Watching Out For Jolene

By Rebecca Sorens

She enjoys the off-beat red-neck life here, in her trailer overlooking the Pacific Ocean, more than the good life in Seattle. With her dog and cat, Jolene has never needed any person to watch out for her. For human company she goes down to Mamie's Cafe.

When danger barges in on her walking path, and her home, she accepts shooting lessons with the 'cowboy' who is courting her.

In the library the mysterious 'Indian' gives her a medicine bag for protection. But she doesn't believe in hocus-pocus, not even the Native American kind.

Maybe bears looking for food is the only threat, but it could be more than that.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rebecca Sorens
• Release date: Sep 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301050727

Rebecca Sorens

From Little Rock, Arkansas, land of gentlemen and ladies with soft-spoken accents, then west to California and north to Oregon. Traipsed around overseas (Spain, China, Costa Rica) teaching English until landing on the south coast of Spain. Now writing an exercise book, on how to stay supple if you hate to exercise. Must get to finishing the Third Silverton Cozy -- Jenna drowns on vacation in Costa Rica, or does she?

Book preview

14

Protection of the Precious Stones

story of Jolene and her friends

short story by Rebecca J Sorens

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Rebecca Sorens

Cover page and book cover photos from Dreamstime

© book and cover design by Rebecca M Jaynes

Jolene lives on the Oregon coast in a trailer on the edge of a cliff. She can see a long ways – of ocean, sky, and fog. The wind blows, storms come. Past her house there’s a steep trail that twists down the side of the cliff onto the sand. She is glad there’s no trail closer to her place. She can hear the waves crashing below the cliff.

Dish water blonde or just plain brown, Jolene’s hair is long and lanky like the rest of her. Today her hair is curling up on its own accord, not just because the humidity is high, but because she thinks – or feels – someone was following her. If she had biker friends, she’d call up one of them, Joe or Butch, and soon they’d be buzzing up and down the road, feeling protective. But bikers are too noisy.

All the deadbeats around, the poets and the pot smokers, the disabled, and the crack heads too, say ‘hi’ when they pass her by at the post office or the store. Jolene doesn’t consider herself a fringe type; although she thinks she may be turning into one, living out here in her trailer.

After graduation, she got a good job in Seattle and dressed up to