A Tree Born Crooked by Steph Post Read Free Book Online

 
    “Well, now, I don’t know ‘bout all that.”
    “No, seriously. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive you for breaking my heart. You left me, and then I got married to that loser come down from Tennessee. Wasted the best years of my life ‘fore coming to my senses and leaving his broke ass.”  
    James fumbled with his pack of cigarettes before remembering that he had already smoked his last one. He crumpled the soft pack in his fist. Adelyn kept talking.  
    “Remember that one time when we all went down to Sunshine Lake and ended up skinny dipping?”
    James leaned over and looked down the length of the bar.
    “Hey, Hollis. You sell cigarettes here?”
    “All I got left are Crowns. That work for you?”
    “Sure.”
    Hollis slid the cigarettes across the bar to James. Adelyn pursed her small lips and crossed her legs.  
    “Are you listening to me?”
    James slowly unwrapped the cellophane and tried to keep his eyes away from her. He wasn’t sure that he was going to be able to sit through this tonight. Where in the hell was Rabbit?
    “Yeah, I’m listening.”
    “Well, then look at me.”
    James tossed the pack down and ran one hand over his forehead and into his hair. He looked up at the Miller High Life clock hanging behind the bar. The girl swung back and forth on the moon-shaped pendulum, doling out the time. It was almost nine. He would give Rabbit twenty more minutes. That was it. James wiped his palms on the thighs of his jeans and turned to face Adelyn.  
    “I’m sorry, I’m listening. The time we went to the lake. I remember. We had some fun times back then.”
    James did remember the lake. He remembered Adelyn in her pink striped bikini and straw cowboy hat. She had been cute. A much different girl than the one sitting next to him now.
    “And you remember prom? When you wore that powder-blue suit that matched my dress? We ain’t even planned it that way. I think I still got a picture somewhere.”
    Behind James, the first singer of the night began belting out Life is a Highway. The man’s voice cracked and his buddies cheered him on, whistling and clinking beer bottles. James was grateful for the background noise, no matter how terrible the singing was.  
    “I don’t think I even went to prom.”
    Adelyn twisted around on her stool looking for Hollis. She raised her glass and rattled the ice cubes. He nodded, but didn’t seem in any hurry to start making her a new drink. He was standing in the doorway at the end of the bar that led to the back room and it looked like he was talking to someone while he kept one eye on the customers. When Adelyn turned back around, James caught Hollis’ eyes over her shoulder. He was rolling them and shaking his head. James tried not to grimace as Adelyn chattered away.  
    “Oh, well, maybe it was homecoming. I don’t know. I just knowed we had a good time. A real good time. Right?”
    James turned his attention back to Adelyn. Her eyes were glassy and she was starting to slur her words. Now a girl was singing Shania Twain on the karaoke machine. Not too badly, actually. The crowd around her was getting louder, though. James raised his voice.
    “Yeah, I guess so. Look, that was years and years ago. I’m sure we had fun together.”
    “I know we did.”
    “But we were only together for what, a couple of months?”
    “Six months. Don’t try and make it out like it weren’t a long time.”
    Adelyn’s voice was snappy. Clearly the conversation was not going in the direction she had hoped. Hollis set another rum and Coke down in front of her. He picked up her old glass and slung the ice into the sink before turning to James.  
    “You want another?”
    James glanced back up at the clock. He felt Adelyn’s hand rest on his leg for a moment.  
    “You got any idea when Rabbit will be back?”
    Hollis shook his head.
    “Nope. He’s usually here for the start of karaoke, but who knows with him. I’m sure he and Delmore are getting into some kind