How you doin’?"

  "It's good to see you, too, D.W. I'm good. I really am."

  "Well, have a seat," D.W. said, motioning to the chair across from his desk. “You sure are lookin’ good, Maddy."

  "Thanks, D.W. I feel good, too. How about you? Fully recovered yet?"

  "Me? Goin’ to take more than a few bullets to put this old dog in his grave. No, ma'am. That ain’t gonna happen anytime soon. My woman tells me that Heaven don’t want me and Hell’s afraid I'll take over, so I guess I'm stuck here in Somerton County for a while yet."

  Maddy laughed and said, “I wouldn't have it any other way."

  "What brings you here today, Maddy?"

  The woman took a deep breath, then exhaled and said, "I think I'm ready, D.W."

  He looked at her and a broad smile came across his face. "Young lady, y’all don't know how long I've been waitin’ to hear you say those words."

  “So you’ll have me back?"

  "Have you back? Far as I'm concerned, you never left!"

  The sheriff reached in his desk drawer and pulled out a gold badge and an identification card and set them on the desk and slid them across to her. “Welcome back, Deputy. We've all missed you."

  ***

  Somerton County Deputy John Lee Quarrels was wrapping up a call about a disturbance between neighbors when the dispatcher broadcast the report of the accident at the railroad crossing. John Lee was eager to get there, but first, he had to make sure that the two angry men swearing at each other over their property line were not going to come to blows, or worse, as soon as he left.

  "Look, guys, I'm not a surveyor, and I don't know what the plat map says for these two properties. All I know is you can’t be out here screaming and hollering at people and cussing and throwing things back and forth."

  "He was the one doin’ the cussing and screaming," said Garland Crittenden angrily.

  "You’re damn right I was cussin’ and screamin’. You was the one that threw all that brush on my property! And it ain't the first time, neither,” Alan Bunnell shouted.

  "It ain’t your property, you thick-headed son of a bitch. I’ve owned this place for eighteen years and the property line has always been right there in the middle of the ditch."

  "Bullshit! The property line is on your side of the ditch. That's where your property starts and mine ends.”

  “You need your head examined, Al, ’cause you’re crazier than a bedbug if you believe that.”

  “It is true, you dumb cracker!”

  “No, it ain’t,” Garland insisted. And if I want to throw anythin’ in the damn ditch, I will!"

  "You go right ahead and do it and I'll keep throwin’ it right back on your side," Alan shouted.

  “Okay, that's enough! I've been listening to this nonsense back and forth between you two for six months now," John Lee said. "There's not a week goes by that I don't have to come out here and separate you two. You need to find yourself a surveyor and get this settled once and for all and put an end to this crap, because I'm telling you both right now, if I come out here one more time, you're both going to jail."

  The neighbors might be at war with each other, but th
at kind of talk made John Lee their common enemy. Suddenly they were on the same side and Garland said, "You got no right to come onto my property and talk to me that way, John Lee! Who the hell do you think you are, anyway?"

  “That's right, this here is private property. You can’t come on a man's property and threaten him that way. No, sir, you can't. And you can bet your ass that D.W. Swindle is gonna hear about this!"

  "I don't care if you tell Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny about it," John Lee said, frustrated. “I’ve got a real call to take care of. You two work this out between yourselves.” He walked back to his Dodge Charger and opened the door, then pointed across the hood and said, “I'm warning you. This better be the last time I’m called out here. I mean it!"

  ***

  Lorraine Sullivan’s day had started out bad, and the morning had only continued to get worse. It all began with another fight with Virgil. Well, she guessed you couldn’t really call it a fight because it took two people to fight.

  She had finished getting dressed for work and her husband was still in bed.

  "You goin’ to get up and get dressed at all today, Virgil?"

  He mumbled something and pulled the pillow over his head.

  Frustrated, Lorraine had poked him in the ribs. "You need to wake your ass up and do something today, mister. The grass ain’t been cut in a month, and you promised me that you would weed the garden."

  Virgil farted and pulled the pillow tight around his head. Lorraine wasn't sure if that was to ward off the sound of her voice or the smell.

  While the coffeepot gurgled in the kitchen, Lorraine finished putting on her makeup, then looked at her husband and shook her head before she left the bedroom. Dammit, what had come over the man? Virgil had never been a ball of fire or anything, but at least he got up and went to work every day, and he had never called in sick. But since he retired eighteen months ago, Lorraine had to light a fire under him to get him to move at all.

  Looking out at the backyard, which was a forest of grass and weeds, she shook her head again. How come, when he was working, Virgil could still come home and mow the grass and keep the place looking good, like he had some pride in their home? Now that he was retired and had plenty of time on his hands, he didn't do anything. Her sister had said maybe Virgil was getting that there Alzheimer's disease and needed to be put in a home. Lorraine didn't think it would come to that, and after all, Nancy Lee had never liked Virgil in the first place, so what did she know?