5 Chapter 5

Except for the day he had looked up and seen Billy Ray Waters instead.

Reverend Waters had specifically moved to Crows Landing to minister to the constant wave of itinerants. That was where he had made his home, though he traveled up and down the interstate, going wherever he was needed the most. He had a pretty regular schedule that brought him back to Crows Landing twice a week, though. And he always had his son, Billy Ray, in tow. He was two years older than Dario, and planned to become a reverend himself. That was why he traveled with his father in their old, black Chevrolet. When Dario closed his eyes, he could still hear the low, deep rumble of that truck, bouncing its way down the dirt road, sending up clouds of dust, and painting the air red. Reverend Waters always came in the late afternoon, after finishing up his sermon in town, a black hat pulled low over his eyes, shielding his face from the sun. Billy Ray didn’t wear a hat.