The Lost Truth

Read The Lost Truth for Free Online Page A

Book: Read The Lost Truth for Free Online
Authors: T.K. Chapin
he had seen crash to the floor. “Deep, Paul.”
    He nodded. “I want to be someone, Clay.” He shrugged and peered across the lake. “Sure, I love my life and not finding hair on every square inch of my bathroom, but I know it’d be worth it.” His eyes glowed with passion and hopefulness that I once held in my own heart many years ago.
    My youth and the love I once held in my heart for Gail blinded me from the realities and hardships of life. It didn’t reveal to me the truth about her or about the way the world really was. That love lied to me and painted a life and future that wasn’t real.
    “Hope everything works out.” My attempts to conceal my angst about love were futile. My tone gave me away, and Paul’s face twisted into a look of concern.
    “ Hope? ” he asked. “Why wouldn’t it work out? Do you think I’m doing the right thing?”
    I laughed. “My wife left me, and I’m living with my sister at the age of forty-two. I’m not exactly the person who should be doling out advice. But, for whatever it’s worth, in my experience, life has a way of taking our plans and kicking ‘em in the face.”
    He shook his head and put his hand on my arm. Why’s he touching me? I wondered as my eyes looked at his hand and I pulled my arm away from him.
    “You’ve been through a lot, Clay. You’ve been to hell and back.”
    “No. You’re mistaken. I haven’t come back yet.” My eyes shifted out to the water, and I said, “This trip had nothing to do with fishing.”
    “No.” he admitted, dipping his chin to his chest.
    I sighed and grabbed my shirt and began putting it on. “Explains why we didn’t catch a single fish.”
    Paul stood up and began putting his shirt and shoes back on. “This spot was a place my dad used to bring me. It was good for fishing twenty years ago.”
    “Guess time has a way of changing things we once understood to be true.”
    “That’s wise, man. You’re so smart, Clay.”
    Furrowing my eyebrows over at him as I slipped my shoes on, I said, “Just means there’s no fish here, ya goof!” As I let out a laugh, I realized that I was starting to like this guy. Spending time out on this slab of rock might have been lackluster in the fish catching department, but it was nice to have genuine conversation, and the water took my thirst for alcohol away.

CHAPTER 6
    T he next morning, after I took a shower, I snagged my coffee cup from the coffee table and went into the kitchen to get a refill. Looking out the window that stretched above the sink, I saw one of Mr. Kilgore’s cats, the calico, coming into my sister’s property from the field. Thinking about Kip on the porch, my pulse began to race. Setting my cup down on the counter, I hurried out to the back porch as quickly as I could.
    Glancing over at Kip’s laundry hamper, I saw he was still in there. Hurrying with a slight gimp to my step as pain shot down my side, I went down the porch steps and out into the grass. As I headed toward the cat in the yard, it suddenly became aware of my presence. Like a deer jumping at the sound of a shotgun, it took off back into the field toward Mr. Kilgore’s big red barn that sat on the opposite side.
    Mr. Kilgore had a dozen or so barn cats that would roam the field that separated us. Frequently, they’d hunt for field mice and other critters they could sink their teeth into. The thought of one of them landing their dirty paws on poor little Kip worried me. He wouldn’t stand a chance against those hunters of the field.
    Once the cat was out of sight, I came back over to the porch and to Kip. Pulling up the hamper, I scooped Kip into my hands and brought him to my chest. Maybe he’s ready.
    As I took him down to the grass, I asked, “How you doing, little bud?” He tried to wiggle around in my hands. “Here you go.” I lowered him down into the grass and let him hop from my palms.
    He moved a little, flapping his good wing. The other one still seemed to be hurt, and he

Similar Books

Thai Girl

Andrew Hicks

The Evil that Men Do

Jeanne M. Dams

Cuban Sun

Ann Bauer, Bryn Bauer

The Soterion Mission

Stewart Ross

The Rain in Spain

Amy Jo Cousins

Negative

Viola Grace

Following the Summer

Lise Bissonnette

The Ranch She Left Behind

Kathleen O`Brien