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going to do with it?”
    â€œI’m taking it to Elizabeth Cooley’s. She has a big family too, but she found room for me anyway.”
    If Ray caught the “big family” barb, he gave no sign. He nudged an empty soft drink cup, straw still poking through the lid, with his toe. “Manny could have taken you by in the tow truck. How’re you going to move all this stuff?”
    That was it. The snap was almost audible as all the frustration she had been dealing with since she left Long Beach gathered itself together and blew.

    Ray fell back a few steps and stared. All he had done was to ask a simple, logical question, and now here this woman was storming around his parking lot kicking her stuff all over creation, screaming like a banshee and cussing like a sailor. He shot a nervous look at Manny, but Manny had fled to his truck and was messing with the winch. Ray began easing toward the door of the tavern but hesitated. It just didn’t seem right leaving her out here having a fit all by herself, especially after he made her sleep in her car. He looked up and blew out a gust of relief. The cavalry, in the form of Fayette, was on the way. She stopped to let a Ford 4x4 go by, waved at the driver, and ran across the road.
    â€œWhat are you big bullies doing to this poor thing? It seems to me, after all she’s been through, you’d be trying to help instead of causing her even more grief.” She put her arm around Lainie’s shoulders. Lainie tried to twist away, but Fayette was stronger than she looked and held firm. Lainie drew a ragged breath. She wiped her cheeks with the heel of her hand and sniffled.
    â€œI swear, Fayette, I didn’t do a thing. I just asked how she was going to move her stuff and she went nuts.” Ray rubbed his shin where a low-flying flashlight had caught him.
    Fayette looked at Lainie’s belongings strewn around the parking lot. “What did you think she was going to do, Ray? Put everything in her purse? Someone’s going to have to run her things over to Elizabeth’s, and I think it would be real gentlemanly if you’d do that for her. I’ll just take Lainie over to the Dip ’n’ Dine with me while you put everything in your truck. I’ll let Elizabeth know.”
    Before Ray could respond, Fayette turned Lainie around and guided her toward the road. She smiled over her shoulder at Ray and called out to Manny, who had begun hooking Lainie’s car to the tow truck, “Better leave that for later, Manny, and go get Patsy. She called again.”

    There were people sitting in a couple of the booths when Fayette steered Lainie through the door. They had doubtlessly watched the entire incident in the parking lot of the High Lonesome Saloon, and they regarded Lainie with solemn alarm.
    â€œWhy don’t you splash some cold water on your face while I pour you some iced tea?” Fayette gave Lainie a little push toward the restroom before she walked back behind the counter.
    Lainie locked herself in the small room and turned the cold tap on full force. She cupped her hands under the gushing water and looked in the mirror at her blotchy red face and swollen eyes. “I just know I’m going to go out there and have a big old butterfly net dropped on me. And truthfully? If it will just keep the world out, a nice padded cell sounds pretty good.” She bent over the sink and bathed her face and neck with the cool water.
    When she gathered enough of what remained of her dignity, shewalked back into the diner. One of the booths had emptied, but the people in the other looked much less troubled, almost friendly. Fayette must have eased their minds.
    â€œHere’s your tea. And here’s someone I want you to meet.” Fayette leaned across the counter and tried to tousle the dark hair of a tall, skinny kid of about sixteen. He leaned out of her reach and jerked his chin at Lainie in a gesture of silent