Thawed Out and Fed Up by Ryan Brown (English) Paperback Book

Description: Thawed Out and Fed Up by Ryan Brown Synopsis coming soon....... FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Sam Bonham—bad husband, deadbeat dad, and possible criminal on the run from the law—wanders out of modern-day East Texas into an ersatz Wild West boomtown created for a movie that never happened. And when Sam strikes a blow against the gangsters whove been terrorizing the town, the locals look to him to save them. Hes no hero, but hes stumbled upon someone who is: John Wayne. But the John Wayne of this story is not the stalwart lawman of Hollywood films—hes a seventy-two-year-old man who had himself cryogenically frozen. Hes weak, bald, frail…and unrecognizable to everyone but Sam.In The Dukes "defrosted" state, hes not entirely himself. In fact, he believes hes actually Ethan Edwards, the character he played in The Searchers, one of Waynes most beloved films. Ethan or Duke or Marion Morrison, at his side Sam learns how to be a man, and a hero—and a pretty good shot! As he takes on the Old West gang of thugs, he finds that he might have become a family man at last. But back in the real world, someone has his eye on Sams wife, and if Sam doesnt get back soon, the results could be devastating. Author Biography Ryan Brown is an actor who has starred on the daytime dramas Guiding Light and The Young and The Restless, and has appeared on Law & Order as well as in feature films for Lifetime Television. He is the author of two novels, Thawed Out & Fed Up and Play Dead. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children. Excerpt from Book 1. I sobered up quick then, waiting desperately for Pearl to move off so I could get hell and gone from there before she considered the cops story and my red-stained shirt and put two and two together. Didnt help that Pearl picked that moment to get back to her crossword puzzle just a few feet down the counter from me. Torturous minutes passed. My mind began to reel, recalling what all had transpired in the past thirty-six hours ... or at least those parts I could remember. I went back to the moment Id returned to town the night before last. It had been well after dark. Minus the odd stop for gas and food, Id been driving for more than fourteen hours and had gone long past road weary. After grabbing a drive-through Dairy Queen burger and a bottle of Wild Turkey at Floyds, Id decided to post up somewhere for the night and plan my next move. When youve run out on your family for a stretch of months, leaving them with no idea where you went to, it can be a tricky deal crawling back to ask forgiveness. I figured if I was going to pass the night in my truck, thinking and planning, I might as well do it in a familiar setting. I parked some seventy-five yards down the street from the house on Shady Glen, just past the bend in the road. The spot offered a good view of the house but was far enough away not to draw suspicion. Good thing was, I was driving a truck that no one would recognize. My old truck had given out weeks back. The new one Id won in a card game back in Pewly Flats. Staring at the place through the bug-stained windshield for hour upon hour, I had plenty opportunity to take in every detail of the house and yard. The dogwood I planted the day we moved in. The sun-cracked garden hose Id been meaning to replace, but hadnt. The waterlogged Nerf ball Sam Junior always leaves on top of the holly bush just off the porch. I took some comfort in seeing that not much had changed in my absence. It was near midnight when I first caught sight of Georges silhouette moving past the living room drapes. After sixteen years of marriage I could make a pretty good guess that she was heading to the kitchen for Lucky Charms. George always ate cereal when she got hungry at night. I couldnt make out any details in the silhouette, but I figured shed be in one of her tank-top-and-shorts combos that she sleeps in. Just the mental image of it was enough to get the old flame burning again. My wife, George, has the kind of looks that could inspire epic poetry. Red hair. Green eyes. Freckles between her bosoms. Skin that looks tan even in the winter. Her shape hasnt changed a lick since her days on the high school drill team, either. I took a healthy belt of Wild Turkey, hoping it might douse my arousal, but it proved to have the opposite effect. By the time Georges silhouette moved past the window again, Id been worked into quite a lather. My hand went for the door handle. It was all I could do not to jump out of the truck right then, go ring the bell, and get started on setting things right. But I resisted. I hadnt thought it all through yet. A situation like this has to be handled just right, I knew, and I needed a plan. I took another drink. Then another. A plan never came. But sleep soon did. I dont know what time I awoke in the morning, but the sun was out and the morning dew was beaded up on the windshield. I rose stiffly on the bench seat and popped my neck and back. My head throbbed. My mouth tasted sour. My eyes were caked with crud. The bottle lying in the floorboard was empty. I pulled a Salem from the box on the dash, got lit, and flipped the wiper switch to clear the dew off the glass. No sooner had I done it than movement caught my eye--Sam Junior bounding out of the garage on the side of the house. He was riding a bike I didnt know he had. First thing I noticed was how big hed gotten, looking every bit of his twelve years and then some. He was still scrawny, but there was some shape to him now. His limbs had stretched, and his shoulders had taken some form. He wasnt just knobby knees and elbows anymore. Second thing I noticed was how good he rode that bike. Ball cap turned backward, hair blown back; he was hopping curbs and riding wheelies like him and the bike were a part of the same well-oiled machine. I slumped low in the seat and watched him do a few turns and work some tricks. Once, he passed no more than twenty feet in front of the truck, and I had to duck so as not to be seen. For some time the boy put on quite a show, until he came up short trying to curb jump the fireplug next to the driveway. The cigarette fell from my lips as I watched him sail over the handlebars. I was out of the car and running at full stride by the time his head hit the ground. Hed been lucky. Four more inches and his skull would have hit concrete instead of grass. By the time Id hustled up behind him, he was already sitting upright and shaking grass out of his hair. "You all right?" "Im cool," he said. He stood on unsteady legs. I saw that his top lip was already swollen. There was also a bruise above his left elbow. "Should ice that lip," I said. "Huh?" Dazed, the boy dabbed the lip with his finger. "No, that ... that happened yesterday." I could tell he was still rattled by the fall, if not a little embarrassed. He kept his body turned as he dusted himself off. "We should get you some protective gear," I said. "You nearly gave me a heart attack, Sam." He stopped, turned, and looked up. "Do I know you, mister?" "Mister, hell ... its me!" His eyes blinked. "Dad?" "Hell, yes, Dad, whod you think it was?" "I just wasnt expecting ... I mean ... well, whats with that beard?" "You like it?" The boy thought about it. "Kinda patchy." He looked me up and down. His manner suddenly became guarded, like he wasnt sure how he was supposed to react. "What are you doing here?" Behind us, the front door of the house swung open. George stepped out, fumbling to tie her bathrobe over her tank top and short-shorts. She was barefoot. Her legs looked tan and silky. "Sam!" she hollered. "Yeah?" The boy and I replied in unison. Georgia came marching down the walk. "Hi, honey," I said, smiling. "That bacon I smell in there?" I never saw the punch coming. She hit me in the nose, hard enough to well tears. "Mom! Thats Dad you just socked!" Georgia told Sam Junior to get back in the house this instant. Sam Junior stayed where he was. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve and looked back at my wife. "Now I can see how you might be pissed--" "Id still have to care to be pissed," she said. "Im long past that. That punch was just fulfilling a promise I made to myself months ago." Her voice was calm. Calmer than I would have liked. Id have much preferred anger to quiet resolve. "Can I come in?" I said. "No." "If youll just hear me out--" "I wont. Nor will I let our son hear it." "Dont you wanna know why I ran off?" "It doesnt matter why you ran off," she said. "I can promise you, were the ones who are the better for it." Georgia moved Sam Junior in front of her and planted her hands on the boys shoulders. My vision had finally cleared. I noticed a small knot on Georges head, just above her eye. "Howd you get that?" I asked. "I got it opening the iron cupboard," she snapped. "The door sticks, in case youve forgotten." "Been meanin to fix that," I said. "Been meaning to fix all those stuck doors, in fact. Happens sometimes when a homes foundation weakens." "Well, you didnt fix them. You never fixed anything." "You let me in, Ill get right to it. This is the new me, honey. A changed man." "Yeah? Then I take it thats cough syrup on your breath," Georgia said. I shifted on my feet. "Now that I can explain." Georgia shook her head. "Just tell me what you want me to do," I said, "and Ill do it." "Go back to wherever youve been hiding, and stay there," she said. "Where were you, anyway?" This from Sam Junior. I looked at the boy. But before I could answer, Georgia told him again to get back in the house. Sam Junior stayed where he was. "Can I at least answer him?" I said. "Id like him to know where Ive been. Id like you both to know." Georgia was having none of it. She spun Sam Junior around, and they started back up the walk. "How bout if I just check in later, then," I hollered. "Weve got plans," Georgia hollered back. I was about to ask if I might join them when an engine roared up behind me. The pickup that swung into the drive was a late-model Chevy with all the whistles and bells. The license plate read SLICK. The man that stepped out of the truck was a square-jaw. Tall. Thick beard. Crisp white Stetson. Ostrich boots. There were creases down the legs of his Wranglers. A baseball glove was wedged under one of his armpits. In the opposite hand was a bundle of flowers. Me and the man held eyes for a moment. I turned to George. "He here to make repairs or something?" The mans thin smile Details ISBN1439171564 Author Ryan Brown Language English ISBN-10 1439171564 ISBN-13 9781439171561 Media Book DEWEY FIC Pages 304 Format Paperback Year 2011 Short Title THAWED OUT & FED UP ORIGINAL/E Imprint Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing Place of Publication New York Country of Publication United States Illustrations Illustrations, black and white Publication Date 2011-10-04 NZ Release Date 2011-10-04 US Release Date 2011-10-04 UK Release Date 2011-10-04 Publisher Simon & Schuster Edition Description Original ed. Audience General AU Release Date 2011-10-31 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:37339287;

Price: 52.57 AUD

Location: Melbourne

End Time: 2024-12-01T03:38:38.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 AUD