Law of Love

13

Lindsey can't get anything out of the group of men playing so he just sat down on the railing and one of them gave him a guitar. As they were playing, Stevie came walking out with a bag and a blanket.

"Baby, look at this, the workmanship is just beautiful. It's a wedding quilt, and I bought a little cornhusk doll for Katie and there were some slingshots for the boys. Both of them are hand-carved. I got a wolf one for Cole and a black bear for William. I also got some homemade jams, Raspberry and Strawberry." Stevie beams.

"That quilt is beautiful. Here," He says putting the guitar down and wrapping one arm around her dangling the car keys infront of her with the other.

"How are you doing?" She asks him.

"I'll meet you over at that diner in a minute." He points across the street.

"Okay," She smiles taking the keys and making her way to the car. 

When Stevie is out of earshot, Lindsey turns around. "So, do a lot of people, tourists, come here often? Especially this close to the holidays. I mean it's only September and all that but Thanksgiving is coming, and Christmas. Do a lot of people come back for the holiday?" 

"Mister, if you're looking for information it's going to cost you a hundred bucks."

He just sighs but digs his wallet out of his back pocket. 

***

"Iced tea please, lots of lemon and a coke." Stevie smiles as the waitress hands her a menu. 

She was given the okay by her doctor to drink iced tea and the heat and the constant feeling of nausea was making her want to be anywhere else but she needed to be at work. She knew she would find instant relief with the tea as she remembers her mother drank it a lot when she was expecting Stevie's younger brother. 

"Yeah nothing like an iced tea on a hot day is there?" A man about forty sits at the bar next to Stevie, "Are you from Santa Monica or somewhere in the Los Angeles area?" 

"Uh, yes how did you know?" Her guard just shot way up. 

"I'm a salesman, farm equipment. You have to learn how to read people." He smirks. 

The waitress sets the drinks down as the man shoves five dollars in her hand. "These two drinks are on me." 

"Oh no, I..."He just shakes his head and goes over to the jukebox. 

Stevie's drinking her tea when Lindsey comes up next to her, and she hands him the coke. 

"Thanks, so our witness is not Diana King, which was the name on the condo." Lindsey starts sipping the drink.

"No, it was Ashley Norton, the lady with the quilts told me that she saw her get off of the noon bus,...also, she gave me the address to her house and said that her boyfriend, Dan lives way back in the hills." Stevie smiles. 

"Hey, why don't you and I go sit back in one of those booths." The guy that bought the tea and coke comes back up to her. 

"I'm sorry, but I..." Stevie shakes her head.

"Oh come on now, a pretty thing like you can't navigate these hills by herself." He coos touching her cheek. 

"She's not by herself." Lindsey pipes up next to her puffing his chest out. 

"Oh come on...a pretty thing like her definitely isn't with you." He grabs Stevie's arm.

"WATCH IT!" Lindsey comes around Stevie.

"DON'T START SOMETHING YOU CAN'T FINISH!" The guy warns clenching his fist. It was then that Stevie threw her iced tea at him. 

"I'm Married asshole," Stevie growls placing the glass back down as Lindsey wraps his arms around her and leads her out of the diner.

***

Back in the car, Lindsey tries to start the car but it doesn't turn over and Stevie looks at him, the urge to vomit spilling over her "Are we out of gas?"

"No, we aren't. It must be the carborator." He gets out to look at the hood. 

Stevie sighs but get's out with him, and joins him under the hood. "Linds, you don't have a distributor cap." 

"Dammitt. I can see that." Lindsey growls stomping his way over to the gang of boys still sitting infront of the shop. 

"Do you guys know where I can get a distributor cap?" He asks as Stevie interlaces her arm with his.

"Maybe, but it's going to cost you a hundred." He smirks.

"Son Of A BITCH, come on," Lindsey yells. 

"We can walk, the lady in the shop said it's only about a mile away." Stevie grabs his arm and pulls him towards the road. 

***

A while later they are making their way down a dirt path when Stevie stops, grabs Lindsey's arm and throws up into a bush. 

"You okay baby?" He asks.

She just gives a thumbs down and he grabs her hair from her. "I think you're overheated. We need to get you some water." 

When she finishes, she stands up and places her hand over her stomach and rolls her head back into Lindsey's shoulder. 

"That wasn't pleasant." She swallows hard. 

"I know, I'm sorry baby. Let's find you some water." He nods looking around and pulling her along the road. 

Eventually, they come to a house with the mailbox reading Norton. 

"This must be it. Look there's some water." Lindsey points to just beyond the fence. 

They climb over it, Lindsey climbs over it, and lifts Stephanie over it because her skirt was slightly tight in the legs.  Making walking long strides or lifting her leg up to a certain point more difficult. 

They drink from the well in the front yard and as they hook everything back up, the front door opens. 

"BUCKINGHAM!" They both turn and Lindsey pulls Stevie behind him as the man comes up to them with a gun.

"Put your hands up."

The couple cooperates and the man with the gun takes the ladle of water out of Lindsey's hand and then everything goes black.