The Hippie Whisperer

By J.D. Walker

Carl Neilson’s life is centered around his college-aged son, Chester, who is home for the summer. At forty-seven years old, Carl is content with his thinning shoulder length hair, bushy sideburns and Hawaiian shirts, much to Chester’s dismay. Chester sets up a blind date for his dad with artist Benjamin ‘Ben’ Brooker.

Their first meeting is a disaster. Carl is horrified by the flamboyant and very opinionated Ben -- a man whose hair reminds him of a patriotic skunk with its red, white, and blue stripes -- and who manages to call into question all the things about himself that Carl holds dear.

It takes Carl a while to admit that there are changes he needs to make, especially to stop using his son as a crutch. With the help of plain-speaking Ben, Carl gets a haircut -- thank God -- and takes a few fumbling steps toward something new.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Aug 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781634860666

J.D. Walker

J.D. Walker likes to keep her stories short and sweet. A multi-published author, she is also a musician, artist, and lover of all things knit and crochet. For more information, visit lifebyjo.com/jdwalker.

Book preview

The Hippie Whisperer

By J.D. Walker

Published by JMS Books LLC

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2016 J.D. Walker

ISBN 9781634860666

Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

NOTE: This ebook was previously published by Amber Quill Press.

* * * *

To A. You’re the best thing since sliced bread was invented.

* * * *

The Hippie Whisperer

By J.D. Walker

Hey, Mr. C. Got a sec? The end of a semester was always hectic.

It was four o’clock on a Friday afternoon, and I was ready to call it a day. I looked up from what I was doing to see Kevin Jones, a nineteen-year-old student I counseled among the many at Baden Community College, standing in my doorway.

I blinked as I took in his choice of clothing for the day, which included bright green slacks, a Marvel Avengers T-shirt and red Converse high tops. He was the same age as my son, Chester. I felt a little wistful all of a sudden.

Yeah, sure. Close the door and have a seat.

While Kevin got comfortable, I brought up his file on my monitor as a reference. He had a high aptitude for mathematics, so we were trying to figure out how to channel that into a career choice. Preferably something where being fashion-challenged wasn’t an issue.

What can I do for you, Kevin? Have you made a decision?

I want to be a counselor, just like you, guiding career-challenged neophytes through the maddening labyrinth of choices toward conspicuous earning potential. He smiled at me. I was going to miss this kid.

Sorry, job’s already taken. Try again.

I want to teach high school math.

"Admirable, or masochistic. You do realize that you’ll be dealing with snot-nosed teenagers all day, probably bored and confrontational, like I’m sure you were at some point?" I asked him. I was teasing, of course. Well, mostly.

And you wouldn’t want me any other way. Maybe I’ll carry the memory of my high school shenanigans into the classroom and teach those would-be mischief mongers a thing or two. Boy, was he in for a rude awakening.

Just remember, I warned you. I made a note in his file and then stood. He did the same.

As I shook his hand, I said, It’s been a pleasure working with you, Kevin. I wish you the best, truly, in everything. You’ll be a wonderful teacher someday. He would transfer to another school in the fall.

Thanks, Mr. C. You’re not so bad, for an old guy. He