Old troubadour
By henry Himmler
Tom pulled his old pick up into the drive. His clothes were strewn all over the yard. His guns and tools sitting in a box. He walked up to the front door, his fiancé was waitng on him. Hello tom kayla said as he took of his cowboy hat, im kicking you out my new boyfriend ricardo and me want the house. Toms eyes teared up, he grabbed his things and as he got into his truck he said you can keep the ring cause I meant it. As he pulled out of the driveway, he turned on the radio, George strait was singing I cross my heart as tom headed west. The cowboy in him had always wanted to hit Nevada, so he was finally doing it. Texas just was to cold to him nowadays. He had been driving for hours when he saw the Arizona line. He remembered what his friend lee had told him outside of phoenix was a little bar called blue moon. Luckily the signs for phoenix came up, after several dirt roads later tom was pulling in, the place was a little dirty and old but as tom walked in he could see still a good place for a beer. About this time a lady about his age walked inside, tom couldn't keep his eyes off her. Just then a man and woman walked up and sat down. Near her. She started to cry tom knew that look in her eyes the look of someone who has lost everything. Tom told the bartender two shots of wild turkey leave the bottle as he grabbed it and walked down the bar toward her. He propped his boot up and sat down on the stool beside her. Why hello there lil darlin I know that look, you feel like nobody in this world has ever felt the pain you feel right now, well I feel it too. He paused for a minute, I feel it cause the love of my life left me today. So I could really use a friend right now, so what do you say wanna make that fella over there jealous? He nodded toward the fellow that had followed her in. she said my name is bella and that's my ex husband Edward, he kicked me out today so he could run off with that blonde hussy. Tom said, this might sound odd but if you aint got a place to go your more than welcome to come with me. I mean im heading out into Nevada, and from there who knows but, I wouldn't mind someone riding with me. Bella said, my bags are at his house we will have to wait on them to get home. Just then the man got up and walked over. He said so cowboy what you doing with my wife? Tom said its none of your business wat im doing because you're the one screwing around. The man punched tom. The last thing tom heard was bella yelling.
When he came to, he saw the highway flying by. He turned and looked bella was driving his truck, he smiled saying that bastard took a cheap shot. Bella said I grabbed that whiskey bottle thought you might want it. Tom grabbed the bottle out of the floor board, taking a swig he said, I think today is gonna be rather odd. Just then the radio started to play eighteen wheels and a dozen roses. Tom laughed saying my daddy was a trucker this was him an mommas song. Bella said, what happened. Tom, looked at her and said in the smokey mountains he crashed ran his truck off the road, it was raining. I was sixteen at the time, I took over my grandpas farm to keep the house paid for. Momma died a year later, she couldn't live without daddy. So she shot herself. Two weeks later I met kayla, and thought she loved me that is until. Bella cut him off, so cowboy whats our plans for when we hit Nevada. Tom looked at her and said, im gonna try to start a new ranch, thinkin bout callin it. Black mountain or goodsprings. Bellas stomach growled, just then she grinned and said so cowboy how does a burger sound about now. A sign up ahead said ritas diner, tom said pull off in there. Tom put on his hat as he stepped out of the truck. He looked at her and said, places like this can always cook a mean burger. He grinned as he opened up the front door to the diner. It was just like any other diner in the southwest. As he walked inside the waitress said what can I get yah? He said two burgers two fries a coke and a cup of coffee. The waitress wrote all of this down, and walked into the back of the diner. Tom looked at bella then said so what made you come with me? Bella looked back and said you know I really don't know, maybe it was just the feeling of adventure or something else but I feel like I belong with you. Tom looked at her, and said I aint nothing but an old troubadour, what a young lady like you don't need is me, look at me im 19, already lost one love and drifting through the southwest. If anything I feel like an old hank Williams song. Tom motioned for the waitress to fill up his coffee, as he paid. Bella said where did you get all that money. Tom looked at her as he put away his wallet and said I used to ride in the rodeo. I quit it the day I left. I had to im just ready to start my ranch and settle down with a good woman. Just then a biker walked into the diner, sitting down behind them. Tom looked over his shoulder and said, for example look at him, he runs wild and free not a care in the world but hes happy hes living his dream that's what ii want to do. So anyhow eat up, tom said as he bit into his burger.
20 years later
Black mountain cattle ranch
Bella is sitting on a porch swing, her son is busting a bronco in the corral, hes 19 and looks just like his daddy did when they first met. Tom is out on the back side of the ranch fixing fence. Down there driveway she see's a silver Volvo pulling up she hollers for her son to get his daddy as her son hops into the farm truck and drives off the black Volvo stops. Edward gets out his blonde bimbo wrapped around his arm. He looks at her with a greasy smile and says so this is where you have been hiding out all these years. i take it your still with that cowboy, face it bella ranches like yours are all drying up, you husband should just sell the land to me so I can make a parking lot out of better yet ill make sure he sells it, Edward pulls out a pistol and points it at bella. He grins and says im gonna shoot you and then he will have to sell just as he aims the gun a shot rings out. Bella looks behind him, coming off the hill is tom on his horse, his old Winchester rifle still aimed at Edward. Edward lays the pistol down as tom rides up. Tom looks at him and says its been a long time city boy I seem to recall you knocked me out with a cheap shot one time looks like this time though I won now get out of here, and don't ever come back. Bellas son comes off the same hill as tom was on now in the old farmtruck. He slides to a stop in front of the house. He gets out saying ma are you okay. Bella looks at his and says yeah your dad just made sure that land shark wont be back to bother us anytime soon. Tom looked at his son and said boy next time do what I tell you, he son said but I don't think planting dynamite would help much in this situation. What if he came back with back up, blasting the creek bridge would mean we would be trapped. Bella finally said would you two quit fighting, and come eat dinner. Tom walked inside, and sat down. Just then he heard the sound of a small caliber gun being shot. His son came in the room, bleeding he said Edwards back as he, slumped into the floor and blacked out. Tom ran upstairs in his bedroom and grabbed his pistols. Kissed bella and said hide in the attic. Don't come down ill come get you. Tom went outside, cocking the hammers on his revolvers. There was Edward, plus Carlisle, and toms ex fiancé. Tom looked her in the eye and said so you finally tracked me down, now what do you want, cause stabbing me in the heart aint gonna work no more. He pointed his pistols at Edward and Carlisle. They grinned, as kayla drew the one gun of toms she had kept. She yelled tommy boy remember this, she squeezed the trigger as he turned to see the colt 1911 firing. He hit the ground, bleeding he saw them run into the house. As he sank into darkness he felt his shoulder burning and saw the house start to smoke. Suddenly he felt a gentle touch, he opened his eyes and saw bella standing above him smiling he said, I died didn't I, we all died now Edward can get the ranch. Bella said no we didn't die, I took us to the one place they wont think to look for you tom. Were in Arkansas you know the place were you grew up, I called your cousins as we left they said to get you here. One of them patched you up, also they said your iron horse is in the barn. I don't know what they mean but I think you do. Just then there son came running out of the barn saying theres all kinds of motorcycle parts in that barn. Dad theres pictures of you too all over the walls see this one has that lady that shot you in it. He turned the picture over on the back was a letter kayla had once written him.
Dear tom,
I miss you I cant wait till you get home from the rodeo. I hope you don't get hurt on this run, I love you
Kayla
Tom handed it back and said hang it back up where you found it. Then wait for me. Tom and bella walked up to the old farm house. Tom was in tears as he walked in the front door. He saw his grandpas hat sitting on the table where he had sat it just after the funeral, he could still smell the stale tobacco. He walked upstairs, and said this was my room,he opened it and let bella in. the walls were covered in bikini posters and old car pictures. An old gun rack hung on the wall still held a few guns, tom picked up a rifle saying hmm I think ill let mark shoot this nagant bout time he learned to shoot a good gun. He unlocked the bottom inside was two pistols a rifle and a wooden box. Tom handed bella the pistols, he said honey your going to need these just in case heres a rifle by the way. Bella looked at his strangely and said what are you going to use. He opened the crate and pulled out a mp40 submachine gun. He said im using this grandpa left it to me when he died. Now im going to go look around town I hope that nobody has seen kayla ill ask her brother he wont talk to her he aint since that day. Bella said wont they be looking on the roads tom? He looked back and said im not taking main roads. Tom walked out to the shed behind the house and opened the door. There was a lump covered with a tarp. He pulled the tarp off as the dust flew under it was an old motorcycle. Tom reach into the saddle bag and grabbed a pair of goggles as he fired it up. He took off like a rocket into the woods. As tom swerved between trees, and hopped over ditches he was grinning he hadn't made this ride since he was 16 it was seeing an old friend again. Up ahead the woods got thinner. Tom hit the brakes and slid sideways as he came into a clearing, there was a tar paper shack in it. Beside it was a man roughly toms age sitting by a fire. Tom pulled the bike up beside him and saw it was Brandon. Just the guy he was looking for. He climbed off the bike, as the other guy turned around. The other guy said I knew you would come here eventually. Kayla has already been here so has this Edward I don't like him tom. They took my home, they took my life, and worst of all they tried to kill my best friend. Brandon turned around and said tom it would be best to get out of here go to town, there look for dr. grasses old barn by the church inside I left you all the info you will need to know. I wish you luck and hurry I fear they will be back at nightfall. Tom hopped back onto his bike and took off back into the woods. He made the bike slide and jump with a deadly skill. As he pulled back up to the house he could see bella in the kitchen cooking and mark on the back porch shooting at crows with his rifle. Tom walked inside taking off his hat. He walked up to bella and said I love you honey, as he kissed her. He went out back and walked up to mark. As he said hey mark wanna see the iron horse? Mark said what is it. Tom smiled and said you will see. As they walked down to the barn tom smiled he opened the doors just so he could see the look on marks face as he saw the old chevy panel wagon inside. On the side was the number 91 and there was a hood scoop sticking out of the hood. Tom said shes an armored car basically. Also were driving her to town. Aint been a car in 30 years could outrun her, especially down these old dirt roads. With that he climbed into the cab. The key was in it he turned over the engine and it roared to life he smiled as mark got in. he put it in gear and they shot off into the night. The only road that was dirt anymore was a dangerous road even the county wouldn't pave but tom new it well he used this same road to form a plan as he drove down the main road into town.