that just leaves you on the loose?’ Barton said with a fat chuckle.
‘On the loose and happy to stay that way. They won’t catch me.’
‘That’s what they all say, but look around. Good men are going down like ninepins.’
‘Barton, have you any idea how many women there are in the world?’ Leo demanded. ‘And how few of them I’ve managed to meet so far? A man should be broad-minded, expand his horizons.’
‘You’ll find “the one”, in the end,’ Barton said.
‘But I do, time and again. Then the next day I find another one who is also “the one”. That’s how I get short-changed.’
‘You? Short-changed?’ Barton guffawed.
‘True, I swear it. Look at me, all alone. No loving wife, no kids.’ He sighed sorrowfully. ‘You don’t know what a tragedy it is for a man to realise that nature has made him fickle.’
‘Yeah, sure!’
This time they both laughed. Leo had a delightful laugh, full of sun and wine, lusty with life. He was a man of the earth, who instinctively sought the open air and the pleasures of the senses. It was all there in his eyes, and in his big, relaxed body. But above all it was there in his laugh.
On the last lap to Stephenville Barton began to yawn.
‘It’s enough to make a man cross-eyed to be staring at a horse’s ass for so long,’ he said.
Just ahead of them was an ancient, shabby horse trailer, displaying a large equine rump. It had been there for some time.
‘Plus I had to get up at some ungodly hour to be at the airport on time,’ Barton added.
‘Hey, I’m sorry. You should have told me.’
‘Well, it wasn’t just that. We were up late last night, celebrating your visit.’
‘But I wasn’t there.’
‘Don’t fret. We’ll celebrate again tonight,’ Barton said, adding, by way of explanation, ‘this is Texas.’
‘So I see,’ Leo said, grinning. ‘I’m already beginning to wonder if I can take the pace. I’d offer to drive, but after that flight I’m in a worse state than you.’
‘Well, it’s not much further,’ Barton grunted. ‘Which is lucky because whoever’s driving that horse trailer can’t be doing more than fifty. Let’s step on it.’
‘Better not,’ Leo advised quickly. ‘If you’re tired—’
‘The sooner we’re there the better. Here we go.’
He pulled out behind the horse trailer and speeded up to pass it. Glancing out of his window Leo saw the trailer slide back past them, then the van in front. He had a glimpse of the driver, a young woman with short, bristly red hair. She glanced up briefly and saw him looking at her.
What happened next became a bone of contention between them. She always said he winked at her. He swore she’d winked at him first. She said no way! It was a trick of the light and he had windmills in his head. They never did settle it.
Then Barton put his foot down, and they left her behind.
‘Did you see that?’ Leo asked. ‘She winked at me. Barton? Barton!’
‘OK, OK, I was just resting my eyes for a moment. But maybe you’d better talk to me—you know, just—sort of—’
‘Just sort of keep you awake. Well, I’m not sure that overtaking has left us any better off.’ Leo said, observing the pick-up truck that was now just ahead of them, and which was being driven erratically, swerving from lane to lane. Barton swung right, meaning to overtake again, but the truck swung at the same moment, blocking him so that he had to fall back. He tried once more and the truck swung out a second time, and then slowed abruptly.
‘Barton!’ Leo said urgently, for his friend hadn’t reacted.
At last Barton’s reflexes seemed to kick in. It was too late to slow down. Only a halt would avoid a collision now and he slammed on the brakes, stopping just in time.
The van behind them wasn’t so lucky. From out of sight came a squeal of brakes, then a thump, a shudder that went right through the car, and finally a howl of rage and anguish.
The truck that had caused the trouble sped on its way, the driver oblivious. The two men leapt out and ran behind to inspect the damage. The sight that met their eyes appalled them.
There was an ugly dent in the back of Barton’s pride and joy, which exactly mirrored one in the front of the van. At the rear of the van things were even worse. The sudden braking had caused the horse trailer to slew sideways and crash against the vehicle with a force that had dented them both. The trailer had half overturned and was leaning drunkenly against the van, while inside, the terrified animal was lashing out, completing the demolition. Leo could see flying hooves appearing through the widening holes, then retreating for more kicks.
The young woman with red hair was struggling to get the trailer upright, an impossible task, but she went at it with frantic strength.
‘Don’t do that,’ Leo yelled. ‘You’ll get hurt.’
She turned on him. ‘Stay out of it!’ Her forehead was bleeding.
‘You’re hurt,’ he said. ‘Let me help—’
‘I said stay out of it. Haven’t you done enough?’
‘Hey, I wasn’t driving, and anyway it wasn’t our—’
‘What do I care which of you was driving? You’re all the same. You rush around in your flash cars as though you owned the road, and you could have killed Elliot.’
‘Elliot?’
Another crash from inside the trailer answered his question. The next moment the door had given way and the horse, hooves flailing, leapt out and into the road. Leo and the young woman raced for his head, but he evaded them both and galloped away, straight across the highway. Without a second’s hesitation she tore after him, dodging the oncoming traffic.
‘Crazy woman!’ Leo said violently, and took off after her.
More squeals, braking, curses, frustrated drivers bawling graphic descriptions of how they would like to alter Leo’s personal attributes. He ignored them and sprinted madly after her.
Barton scratched his head, muttered, ‘Crazy as each other,’ and got out his mobile phone.
Luckily for his two pursuers Elliot was slightly hurt and unable to go fast. Unluckily for them he was determined not to be caught. What he couldn’t manage in speed he made up for in cunning, turning this way and that until he vanished into a clump of trees.
‘You go that way,’ Leo roared, ‘I’ll go this way, and between us we’ll head him off.’
But
