One Thanksgiving in Lusty, Texas Cara Covington (books for 8th graders .TXT) đ
- Author: Cara Covington
Book online «One Thanksgiving in Lusty, Texas Cara Covington (books for 8th graders .TXT) đ». Author Cara Covington
âThis city does have a long history, but it has a lot of building going on. A lot ofâŠgrowth. That has to reflect money being available to be invested, right?â
âIt does, indeed. Iâve been scoping out a few names. Iâve got a list of candidatesâmost of them are widows, of both genders. Thereâre a couple of people our age, too. Theyâve got money and show up in the papers for living the life of playboys. One in particular, his parents have threatened to cut him off. Maybe heâd be interested in a way to make his own fortune.â
âI can work with that. And with the widows, too. The secret is finding out what it is they want. Thatâs the secret right there, you know? A lot of people look good on the outside, they look successful and all, but on the inside, theyâre lonely. And they want someone to listen to them. To listen and understand and then to help them get what they need, what they want.â
Gary had that look in his eyes, one that told Scooter he was already submersing himself in his âcharacter.â Scooter wouldnât be surprised if that had been his palâs coping tool as soon as he was old enough to understand he needed one.
I only scam people because itâs easy and Iâm lazy. Gary scams because playing the con lets the creative part of him be free. He can be anyone doing anything, a man of his own creation. Scooter shook his head. He didnât often think things like that. But he and Gary had been partners for a long time, now. When you spend more than a couple of decades with someone, surviving with them, living with them, working with them, the experience sinks into your head.
At least it had sunk into Scooterâs.
âOkay, what do we do next, Scooter?â
âI say we head out to lunch. Letâs pick a nice little restaurantânot too rich but not a burger joint. Weâll be the newly arrived salesmen from âout east.â Weâll make positive comments about how nice this city is, how cleanâall the positive things we listed the other day. Weâll be amiable, and weâll be engaging.â
The moment they headed out theyâd no longer be Scooter and Gary, grifters. Theyâd be a couple of regional representatives of a national organization, hoping that this move would be permanent. Theyâd talk about settling in, settling down, and becoming a part of the community.
âThat works for me. Iâm hoping whichever place we choose has that chicken fried steak. Never had it before last week, but man, it was good!â
Scooter clapped his best friend, his partner, on the back. The two of them really had a lot in common. They were only different in the details. âI could go for an order of that myself.â
Chapter Eleven
Her men had come home a few minutes before, and now they were sitting down to supper. She was curious to see what they thought of the taco soup sheâd made. Maria had told her it was one of their favorites, but that she thought they both liked less cilantro and more black olives than the way she made it for her husbands.
Her mother-in-law had also mentioned that, despite their always complimenting her and eating every drop, she suspected they preferred their soup a little less âhot.â Pamela wasnât a fan of cilantro, nor could she get her taste buds to accept very much âhot,â so sheâd eliminated the first altogether and cut the chilies called for in the recipe in half.
Before they started eating, Adam said, âJoan brought her boy in about an hour before the end of the day. Heâd been running outside, tripped and fallenâlanding on a small rock. Put a gash in his forehead.â
âOh, no! Poor little guy. Heâs all right, isnât he? Joan must have been beside herself!â Sheâd been invited by Joan for tea the week before and had taken some muffins, which little Gordy had devoured.
âHeâll be fine, sweetheart,â James said. âIt was a small cut but, being on his forehead, quite messy. Those kinds of injuries can be tricky, too. Adam and I took care of the medical end of things, suturing the cut. Uncle Terrence explained to his son and daughter-in-law the signs of trouble to watch for. The boy probably wonât be concussed, but you never know with wee ones. Of course, I told them to call us if they have any concerns, but I would guess theyâll call Terrence instead.â
âIâll pop over there tomorrow and take some of my cornbread muffins. Little Gordy really likes those.â Pamela had been planning to go to her mother-in-lawâs for lunchâthe latest planning session of the Lusty Ladiesâ coffee clutch. Of course, she thought of it as such, because she felt a little reluctant to tell her men exactly what the purpose of the groupâs getting together so regularly truly was.
It had astounded her, a month before, when sheâd learned the extent to which the grandmothers were willing to go in order to find some justice for her father.
Apparently, they had connections all over, even some in New York City. Theyâd hired a private investigator whose office was in Manhattan! The first report from him was due today, and that was to be the business portion of the get-together tomorrowâto hear that report and to decide their next steps.
Now sheâd just head over to Joanâs, first.
âMy goodness, baby. Whatever you did to this recipe, please, keep doing it!â Adam sighed as he spooned another mouthful of her taco soup.
James followed suit, and his smile spoke volumes.
âMother puts a lot more heat in hers, and something else we donât really care for,â James said. âButâŠâ He shrugged.
âBut you didnât want to tell her you donât really care for it. Youâre both good sons.â All of which Maria knew, which was why sheâd more or
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