Chapter 1

I’d been working eight to ten hours a day, seven days a week since I started this little business four years ago and now that I have it going good I was going to take a few days to catch my breath.

I got my younger brother, Jerry to come in and keep things going for me while I took off for a five day trout fishing trip up on Sylamore Creek, a tributary of the White River in north central Arkansas.

I was still scared to spend any big money on myself, so I rented a bumper-pull pop-up camper and packed my duds. I didn’t have to take much, just a pair of jeans and my shit kicking boots in case I went into town one night.

Of course I took four extra pair of camp shorts, the ones with all the pockets on the legs, front and back.

I have a pair of slip-on deck shoes I wear when I wade out in the shallows, river fishing. I packed a few more shirts and my flip-flops and I was ready.

I picked up the camper from the rental place on my way out of town and headed for the hills.

I had never been up to Sylamore Creek Camp Grounds, but I read where it was just five miles from the town of Mt. View where all the ‘Folk Music’ is played down at the town square on Saturday nights, by the locals.

I stopped on the way, and bought a couple of cases of Miller Lite, and a bottle of Crown Royal, and a case of Cokes in the can. There were ‘dry counties’ ahead, and I was in the mood to be ‘wet’ for a few days. You can take that any way you want to, ‘cause I was planning on being ‘wet’ just about any way you can imagine.

I had stopped at the last liquor store I know of, before I got out of the ‘wet counties’ and stocked up. Arkansas is fucked up on ‘wet’ counties, and ‘dry’ counties, as well as ‘private’ clubs, and alcohol sales on Sundays.

I filled both coolers with ice to make sure I had all my drinks iced down to get cold before I drove that last eighty miles or so.

I was coming out of the liquor store with my cart loaded, and was nearly ran down by a bunch of laughing screaming young girls in an old convertible.

I dodged the car with my shopping cart full of beer and alcohol and scowled at them until I saw they were all wearing shorts and halters, and laughing and having a good time. Then I smiled real big.

I emptied my beer in one of the coolers and poured ice cubes all over it. I put my Cokes in the other one, and iced them down too.

Just as I was about to pull out of the parking lot, two of the girls ran out the door, and over to where I was.

I rolled the window down on my silver Chevy Silverado, and asked if I could help them.

“They won’t let us buy any beer, and we’re headed up to the river for the weekend, would you buy us three cases?” One girl asked. That wasn’t a halter top, it was a bikini top and they all had them; some covered a lot, some barely covered anything.

“How old are all of you, and you better tell me the truth. Because I’ll want to see some driver’s licenses, if I think you’re lying.” I looked them over, figuring them to be seventeen to nineteen, maybe even in college.

“I am the oldest by three months and I’m eighteen, my name is Brenda. Marley and Kathy here are both eighteen too. Sue and Josie are in the store and they are both seventeen this week. Will you please help us?” Brenda pleaded.

She was just like the other four young, pretty, tanned and showing skin. They wanted beer too. My kind of girls.

The girl they called Josie was of Mexican or Spanish heritage. I could tell that, the others looked to be Italian or South American maybe Brazilian.

“I’ll get you some beer but I want all of you to buy your Cokes, ice and leave. There’s a big Catfish House about a mile after you cross the river. Pull in there and I’ll meet you with the beer.”

“You won’t just drive off, will you? We’re celebrating Sue and Josie’s birthdays and I borrowed my brother’s tent ... we’re going camping for the week.”

“I’ll get your beer on one condition,” I said.

“We’re not going to do anything dirty with you – so don’t ask.” the girl I later learned was Marley, said.

“I wasn’t going to ask that you ‘do anything dirty‘ with me.” I told her, mimicking her nasal voice as well as I could.

Hell, I was twice as old as these girls and as much as I like pussy I don’t want to get thrown in jail. I’ll buy their beer for them but I’m not going to fuck them ... no way! I started to say ‘never’ but I learned long ago, never say never.

“What was your condition, then?” Marley asked, her face red.

“That you all promise me you WILL NOT drink a beer or any other liquor until you pitch your tent tonight and I mean ALL of you too.”

“Thanks Mister, we promise we won’t. If any one of us got stopped for drinking and driving we’d all be grounded the rest of our lives. We almost didn’t talk our parents into letting us go camping alone, as it is.” She assured me.

“You just get some ice and Cokes in your coolers and drive off ... stop at the Catfish House and I’ll be there.”

“Here’s our money,” she said, as she reached for her back pocket of her cut-off jeans that were as tight on her ass as the silver paint was on my pick-up.

“Put your money up. Neither you nor I need to be seen swapping money in the parking lot of a liquor store, now get your friends and get out of here.” I told them. I went back and climbed up in the back of my pick-up, and moved my camping gear around. Moving my coolers to the front, and more or less just killing time, until the girls all came out and left.

I took an empty cooler I had with me, to put fish in to take back home, and set it on the ground. I walked back in the store, and the girl behind the counter was waiting on three more customers; the man that had waited on me was heading into the back, as I grabbed up four cases of beer, two Bud Lights, and two Miller Lites.

I was hoping he wouldn’t see me; that way, I wouldn’t have to even worry about what I was doing, or about getting asked why I came back in for more beer.

I made it, I did have to go back in to get two more bags of ice I had paid for though.

I backed the camper out, and took off, headed west on U.S. Highway 64. I know what it’s like being almost old enough to buy beer, but not quite. My older sister used to buy my beer, and I am still thankful to her.

I saw the girls’ car up ahead. The Catfish House was closed this time of day and they were parked off to the side, I circled around to where the back of my pick-up was near their cars’ trunk, and stopped.

“Oh My God you did it. We thank you so much ... you’re a good guy.” Brenda smiled and they ran over to look in the back of my truck.

“I was young once, my sister bought my beer. I know what it’s like,” I told them as I put the four cases on the ground and opened their one cooler.

I poured the ice out of their cooler into my cooler and put two cases of beer in it then poured the ice back over it. It was too full, and I took some of the ice and put in my extra cooler.

I put the other two cases in the trunk of their car and the cooler too.

“Here’s your money,” Brenda said, as she held the bills out. I looked and there were two twenty dollar bills in her fist.

I took one twenty and told them that there was a sale on beer, since I had bought six cases total.

“Was it really?” Marley said, as she danced and laughed, at their good fortune.

“Yeah,” I said and loaded my cooler back and was ready to leave.

“Where are you headed for? We’re thinking about camping either on the White River or down at Sylamore Creek. Marley said she and her parents went there, years ago, and she loved it.”

“I was headed up to Sylamore; you girls drive safe and if you make it over to Sylamore I may see you there. Are any of you going to fish?”

“No ... Marley is the only one that ever learned how to fish, all we’re going to do is just kick back, relax, drink some beer, swim and get some sun.” Brenda said.

“Thanks again.” They all yelled, as I drove off.

“I don’t even know his name, damn,” Kathy said.

“We never asked did we? We were so intent on getting beer. We should be ashamed,” Marley said.

“Maybe we will see him again and thank him,” Josie said.

“That’s a big camp ground and the tent camp ground isn’t even close to where he’ll have to put his little camper,” Marley said.

“Well, let’s go. We need to have some beer and get some sun. I can hardly wait to get my new bikini on,” Sue said.

“You mean get naked ... That’s all we bought was the skimpiest bikinis they had,” Josie said.

“Josie Garcia, you’re the one who wanted the ones that show our butts,” Kathy laughed.

I stopped in Mt. View and bought some chips and dip, some eggs, bacon and coffee. I got a loaf of bread and some sandwich makings – cheese, bologna and mayo. I didn’t get a lot because I was only going to be about five miles from town and they had a camp ground store anyway.

I checked in with the people at the office, bought my fishing license and trout stamp and got my map with the camper site marked and headed on over to get set up.

I backed into my parking slot and stopped my camper on the pavement so I could level it. I parked my pickup off to the side in the shade and got a beer as I went back to raise the top and the pop-up part, and the wings where the beds are.

I put all my clothes in the camper and opened all the flaps so it would be cool by dark. I put all my coolers under the picnic table and got out my tackle box, and my favorite fly rod. I put an extra beer in the web pouch, and left camp. This is what I came for, I needed to take a break.

I walked down to the water and looked up river then down. I decided up river. I didn’t see many fishermen out and the campground wasn’t that full, since it was the first of the week.

I walked along the edge of the rippling water, about a hundred yards away from the campgrounds, and then stopped to tie a fly on my line. I was going to try flies today and maybe get some worms tomorrow, with some artificial salmon eggs.

I caught three that were too small and threw them back. I hung onto a nice one but he flipped me off just as I reached for him in the shallow water.

These were Rainbows and I wanted to hook a big Brown before I left. I was hoping anyway.

I fished until the sun went below the high bluffs on the west side of the river and decided I needed another beer anyway.

I got back to my camp just in time to see a brown sexy butt that almost had a black bikini on it bent over my cooler.

“Hand me one while you’re in there,” I said, still not knowing who it was or why they were getting a beer from my cooler.

The woman turned around fast, and her bikini top nearly lost the battle to contain her big tits. Damn, she was nice, she could bend over to get another beer if she wanted one.

“I saw you set up today. I’m your next door neighbor. Me and my son, that is. I didn’t get a chance to say hi before, you were gone so fast. My name is Meghan Robertson, Meghan with an ‘h’.”

“My name’s Bob Murphy, with a ‘B’ but most folks just call me Murphy with an ‘M’.”

She never even let on that I had made a wisecrack.

“Well, since we’re neighbors, I guess you can have a beer. Hand me another one, Meghan.”

“Thanks, I was going to tell you I got one. I wasn’t going to steal from you,” she smiled, as she handed me the beer. Damn, she was nice.

“Sit down, if you like. I’ll put some sandwich fixings out and we’ll have a picnic.” I smiled.

“Sure, that is if you don’t mind. My son Robby met a couple of girls, and I saw them walking earlier. I made sure he had a few rubbers with him, before I let him go those girls were older than him and I just got a feeling he’s going to let them take advantage of him,” she laughed.

We fixed a couple of sandwiches and I opened the chips and dip. We ate, snacked and drank a few beers, as the night settled down over the river and the camp grounds.

“Where are you from, Meghan?” I asked as she sat across from me in the dim light from the camp ground lights. There were plenty of lights, but my camper had the light from nearest one blocked where we were.

“I’m from Memphis ... where are you from?”

“I’m from Marion.”

“Well damn, Murphy we’re neighbors,” she smiled and I could see her white teeth shining in the near dark.

“Here’s to neighbors Meghan,” I said as I bumped her beer can with mine.

“How old are you Murphy? That is if you don’t mind me asking.”

“Don’t mind a bit. I’m thirty four.” I said.

“Really? I am too. When’s your birthday?” She asked and took the last of her beer in a big swig.

“June 29^th.”

“Small world, mine’s the 18^th.” She smiled again.

“Here, have another beer to celebrate our 34 birthdays past.” I said, as I handed her another cold one.

“Thanks, how do you get your beer so cold? Mine always just feels cool.”

“I iced these down about a hundred miles back and it’s been closed until now. I put it in the shade too when I got here.”

“I guess I left mine out in the sun. I never even thought about it.”

“What do you do in Memphis?” I asked, to make conversation and because I wanted to know.”

“I work in a law firm. Been there for almost ten years, the pay is good and I get good benefits too. What do you do in Marion?” She asked now as if she was changing the subject, real fast.

“I own a small business I started a few years back that’s really been picking up in the last six months; I sell supplies wholesale to restaurants. Nationally, and over the internet,” I said.

I was proud of my little business it was really booming but I was still awed by the success, and was afraid to spend a dime. The two hundred and fifty thousand I’d put in C D’s during the past six months still didn’t make me feel like I was on my way to easy street ... yet.

“Sounds like fun. Do you have many employees or try to do it all yourself?”

“I have my brother part-time. He’s still in college at Jonesboro, and I have two Mexican sisters that help full time.”

“You’re not married?” She asked.

“No. Are you?” I shot back.

“For the time being ... we’re separated and I’ve filed already. We have to agree on a settlement now,” she said as if tired.

“Well, I’ve never been married but I have friends that have and already gotten a divorce. It sure changed them, males and females alike.” I said.

“Yeah, it wears on you after a while. Let’s talk about something else and drink some more of your beer, may we?” She asked, and smiled a weak smile in the dim light.

“Sure, here. have another cold one.” I handed her one.

“Let’s take a walk down by the river. Want to? I promise I won’t try to take advantage of you,” she grinned widely as she stood up.

“Yeah, let me get my dry shoes on first,” I said as I went to the camper, grabbed my walking shoes and slipped them on.

I put two more cold beers in the web pouch around my waist and we were off.

When I turned around, she was standing in the light and her black bikini was still losing the battle of keeping her covered up. For a thirty four year old, she looked like a model. Hell, for a nineteen year old, she’s HOT!

“Lets walk this way, Murphy. I saw my son and his friends walking up here earlier. I don’t want to check up on him but ... well, I guess I do in a way. Is that alright?” She asked.

“Alright to walk this way or alright to check on him?” I asked and we both laughed.

“You’re an alright kind of guy, Murphy.” Meghan said as we walked and she turned to look at me.

“You’re an alright kind of girl, Meghan. I like you and I like talking to you and being around you.” We were quite a ways away from the campgrounds as we walked and talked. We drank the beers we had open and Meghan reached out to pull me to her.

“I need a beer.” She said, as she reached to get both fresh beers out of the web pouch and put our two empties in it.

“I was hoping you were going to grope me.” I said as she handed me a beer.

“I thought about it. “ She came right back.

“Murphy, can we go right over there by those two big rocks; I need to pee, this beer is running through me,” She laughed.

“If you won’t peek, I need to pee too,” I said as we came to the rocks that were about head high to her. She squatted next to one, and I pissed all over the side of the other one away from her.