drsawzall

It may be that I watched The Godfather and Casino too many times but...Ben is a liability. And there isn't any sugar coating this. Whatever game he is playing serves no one but himself... Ben has crossed too many lines with his reckless actions. There can be no ifs, no's, or doubts about it, Ben has become the loose cannon, and needs to disappear... BEN...NEEDS TO GO!!!!

Hoo boy...talk about a loaded thought... The lenses seemed to linger on me a fraction too long, their quiet adjustments following my movement even when I wasn’t the closest body in the hall. I told myself it was nothing, just awareness sharpened by exhaustion and adrenaline. Still, the feeling stayed with me all the way to the surface—an unshakable sense that whatever had spoken inside that room hadn’t finished observing me yet. Take your time, we will be here when you are ready!

No kitties here, more like junkyard dogs...

Your grandmother left you her cottage and accoutrements. Not the least was a tall, good-looking, lanky gardener... The cottage is yours if you occupy it for a year, or it is sold for charitable causes. And do not forget the quirky neighborhood denizens who have a betting pool on your abilities to fulfill the terms of Granny's will...

Thank you for sharing this wonderful story with us. It was a panacea for these cold, dark, winter days, and while the snow stopped, it was to make way for tonight's ice storm... I hope we see occasional guest appearances in your future tales of the quaint little town across the bridge!!

And now for the unexpected turn to the right... If only diplomacy worked that way...

To me, it is quite clear that Ben needs to go....

There are some amazingly great stories here!!!

Looking forward to the next chapter when it posts…as to the rest, take a break, get your thoughts in order, and when the muse hits you write the the next chapter, and then, the next, and so on. Hold off posting until you are comfortable and nearly complete or finished…We’ll be here waiting, eager, and anticipating! Your only pressure then, should be scheduling the chapters for posting. This is one of the best stories to hit GA this past year, for that, thank you!!

All I got is that there might be a whole lotta splaining to do before too long...

Ethan, I hope you’re ending is ignominious…at best…

The love of friends is dissipating Shawn’s emotional fog and just in time…

Thanks Tim for putting into words what this story meant to me!! Geron, what a fantastical story, and the comments bear that out!

Such a great chapter, one of the best yet! I guess it was too late to think about ear protectors…now…where are the munchkins singing ding dong the bad zombie is dead?

Same here, I just can't figure if it is 1937, 38, or 39.....

Sigh.....it's snowing again, and what a wonderful, wonderful chapter to brighten my afternoon!!

Dear lord in heaven, you managed to idealize the 'seasons' of winter...We've just come thru the coldest and snowiest December in recent memory. The ample stack of cordwood, cut and split by yours truly, is dwindling so much faster than I thought possible. While it isn't hockey, my NFL team is back in the playoffs, a bright spot in our dull, cold January... I keep telling myself that if I can make it to February, March ain't far behind... Who wants to lay odds that almost everyone in the village will be watching the bridge in the morning???? You had my eyes watering with the following... It's a physical pull now, like a rope tied around my ribs. I'll be at the bridge by tomorrow. Wait for me.”

A wise decision, but I would triple check and then spring the trap...What is Ben's endgame? Does Ben even know? Kieran didn’t speak immediately. He reached out and tapped the open notebook with his finger, right on the words INTERNAL CONFLICT. “The white van. The skimming. We’re not going to fight them head-on. Not in a tunnel, not in the street.” He paused, letting the idea take shape in the warm, charged air of the room. “We’re going to tell Dyson.”

I'm confused. I thought Charlie was working in a studio next to Louis, and it was at the Stables where Tom is renovating the outbuildings, did Charlie have a second studio?

Well now....this just took a left turn....

I have to agree... what else are we missing? And what about those troublesome neighbors to the north?

I've missed these folks... "Is it starting to seep into that stubborn brain of yours that Sawyer and I are just friends?", Dante then wanted to know quietly, perhaps a bit too annoyed and biting. Though Frank frowned a little, he nodded. "Dante, can we-" Boundaries Blaise...and what was he going to tell Frank??? Blaise went over to Dante, ruffled his hair, and then stepped up to a hanging cabinet to grab a glass. However, he let his hand slide over Dante's hip as he did so, in a gesture that was both unnecessary and, for an expression of paternal feelings, a little too intimate. Was it wise to mention the money Mistress Carolyn is holding? I like that Dante and Armand get along and discuss things sensibly... Armand nodded. "I want him to be happy," he said quietly, a little unhappy himself. "I want her to be happy, too," Dante returned just as quietly. "Her family is pressuring." Armand hunched his shoulders. "He deserves a woman who loves him as much as he loves her. Sarah would have been good." "Alice... is more interested in men like Valentine," Dante said slowly, and Armand nodded. "I don't think she will ever feel more for him than she does now." Well...talk about letting the other shoe drop, can't wait for Frank's full conversation/confession.... Frank swallowed, ran a hand through his hair. "Okay. Okay... one thing at a time." His gaze jerked around the room, here, there, to Dante, to the floor, back to Dante. "I love you. And I'm lying to you." Dante needs to figure out just how he is going to carry out Mistress Carolyn's wishes...and soon!!!