“Deputy, I sure didn’t mean any harm last night, I just got some whiskey in me for the first time in my life and it went to my belly like a sack o... rocks. Then my head was going in circles so fast I couldn’t walk good. You ain’t gonna lock me up or anythin’ are ya’.”“No, not unless you give me reason to anyway. Where you from?”“I been working over cross the river for a couple of years for old man Owen Sharp, but he died and his sons took over the farm and kicked me out.”“How old are you, and. " "Well, you just be careful," shesaid. "Jessica may seem sweet, but she's pretty strong willed, too." Samhelped himself to a muffin from the box she had opened. "Like mother likedaughter," he said, winking as he headed out of the kitchen for thestairs. Becky shook her head and scowled at him. "Whatever," she said,smiling, as she turned back to her breakfast.As it turned out, it wasn't difficult to rearrange his schedule, and heshowed up at Jessica's school five minutes early. She and her. .. Saturday,” she said faintly, seeing Melody with me.She looked at us both, settling her eyes on me.“You found her!”She swept Mel up in a hug, tearing up a little.“Oh! Thank God you found her!”She turned her attention to Mel and if we hadn’t been so frantic this past month, it would have been funny.“Are you okay?” she started off and before Mel had time to answer, she took off on a run of questions.“Where did you go? What have you been doing? Why didn’t you call me? Do you know how much we. We probably should settle for an all-night place. Anyway, Shiggie doesn't seem to mind eating American food." I know where there's a Ruby Tuesday's," I said.We went there.Shiggie told me -- through Amy -- that I had done well, getting eight outs in tonight's game, and shutting down the Tigers for the middle innings. The guy was ingratiating. He had a friendly, intelligent expression on his face, and he didn't seem as bewildered as I thought that I would be, if our situations had been.