The Four Stages of Loving Dutch Owen - Debra Kayn Page 0,1

She wrapped her hands around his wrist, pushing him away, but he wouldn't let go.

A whimper escaped her mouth as he dragged her toward him. He lifted her off the ground by her shirt. She gasped, reaching out for the bench, the table, the air, anything to help her get away.

Plunked onto her feet, she scurried away from the large presence in front of her. He dragged her back to him.

"Hold on, you little mouse." He shook her, causing her to cry out. "What the fuck?"

He hauled her up to her tiptoes. She raised her gaze and glared at him.

"You're a little girl," he mumbled.

His mean eyes widened. She panted, seeing the moon in his brown eyes. Her mom always swore mean people were missing the moon-shaped light in their eyes.

He set her on top of the picnic table and planted his boot on the bench, leaning toward her. She glanced at the empty plates.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Kids at school always made fun of her name and called her Marble. All she wanted to be was a girl with two first names like Beth Ann and Sadie Lee.

So, she lied. "Marla...Marie."

He let go of her shirt and narrowed his eyes. "Marla Marie, huh?"

She crossed her arms in front of her. He wasn't supposed to touch her. Every kid knew only moms and dads could touch kids.

"What are you doing hanging around back here?" He sat down on the bench.

She looked at him harder now that his back was to her. He had a lot of hair. She fingered the end of her strands. His weren't as long as hers. She pulled her hair straight down to her leg.

Like the men who used to come over to the house and drink with her mom, he smelled like smoke and alcohol. She touched the leather vest and jerked her hand away, afraid he'd slap her.

"Don't your folks want you at home?" He looked up at the sky. "You're losing daylight."

Her stomach ached. Nobody knew her mom wasn't home.

Since school was out for the summer, even her teacher wouldn't know what happened to her mom.

"You don't talk much, do you?" He looked over his shoulder at her.

She lifted her shoulder. There was nothing to say. He was nosy.

"You've got ketchup on your forehead." He nudged her leg. "Hungry?"

She swallowed, rubbing the sticky spot on her face. As if her stomach answered him, her belly growled.

"Want a burger?" He stood and faced her. "What do you say, Marla Marie?"

Only because she liked hearing him say her first and middle name together as if they were one, she nodded.

He lifted his chin. "Come on."

He walked to the back door. She jumped off the picnic table and turned to run off but stopped. Looking at the open door, the man had gone inside. He wasn't going to chase her.

She leaned, trying to see inside. Slowly walking to the building, she peered down the hallway and spotted a bunch of people inside.

Music played, and the clank of pool balls sent shivers up her spine. A haze of smoke hovered near the ceiling. There were so many colors and lights.

Nobody appeared to pay any attention to the empty hallway. She crept forward, inching toward the door.

The aroma of something cooking hung thick in the air. She followed the wall, ready to turn and run if anyone tried to touch her.

Making it to the main room, she hovered at the entrance and looked around at all the people. Most of the men wore a black vest. Women's loud laughter filled the soft parts of the song playing loudly in the building. She stuck her head into the room and looked for the man who offered her food.

She found him behind the counter. He talked with another man and motioned her forward. Glancing around, she darted through the crowd and made it to the round stools without anyone touching her.

The man set a white plate in front of her with the biggest hamburger she'd ever seen on it. "If you don't like tomatoes, pick it off the burger."

Surprised he'd let her do that, she crawled up onto the stool. Her legs dangled without her feet touching the floor.

He slid the plate closer. "Fries will be ready in a second. Go ahead and eat."

She waited until he turned away and talked to another man by a doorway in the back, and then she picked up the hamburger, holding the meal in both of her hands. She opened her mouth as