Drifter

By J. N. Sadler

A teenage newlywed couple moves into the old Piedmont place. A farm accident occurs, leaving the young widow helpless, who then shares the house with her young unattached aunt. An ugly stranger charms them into letting him move in to help out, but scares them into running for their lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 13, 2012
• ISBN: 9781479762125

J. N. Sadler

Janet Sadler is a resident of Havertown, Pennsylvania. She has published two volumes of poetry with her illustrations: Headwinds and Full Sail and has been published in many small literary magazines. Once member of the Mad Poets Society in Media, PA, and also the Overbrook Poets in Philadelphia, she reads her poetry at local venues. She was the former poetry director at Tyme Gallery in Havertown, PA and at Baldwin’s Book Barn in West Chester, PA. She has authored thirty flash fictions novels. Twenty-seven titles have been published through Xlibris and can be found at Xlibris.com, under J. N. Sadler Author’s email address: [e-mail]

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Copyright © 2012 by J. N. Sadler.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 10/29/2021

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Epilogue

Preview The Fix . . . .

Chapter 1

Other Published Books by J. N. Sadler

CHAPTER 1

Trudy Matlock never paid much attention to bums passing by her property in open box cars belonging to the Okiwalla Rail System, No. 418. To her, they were merely dark, huddled shapes of broken men hiding and running from their vagrant lives, leaving wives and children behind to fend on their own. Or, maybe they were thrust out of mental health facilities that the government found necessary to close, or maybe, they were escaping from the law. It didn’t matter to her. She was living day to day in her own misery. Her husband was gone now, leaving her a widow at nineteen.

Charlie, Trudy’s husband, was the son of a shoe salesman and shoe repair man and had been a pillar in his church. Trinity Chapel was non-denominational, although its congregation claimed to believe in the Holy Trinity, in some form or other. The truth was that he was one of the few attendees that showed up every Sunday, whether or not his wife accompanied him to services. His mother died before he had met Trudy.

Trudy shuddered, remembering those Sundays when she did go with him. She couldn’t convince herself that Biblical stories were true. Charlie was opposed to her non-believer views, but knew she would find Jesus along the way. After church, Charlie would loosen his only bright blue tie and open his only white shirt collar, put his beat up old Bible on the coffee table, and open up the newspaper, which he loved to read in his sagging easy chair. His jeans were clean and starched, and his farm boots, polished to a high shine. His hat, hanging on the coat rack, was one that he shared with the scarecrow.

Trudy was a beautiful child, and had grown into a fine—looking country girl. She met John Charles Matlock at a church bazaar. When the congregation spoke to him, they addressed him as John, but he preferred his middle name, Charles. He said it made him feel Royal. He was the only child belonging to Del Willard Matlock, alias the shoe doctor.

Trudy was raised by her mother. Her father left town, never to return, before she was born.

Charlie’s beautiful pale gray eyes mesmerized her. He had high cheekbones, full lips, and a nose with a high bridge. She found out later on in their relationship, that he had Navajo blood, which explained his blue-black hair.

Her locks were glossy brown with blond highlights. Her skin was peachy cream, and her eyes were deep blue-green. Her figure was slim and petite. When she and Charlie walked on the stones, in the creek, he noticed how perfect and white her small feet were.

It was an idyllic place to lie on the bank, or swing over to the other side on a hanging rope, or swim in the cool, rippling water. No one saw them. They had found a rare, undiscovered spot under the trees, on the edge of the meadow. The water bubbled continuously and made its own music. Birds came to drink there. If there was a Heaven, Trudy thought this was how it would look and feel.

Charlie stretched out on a plot of long dark grass under a tree with a very thick trunk. It must have been a hundred years old. Its bark was peeling in spots where it pushed out forming a wider girth. He leaned on one elbow, chewing the tender base of a long grass stem. He stared off into the air. Clouds stretched across the summer blue sky.

Trudy adjusted her peasant blouse, covering her skin young that was still damp from their swim. She tossed her hair that was drying quickly in the sun. Thick, tight curls framed her face. A few freckles appeared across her nose and on her cheeks. She looked at Charlie. He looked back at her, smiling.

Anything else you want to do today, Sweetheart? He tossed away his straw.

Wouldn’t it be great to start new somewhere we’ve never been?

He pulled her over to him, so that he could look into her eyes. Nope, I like things just the way they are, here in Angus City. Why do you want to change everything? Aren’t you happy here, with me? He gripped her tightly. We’re getting married, aren’t we? Isn’t that enough for you? He kissed her tenderly and rubbed noses with her like the Eskimos do. Don’t you want to have little ones running all around? It’s supposed to be a secret, but my dad says he’s bought the Piedmont House, the one with all acres. He’s giving it to us as a wedding present. We’ve got something new to look forward to. We’re going to be farmers.

Charlie, please let go of my arm, it’s going numb." He immediately let go of her, turned to her, and stroked her cheek with his finger.

I’m sorry. You won’t tell him I told you about his surprise, will you? His eyes widened as he grinned and grabbed for another hay straw to chew.

You know I won’t tell. She cocked her head, We’ve never talked about being farmers. I thought you would be going into the shoe business with your dad, and I could help you in the shop. She looked serious, as she stood up.

He put his head down. I didn’t tell you this, either. He might not even be at our wedding. Since Mom passed, he’s been failing. He has no time to teach me the business. He’s too weak, and I really don’t want take it over, anyway. He wants to sell the business and help us out, because he won’t be needing money where he’s going; you know, to be with God and my mom and Jesus.

Didn’t it upset him that you weren’t interested?

No. He understands. Being his only child, he wants nothing but what makes me happy. I was lucky to have such good parents. They raised me on the words of the Good Book.

Trudy looked away and into the sky. She spoke to Charlie without turning her head. You’re really religious, aren’t you?

Charlie answered, staring at her without her knowing it. I believe in God, the Almighty, and in his perfect son, Jesus, our Holy Savior. Is that what you mean by being religious? It is the only Truth. It is the Word of God, Creator of the Universe. Don’t you believe? You go to church every now and then. He relented. Don’t worry; you’ll be saved through me." He snickered and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. She turned her head towards him, discovering that his words made her feel secure.

But, she didn’t have to settle for Charlie. There were other boys who were interested in her. There was Sammy Coleridge who was too good for her, she thought. He was well-mannered and smart. His family was the country club set.

Trudy’s mother was a left-at-the-alter bride, working at the dry cleaners while she raised Trudy. She died of a lung disease at forty, right