“I bet you’re Jack. Bill said you’d be showing up. Let me finish my smoke and then I’ll show you where your room is. I promised my wife before she died I wouldn’t smoke in the house and I aim to keep that promise. That goes for you too, you want a cigarette, you step outside.” Jack was nodding, but also wondering what Clive would think if he was a vacuum cleaner salesman instead of a reporter sent here by Bill Campbell. He smiled slightly thinking about just saying he was to see what would happen, then changed his mind. The guy was good enough to let him stay, no sense starting off on the wrong foot. Jack pointed back toward the town. “Looks like you guys have a full house.” The blue eyes beneath almost white eyebrows rolled. “Damn straight and I don’t know about anyone else, but I’d just as soon they all packed up and left. Exclude yourself from that sentence. Bill sent you and that’s good enough for me. Besides, I think Mary would like to have someone to talk to. These people banging on her door and trying to write the story are making her crazy. Mary is a wonderful lady and she’s had a rough enough time without these scavengers trying to use her to get a big story.” Jack frowned. “But that’s what I’m here to do, write the story.” Clive shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not and I don’t think Bill would send you to do a story the way them others are. Damn vultures is what they are. You can talk to Mary and then decide what you want to do.” Clive turned away from Jack and put his smoke out in a large can he had filled with dirt to use as an ashtray. Then, turning back, waved his arm toward the house. “C’mon, I’ll show you that room you’ll be using and then we can head to Mary’s. We’ll take your vehicle and I want to stop at the store before we drive over too.” Just happy to be doing something, Jack nodded. “I got a suitcase in the car, should I grab it?” Nodding, Clive laughed. “I guess you better, especially if you got clothes in it. I ain’t borrowing you none.” As Jack walked to the car he couldn’t help smiling at Clive’s blunt attitude and he knew he was going to like the man."
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