Page 60 of Married With Lies
She laughs. I don’t hate being the one to make her laugh.
Bert’s Feed Store is our next stop. The staff greets her like a visiting queen. I’m waved aside by a husky dude in overalls because he’s intent on loading all the feed bags into the bed of the pickup by himself. This isn’t the place to start an argument and far be it from me to keep the guy from the joy of throwing heavy bags around.
“You’re a prince, Doug,” says Sadie to Mr. Overalls. She even gives him a quick hug.
He blushes. He digs his meaty hands into his denim pockets and smiles at the floor.
An unusual sting of jealousy strikes. She is, after all, my wife. No lousy shithead in overalls gets to have thoughts about my wife.
Nuts. Must be all this country air screwing with my head.
Sadie is fiddling with the music when I duck into the passenger seat again.
“This thing is ancient,” I say, watching her twist a metal radio dial. “Why didn’t you buy a new car? There’s enough money in the account for five cars.”
She shakes her head. “The money is for the ranch.”
“The money is yours for whatever you want, Sadie.”
“I like my truck. And anyway he sounds way better in here.”
“Who?”
She grins and turns the volume way up. “My man Elton. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard Rocket Man before.”
“I don’t often listen to music not from this century.”
“For shame. Elton John is an international treasure. Enjoy. And look out the window because I’m taking the scenic route back to the ranch. Maybe that will cheer you up. See those mountains in the distance? We’re less than thirty miles from Consequences Hot Springs. I haven’t been there but someday I’ll find the time. The resort was originally built in the nineteen twenties. Used to be a favorite movie star spot.”
When I do not respond, she wags a finger in my face.
“Stop that,” she says.
“Stop what? I’m following your freaking instructions and listening to Elton John while staring at hills.”
“You’re silently cursing while listening to Elton John. That’s practically a sacrilege.”
In fact, I was not silently cursing. Instead, I was picturing Sadie naked. The thought kind of popped in there and wouldn’t go away. I didn’t mean to have it. Just a reflex.
Now I’m wondering how freaky she gets and what she sounds like when she comes. If she whimpers or gasps or shouts dirty words. How I’d love to crack this wholesome act of hers and find out…
“JERK!” Sadie shouts and slams on the brakes.
That’s just about the strongest language I’ve ever heard her use. Now I’m second guessing whether I accidentally voiced my vulgar thoughts out loud.
A cloud of dust fills the air as we veer to the right and come to a halt on the side of a two lane road. Sadie jumps out of the truck before I can ask any questions. I really don’t know what the fuck just happened but I’m not sitting in here by myself.
Sadie must have sprinted. Twenty yards behind the truck she’s already having an animated conversation with a hulking bearded guy in front of a mud-spattered black pickup. They’re standing a few feet apart but I already don’t like the tension so I jog over, ignoring the tug of vague pain in my side.
“Here,” Sadie says and pushes some cash at the man. “That’s what I have right now, James. Just let me drive home and get the rest. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”
Now I can see a crudely lettered PUPPIES FOR SALE cardboard sign propped up beside the truck. Faint, high-pitched whining noises come from a large box on the ground.
This James character throws me a suspicious look and plucks the cash from her fingers. “Not making any promises. But if you get back before anyone else shows up you can have the two little ones. Two hundred apiece.”
Sadie doesn’t like this answer. “I said I’d take all three of them.”
“The mama isn’t for sale. She’s for breeding.”