Dead Woman Crossing J.R. Adler (early reader chapter books txt) 📖

plate. He immediately popped the hunk of meat directly into his mouth. Kimberley watched him for a moment from the corner of her eye. She wasn’t the godly type, but his prayer said more about him than anything else he had said this evening. He was a proud man, straight to the point, direct, and he didn’t ask for things; he took them himself.

“Don’t say grace in your house, Kimberley?” David asked with food still in his mouth.

“I’m usually too hungry for that,” she said with a laugh.

David stared back, methodically chewing his food. Kimberley couldn’t tell if he was thinking of a response or trying to burn a hole through her head by staring at her and culling some divine power from up high. Thankfully, Kimberley’s mother intervened first.

“I’m so happy you and Jessica are here.” Nicole beamed as she picked up her fork.

“Me too, Mom.” Kimberley dove her fork into the Brussels sprouts she had her eyes on. All day long, she had only eaten peanuts from the plane and an old Larabar she found lying in the bottom of Jessica’s diaper bag. Her stomach rumbled as the forkful of food entered her mouth. A homecooked meal. She almost moaned over it. In New York, takeout food and protein bars were the norm, but this, this she could get used to.

“So, David told me Wyatt and Emily live in the house.”

David let out a small grunt as if he thought Kimberley was poking the bear.

“They do. You’re just going to love them and their two boys. They’re a handful,” Nicole said, taking a sip of red wine.

“Boys are meant to be handfuls. That’s why they’re boys,” David said as he brought the beer up to his mouth. He took a long swig and set it back on the table with a thud. His eyes never leaving his plate.

Nicole gave a tight smile as she cut her steak up into tiny pieces.

Kimberley made a “hmph” sound. She figured David was the type of man that would explain away all actions of the male sex with “boys will be boys,” so his comment didn’t come as a surprise to her. David seemed like a simple man with outdated views. She decided she’d lighten up on him, try to be a little nicer, but she’d still keep a close eye. You could never be too careful, especially with men. Kimberley had learned that the hard way.

“You’ll meet them tomorrow,” Nicole added. “They were supposed to come over tonight, but their youngest, Jack, was running a fever, so she put him to bed early.”

“Is he okay?” David asked, his voice full of concern.

“I’m sure he is. Kids get fevers all the time. But Emily didn’t want to risk passing anything onto Jessica, just in case it’s more serious. Hopefully, he’ll sleep it off,” Nicole explained.

“He’s a tough kid. He’s got them Turner genes.” David popped another piece of steak in his mouth, chewing proudly.

Nicole smiled and took a sip of her wine. “So, when do you start work?”

“The day after tomorrow.” Kimberley took a bite of mashed potatoes.

“Sheriff Sam Walker is highly respected in this community. I’m sure you’ll learn a lot from him,” David said with a crooked smile.

Kimberley tilted her head. “I’m sure I can teach him a thing or two as well.”

Nicole interjected. “Well, Dead Woman Crossing is nothing like New York City, I’m sure. It’s rather quiet here.”

“You working the first shift?”

“Yes, unless I’m needed otherwise.”

David nodded. “Day shift is good. They’ve got a pretty solid team. Nothing all that exciting though. You might get bored.” David picked up his steak with his hands and bit into it like a caveman. He chewed and swallowed, grease and blood from the piece of meat covered his lips and around his mouth. “Might want to move back to the Big Apple after a few months of gangbangerless streets.”

“I’m sure I’ll be just fine here. I’m looking forward to some peace and quiet. More time with Jessica and my mother, less time with gangbangers,” Kimberley said with a small smile directed at her mother.

Nicole smiled back.

“That’s good, then. Sounds like the Custer County Sheriff’s Office is going to be a good fit for you.” David took a long swig of his beer.

Kimberley looked away from her mother’s plate and back at David. “I hope so. I’ll miss the excitement of the NYPD, but this is what’s best for Jessica.”

“If you ever get too bored and want a thrill, I’ll take ya hunting. Ever been?” David raised an eyebrow.

“For animals? No. Humans? Yes.” Kimberley chuckled, but stopped when she saw the confused look on David and Nicole’s faces. “Sorry, homicide humor.”

Nicole took another sip of her wine. David’s mouth curved into a grin when he finally got the joke. “Ha,” he said. “That’s a good one.”

“What do you hunt around here?” Kimberley asked.

“Depends on the season. But deer, bobcats, hogs, turkey, and rabbits are the main ones.”

“I might have to take you up on that hunting offer. I’ll have to see how thrilling the job is first.”

David took another swig of his beer and nodded.

“What’s on your agenda for tomorrow?” Nicole asked, changing the subject as she was clearly bored with the hunting conversation. She placed her fork beside her plate.

“Aside from unpacking and meeting Wyatt and Emily, I’ve got to run to the daycare to meet the staff there.” Kimberley cut into her fleshy steak.

“Of course. I’ll go with you since I’ll be doing some of the pick-ups and drop-offs. You know you don’t have to pay for daycare? I’m home all day; I could watch Jessica. Actually, I would love to,” Nicole said, the vivacity in her eyes growing.

“Well, Mom, you could have always hopped on a plane?” Just as the words left her mouth, she immediately regretted it.

Nicole pursed her lips together. The light in her eyes dimming slightly.

Kimberley tried to smooth things over. “Actually, no, I don’t want to impose. It’s good for Jessica to interact with other