To keep the animals away from that part of the fence, we piled the cut wood and brush in front of the soft fence post that had been torn down. Dad cou...ld fix it tomorrow. We climbed in Frank's car with the tools in the open trunk and went up to the house. I took my shoes off on the porch as all work shoes and boots stay outside the house."How come you guys are so early?" I asked."We thought we could come over and visit before we went out. We were already to go, but now we'll have to wash up. I started out in a small newspaper office and eventually landed a job at a much larger paper. There I did numerous articles on major news stories that came off the wire. But a little over two years ago my editor laid me off. His reason was I refused to write negative articles about an old friend of mine. When he gave me an ultimatum of doing the articles or finding another place to work, I chose to become a freelance journalist. At first my wife was really pissed at me for quitting. But I was. She wasn't wearing her shorts and top today. They showed off her bruises too well and were dirty besides. Not that she hadn't worn them for days—weeks—straight before but this morning she felt like wearing something fresh. A faded black Nike T-shirt and equally faded blue jeans, with her boots and gun belt. She'd gone out unarmed one evening too many and didn't care to repeat her mistake.She looked in the mirror and examined the deep purple bruise there. Nothing could hide it, so she didn't. I stillneeded to get the meal going. I figured it would take me at least anhour and a half to get things ready and by the time I put everything inthe oven to cook I could run downstairs and change back into my regularclothes. I thought maybe I should leave well enough alone and just goand change now. I'd had enough excitement to last several days. Butthen I still had the time. I thought for a while longer then decidedthat since I was already to go I should just go ahead and get supperready.