Summerabbacat

That is why Margot wears those “sweats” when her parents are not home.

I loved the humour in this thought, in fact, I am loving the surprising amount of humour the conversations, especially those involving Jo, are peppered with.

Brilliant @TimeTraveller. I just hope Margot has not been scenting her territory with her anal glands like hyenas do.

If, and it is a very big if, Chloe is to be believed, Vickie's murderer could be any one of many of the town's residents, as Vickie apparently had no compunction about blackmailing her fellow residents. Chloe described her as a parasite; if she was as "popular" with the menfolk, and maybe some of the women too, as what Chloe has suggested, she well may have contracted at least one bacterial infection during her life. The one person who was averse to Vickie's charms was Caleb and it apparently drove her crazy she could not have him. Was her infatuation genuine or was she just a sore loser? You are not wrong, as usual, @weinerdog. The town has some very unpleasant residents, and thus far they are all female, apart from Detective Reyes. Caleb's mother is still the "supreme" bitch, but Chloe and Vickie herself, are not far behind. As for Ms Herrera, she is unbelievably stupid. I daresay Chloe would be difficult to say no to if interested in the female of the species. Is her relationship with Ms Herrera a power trip for Chloe or does she genuinely care for her? She is a prize bitch to everyone else so it is difficult to believe she has a genuine caring side to her, but stranger things have happened.

And she needs to be put in a ditch, face down and loaded with fentanyl. What a truly vile woman. She is determined to destroy her son's sanity for the "sin" of homosexuality. And what a quack her psychiatrist must be; maybe a conversion therapy practitioner. Billy may be Caleb's only hope for fair treatment. He certainly did not get it from the police, thugs both.

I think it is Caleb's stepfather who murdered Vickie Morrison. He has grown tired of his wife's obsession with their baby Grace, and her deranged behaviour towards his stepson, although he has no love for the latter. His wife has become as frigid as the morning air and water which chilled Ms Herrera to the bone. He had become besotted with Vickie Morrison, her beauty and her strong-willed attitude. Unfortunately he did not know Vickie was enamoured of his stepson. Her rejection of his advances resulted in a crime of passion, a crime he is keen to frame his stepson for. After one chapter @weinerdog I despise Caleb's mother. If she is not the murderer I hope @Topher Lydon has another murder planned and the victim is Caleb's mother. Margaret White II.

Indeed @Aevylian.

Another chapter, another tantrum from Margot. I am surprised she did not stamp her feet and pout. I was wrong and you were right @weinerdog, it's not just Tuesday. It is Tuesday, Thursday, today and tomorrow, which covers every day of the week. We don't know why Ryder was sent to prison. If he was sentenced in Ohio it could have been for something as minor as wearing a provocative political T-shirt. After all, this is the state where four unarmed students were murdered on the 4th of May 1970 by the Ohio National Guard during a peaceful anti-war protest, a state which is so uptight it wants to ban drag shows in public (Ohio House Bill 249). “He’s a little much,” Margot said, seamless, effortless, slipping into the cover story like she’d been practicing it for a living. Which, in a way, she had been. Three years of practice for an English lit degree with a journalism focus. She could spin a narrative faster than anyone I’d ever met. “But he’s friendly. Just one of those people who doesn’t have great social timing.” “On a motorcycle though?” Eric said. “Didn’t really look like the Ohio State type.” He is not engaged in a fake relationship to preserve his educational benefits either Margot. Who is she to judge Ryder, she is such a fucking hypocrite and a bully. Her entire life is based on a lie. Hopefully Jules dumps her arse soon and then she will have no reason to continue with the charade she has single-handedly orchestrated. And the "silent" judgment of Ryder by Eric. This from a man who is one step away from orgasm when he is working with corpses. Ryder well may have been to prison, but at the moment he has more integrity and certainly more concern for Owen's emotional well being and happiness in one pubic hair than Margot has in her entire being. Her concern for Owen is as fake as the relationship they are in, and Ryder called her out on it.

If this story is anywhere near the quality of Twin Peaks we are in for a treat. I have read several of @Topher Lydon's stories before and am quietly confident we are in for a treat. Outstanding introduction @Topher Lydon. I was already cold (it is winter in Sydney), but I could swear my body temperature dropped even further reading the account of Ms Herrera's attempts to resuscitate Vickie Morrison.

Ryder and Margot @weinerdog?

A heartwarming chapter @Vcs. The conversation between Mannly and Jo was very moving as was Mannly's display of appreciation for the care both Jo and Doc have shown him. I find myself attempting to read Jo's speech phonetically, which at times is quite a challenge. I am wondering what brought him to Two Spirits ranch. I don't recall him giving an explicit explanation of the reason(s) which led him to call the ranch home, but I have been reading quite a few stories of late, and am a little under the weather with a lingering autumnal/winter virus. I am a "lover" of charts @Vcs, particularly music charts and all the trivia associated therewith. I have also taken an interest in the weekly "charts" on GA and note this story was #4 on the Most Read Westerns for the month ending 03/07/26 (07/03/26 for Americans). Well done. As an aside @Vcs I have been listening to Linda Ronstadt's Canciones de Mi Padre and Mas Canciones albums today. I particularly like one song on the former, which in English is The Cicada, which is rather appropriate as I love summer and hot weather, and am very fond of the buzzing of cicadas which we have huge numbers of in Sydney, Australia.

I have been meaning to comment on the Three Kings celebration for the past couple of chapters @Gary L. When it was first mentioned I was uncertain what it was; I thought it might have something to do with the Three Wise Men (I think this is what I have heard them referred to as before) who brought the gold, frankincense and myrrh, or three prior kings of Spain. I am wondering why there is a holiday honouring them. Is this a Spanish "thing", a Catholic "thing" or something instigated by Franco? I have never heard of it before and was raised in a religious household.

@weinerdog is working on it @Aevylian. LOL. He previously speculated them attending the engagement party together as a surprise and as a couple.

Charlie is playing more games, fucking with Nathanial’s head. He is a prick with a gigantic ego.

I don’t get Nathanial’s attraction to Charlie. He is a drunken slob and a user. Alex on the other hand is kind, caring and concerned about Nathanial’s health, both physical and mental.

Sans tongue I hope for Owen's sake @dboggs9700. We know where her tongue has been.

Not to mention bad for Jules. Is there a pending shitstorm @dboggs9700? Little Miss Margot will not be pleased if she cannot control the situation.

"After VBS I went home. Showered. Got dressed. Margot texted me what to wear." and "She was quiet for a minute, processing. Margot processing was never a good sign. It meant the gears were turning and the risk assessment was running and the spreadsheet in her brain was updating in real time. “Is he going to be a problem tonight?” Margot showed herself to be way more than a manipulative, controlling bitch, she is a c u next Tuesday. By the end of this story I hope Owen is happy with Ryder and Margot has been dumped by Jules from Vermont. She is such a fucking liar, she doesn’t give a shit about anyone other than herself. “There they are!” Eric said, wrapping Margot in a hug. “The newly engaged. How’s it feel?” “Amazing,” Margot said. “Like nothing’s changed except now I have jewelry.” Oh fuck off, you have to be kidding me bitch. Margot is so fake I am beginning to doubt she loves Jules. The only person I am convinced she loves is herself. “You could do petting zoos at memorial services,” he said, and I couldn’t tell if he was joking." No, no, no. Eric needs to be castrated, he should not be allowed to breed. Petting zoos are a nightmare for the animals, with grubby fingered children and their stupid fucking parents thinking it is cute to stress out the animals. I hate to imagine the shit the animals would be put through in such an environment. Prior to this chapter I thought Margot was selfish, but mostly harmless, and Eric a little quirky. I have underestimated or is it perhaps overestimated them. They are a nightmare, and Lauren a Stepford Wife in the making. Absolutely brilliant chapter @mastershakeme. Apart from Owen, Ryder, Aunt Beth and Jules, the adults in this story are monsters. Margot is the worst of them all.

I suspect you are right @VBlew. I also suspect Charlie will repeat his previous behaviour and then blame Nathanial again. I don't trust Charlie at all; I think there is something inherently creepy and nasty about him. What a treat for we readers @J92, three new chapters posted in a relatively short timeframe.

This story is compelling @Gary L. I think the quality of your writing in this story is even better than what it was in volume 1. You are writing with such confidence and conviction. The historical account although unpleasant to read, is fascinating for someone who has lived in a stable democracy for their entire life

The first time I heard this song I could not stop weeping for about 1 hour afterwards. It was a profound moment. We had been living with fucking COVID for almost 2 years, Bassey and Ava had passed away within the last 6 months, and then this miracle occurred. I think I would be overcome with emotion if I ever saw the ABBAtars. Smelling salts, brandy, good quality champagne, I am not sure if anything would work.

I thought I was going to make it to the end of this chapter without any sudden hay fever symptoms @Mark Ponyboy Peters. I had made it until: "He saw a boy who was struggling with coming to terms with what life had thrown at him. He saw a boy who needed someone to guide him, to hold him, and so that was what he did. He opened his arms and let Levi in, and just like the last time, Levi embraced his father, hugging him tightly, almost as if he was scared that he might lose Matt also." I had not even thought of this, but it is a very realistic fear for Levi to have. First his paternal grandfather, the cranky tyrant, who lauded it over both Julie and Levi (may he rot in his grave). And then his mother, a still young woman, dying from a horrible disease. Levi's less than flattering appraisal of his grandfather gives credence to @Charles26's comment "I wonder to what extent her failure to tell Matt was her own choice, and how much her father's." I think it a very distinct possibility Levi's grandfather demanded Julie have no contact with Matt and reveal nothing to him about Levi. Utterly selfish on his part and a sign of how embittered he likely was. As Julie herself stated, after a time it did not seem right to contact Matt and surprise him with a son he knew nothing about. Tremendous chapter @Mark Ponyboy Peters. Given the serious discussion of faith in this chapter, a discussion Matt is handling so well given he is not religious, I am posting this song about faith, not necessarily of the religious kind. The message of the song is what @chris191070 would refer to as awesome. No song has ever moved @Summerabbacat as much as this song, not even The Day Before You Came by ABBA. Hay fever to the max from start to finish.

Maria, the redhead, reminds me of one of my favourite Almòdovar actresses, the gorgeous Marisa Paredes @Gary L. Sadly neither are with us any more. Marisa was fabulous in my favourite Almòdovar film, All About My Mother.

I also loved Baccara's 1977 disco smash Yes Sir I Can Boogie @Gary L and @centexhairysub. They did Paco and his fellow countrymen proud @Gary L, and the residents of Blighty loved it as it was a #1 smash. I also loved Santa Esmeralda @Gary L, another Spanish disco act who had a top 10 hit in Australia, as did Baccara. I just love the complex choreography in the video by Baccara (LOL) and the heavily accented vocals by Mayte and Maria.

At least 2 million Americans liked Disco Duck @centexhairysub as it went platinum in 1976 and topped the Billboard Hot 100. Much to @Gary L’s dismay I don’t like classical music at all and like very little opera. I think he only tolerates me because I love dachshunds, Almòdovar, ELO and Duran Duran. LOL.