ROOKIES

Trying is What Counts

SHERIFF

Monty was still angry, of course. He insulted my husband frequently all through the night.

But in this bed I could almost forget about him.

Mr. Fabolous rested his head on my back. His arms around my body. And I slept like that. Just listening to the sound of his heart.

Sometime in the night there was a knock on the door. I was a light sleeper so it drew me straight up and out of my trance. I placed my hands on my rookie's arms and slowly pushed him to one side. Slipping out of my bed, I grabbed my gun and made my way to the door.

There on the threshold stood the road hazard. The bruise on his eye had already turned purple. I stared him up and down.

"Got a good look city boy," I murmured and then, as if an afterthought, "He's sleepin' and I ain't about to wake him up." The racecar just stared up at me, even though the rain had wet his hair and my husband had humiliated him, he still held an air of cocky arragoance which reminded me of Mr. Fabulous the first time I had met him. Maybe the two weren't all that different.

"I ran out of asphalt," He wheezed. I paused. How long had he worked? If he was desperate enough to stay up all night with Bessie just to attend another race then maybe he wasn't as bad as Doc had put it.

I didn't bet my heart on it, "What do you want?"

Monty looked like he was pleading, "You gotta let me go down to the racetrack," He said, "You gotta let me try that turn."

I sighed, "All right," I said. The racecar beamed at me, "Alright," I said more solemly, "Just wait a little." I left Monty on the threshold and turned back to the threshold. Walking back into our room, I saw Mr. Fabolous asleep there. His hair fanned out on the pillow. His smile, gentle not broken. How I loved him. I loved him.

Raising a hand up to my lips, I blew him a kiss, "I'll see you in the morning rookie," I said and closed the door behind me.

I followed Monty out of my house and onto the dirt track.

It seemed that all he wanted to do was make that darn turn and he drove around the track time after time again. Voicing my concerns out loud, "You think I could make a little turn on dirt." But every time I watched him fail.

Time passed quickly there and the sun rose in the sky. Filling the world with lights, red, orange and yellow.

It wouldn't be too long until my husband woke up. I didn't know what he would do when he found the punk here but I didn't think it was going to be good.