Page 172 - EarthAngelsMatos

EARTH ANGELS & MAGIC MOMENTS
screwed up her eyes for a second. “Kept my step-
brothers in line—until my dad died.”
We paused outside the general store. The half
dozen tourists who’d rushed out to see the helicopter
arrive drifted back to the store muttering about us.
“Wait here.” She disappeared behind a mound of
rusty cartwheels, tumbleweed and pumpkins, each one
with a price tag attached, and into the store.
After the helicopter ride it was quiet here. Peaceful.
I laughed.
Julia was back. “Come.”
“Is that the end of the story?”
“Mannie taught me to fly choppers I was sixteen.”
She led me around behind the store to a small
barbecue area where a couple of homemade picnic
tables and half a dozen homemade chairs, a redbrick
outdoor fireplace with a chimney and an old-fashioned
water tower like they have for filling up railroad
engines, gave it the authentic historic look.
Dark clouds sat atop the mountains in the
background. I thought about the flash floods they had
last weekend.
172