Category: Cars drive the story. Characters drive the cars.
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HOSE AISLE THEOLOGY
Sunday mornings in Fort Stockton have a particular looseness to them, like the town itself has loosened its belt a notch and decided nobody was going to jail before noon. The sun comes up polite, not bragging, just enough warmth to remind you that winter is a rumor told by people who don’t live here.…
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(NO) LABOR DAY CELEBRATION
Well, I did it. I’d talked about it for years. Dropped hints at Christmas, threatened it at tax time, daydreamed about it during every staff meeting that could’ve been an email. Planned it in little fits of confidence, then talked myself out of it when I thought about insurance deductibles or the way retired men…
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THE BALD BOMBER: MAN OR MYTH?
No one knew his real name anymore, and those who once did had the decency to forget it. In Fort Stockton, he was just Hairless B29—a name earned, not given. The tattoo stretched across his upper back from shoulder blade to shoulder blade and lower than anyone cared to navigate: a B-29 Superfortress spiraling into…
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ANGUS HOPPER: A DUST DEVIL IN BOOTS
ANGUS HOPPER: A DUST DEVIL IN BOOTSBy Special Correspondent, name withheld by request The first time I met Angus Hopper, he was parked sideways across two spots in front of the Rex Hall Pharmacy. Said it was to keep the sun off his left fender, which, he explained, had started to “peel like a drunk…
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LUCINDA’S NEAR MISS
Half a lifetime ago, give or take a hot Tuesday, Lucinda wasn’t yet the Lucinda you know now. She still carried her keys on a beaded lanyard, still thought frozen margaritas were worth the headache, still believed you could change a man with a firm voice and a decent casserole. Bless her heart. That spring,…
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IT’S A BIRD. IT’S A PLANE. IT’S….
So there I was, out in the woods behind the garage harvesting mushrooms in preparation to sit down and write the next Thad Gunter series when the phone rings. Now the fact that I even had the phone on me was a miracle. Normally I’m not wearing pants when it’s time for the harvest. But Mila said…
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BY THE NUMBERS
You don’t want to get into the Grounds for Divorce late. There’s always a chance that you could get trapped in the corner booth with New Guy telling you in incredible detail about his latest hemorrhoid issues. Or cornered by Brother Bob telling you how Mayor Goodman is actually doing the Lord’s work, despite his…
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THE SWIMMING LESSON
It’s still tolerable in the morning here in Fort Stockton. Not so hot that the trees are fighting over male dogs for some relief. In fact, the air almost had a crispness to it. Not enough to be called a chill, but enough to feel good on bare skin and almost raise a goose bump. Probably the result of…
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SPILLING THE TEA OVER COFFEE
“Did you have any idea?” Sister Thelma asked. “About which part?” Lucinda replied. Occasionally the two women get together over at the Dairy Twin early in the morning, before the usual crowd wanders in. Sister Thelma enjoys being able to talk woman-to-woman, without the testosterone fueled automotive observations volunteered by the boys at the Grounds for…
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HOT FRESH FRENCH BREAD
All I wanted to do is run into the Piggly Wiggly and pick up a couple things for Buttercup. She was making her famous spaghetti and didn’t have all the ingredients. Plus, hot fresh French bread from the bakery department is always a nice treat to have with Buttercup’s famous spaghetti. A little garlic butter on top…