Home Field Advantage: Brass Knuckles & Tattered Wings, #3

By Martin Svolgart

After a freak accident killed his wife and son, Pritchard slipped into alcoholism to drown his sorrows at a blue-collar bar nearby to avoid the dead and empty house. But then a teenage girl asked for his help, and it turned his entire existence around.

Pritchard is coping better with his grief, distracting himself with odd acts of vigilantism where he sees himself useful, while also helping his latest princess find her new life.

When the phone rings and a familiar voice asks him to come back to Glens Falls, the distraction is over, and Pritchard has to face the streets holding so many memories to help out an old coworker.

But this time, things aren't as clear cut, and Pritchard finds himself dragged deeper into his past than he likes. Having to acknowledge that things have changed over the last fifteen years he wasn't part of it brings new trouble but also opportunities.

He's scarcely ready for either, but he's not as alone as his grief had led him to believe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: MarLau Publishing
• Release date: Jul 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9788793966086

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Home Field Advantage

Brass Knuckles and Tattered Wings #3

Season One

Martin Svolgart

AFTER A FREAK ACCIDENT killed his wife and son, Pritchard slipped into alcoholism to drown his sorrows at a blue-collar bar nearby to avoid the dead and empty house. But then a teenage girl asked for his help, and it turned his entire existence around.

Pritchard is coping better with his grief, distracting himself with odd acts of vigilantism where he sees himself useful, while also helping his latest princess find her new life.

When the phone rings and a familiar voice asks him to come back to Glens Falls, the distraction is over, and Pritchard has to face the streets holding so many memories to help out an old coworker.

But this time, things aren’t as clear cut, and Pritchard finds himself dragged deeper into his past than he likes. Having to acknowledge that things have changed over the last fifteen years he wasn’t part of it brings new trouble but also opportunities.

He’s scarcely ready for either, but he’s not as alone as his grief had led him to believe.

Copyright © 2020 MarLau Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

ISBN: 978-87-93966-08-6

Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination.

Cover design by Juan Padrón

Edited by Avril Steopowski

MarLau Publishing

Denmark

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Table of Contents

Day 47

Day 49

Day 50

Day 51

Day 52

Day 53

Day 54

Day 55

Day 57

About the Author

Day 47

THREE WEEKS RIDING across the country with Sheila in the car, and neither of them had become better singers. They’d quickly learned that they had roughly the same taste in music, mainly classic rock and some new country, and they’d sung along with whichever one was coming over the radio that they knew.

It sounded horrible, but they had fun.

Sometimes, Pritchard would do some angel business as Sheila called it. Minor stuff. The big needs like Rose’s and Sheila’s didn’t come along that often. Maybe that was a good thing? Then again, knowing the statistics for crime, he knew he just hadn’t found them.

I’m serious, Pritchard.

What?

She grinned at him. You, me, a duo in Nashville.

Pritchard chuckled. Matching sequin shirts?

And hats.

Spurs?

Uh!

Pritchard laughed loudly as she bobbed her brows at him. Then his phone rang, and he pulled it out, glancing at the caller ID. Unknown. He’d learned to pick those up after Rose, so he answered it. Yeah?

"At least you picked up on the first call this time."

Rose? Pritchard smiled. Are you calling for help again? The three seconds of silence felt like a punch to the gut, and he quickly pulled over. You okay? Your dad?

"Dad’s the one who came home telling me this. He’s the one asking me to call you."

Rose, what is it?

Sheila looked worried.

"Someone said something at the bar about someone from your old job. That she and her daughter are missing, but they think she’s hiding. Those are the rumors, but...she might need an angel."

Who?

"Jannice?"

Jennie? She’d had a baby while Pritchard worked there. About six months before Pritchard’s family had met that truck, as far as he remembered.

"Yeah, that might be it. I called Cat and got your number."

I just rolled into Pennsylvania. Pritchard looked at Sheila, and he could see in her eyes that she was coming to terms with their trip being over. A sad but brave smile ghosted her lips. I’ll call you when I’m close. Would you try to find out a bit more for me?

"Of course. I’ll tell Dad, too."

Thanks. Hey, how’s school?

"It’s going well. So’s my boxing."

Good, good. Pritchard nodded, smiling, feeling proud of her. I’ll see if I can train with you when I come to town.

"You better." She hung up, the smile in her tone making Pritchard chuckle.

End of the line, Sheila stated.

Pritchard sighed. Yeah. He then grabbed the map and glanced at it, trying to figure out where to...dump Sheila. He hated that it wasn’t better planned than this. His gaze landed on a small town by the Delaware River. New Hope?

What’s that?

A small town not far from here. He measured with his thumb. Not far north of Philadelphia but not too small and not too big.

She smiled. Let’s check it out.

Pritchard drove the car back onto the road, his mind already on returning to Glens Falls and visiting his old place of employment. Jennie. He remembered her having a strange relationship with her husband, yet they were pretty private about it. Other than that, she was a good coworker. The kind that could make you smile about going to work.

THEY ROLLED INTO THE small town of New Hope, and Pritchard took them through it. Cute houses, cute town. If he was settling down, he would think it an interesting place.

Sheila pulled out her phone, looking through it. There’s a bed and breakfast.

Better get a room, then. And I need sleep before I go north.

She smiled at him. Yeah, they’d have another night together. He didn’t want it to feel like he just pushed her out of the car and took off for the next princess. Princesses in this case. They’d needed each other to find themselves as human beings, and he’d forever be grateful he’d met her. Smart, funny, sweet, a goofball, and a very enthusiastic explorer of all the intimacy she hadn’t had with Hank.

Pritchard rolled up in front of the B&B. It