David Wayne Russell is ready to feel young and free again. As he makes his way home to Kentucky from Vietnam, David knows his fiancée, Libby, has already mapped out a life for him and worries he will not live up to her expectations. But as he makes a stop in Los Angeles to catch up with his army buddy, Doug Campbell, all of that could change with one risky proposition. When Doug suggests that David could use his Kentucky family farm to get rich by growing marijuana, David shrugs it off as a crazy notion. As he reunites with Libby, who immediately begins pushing him to become the man both she and her judge father want him to be, David feels he has no choice but to marry her, manage her family's farm, and follow someone else's dreams for the rest of his life. But when the judge remarries and his attractive stepdaughter complicates things. Libby wants David to buy out her father's interest in the farm now instead of waiting for her inheritance. Suddenly in need of big money, David rethinks Doug's offer and makes a decision that leads him down a different and much darker path. Between the Rows is the compelling tale of one man's struggle to keep a secret as he faces the consequences of one fateful choice. Between THE ROWS By ANN BARNETT iUniverse LLC Copyright © 2014 Ann Barnett All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4917-2312-8 CHAPTER 1 As the plane approached the Los Angeles Airport, my thoughts of homecoming were overwhelming. I was making this one stopover, on my own dime, to see my army buddy Doug Campbell. I, David Wayne Russell, had been drafted at twenty-one, and the last two years of army life had left me battle worn and bone tired. This was the final leg of my stint with Uncle Sam. I planned on stopping here for the weekend, then heading home to Kentucky. Back to my life that had been put on hold. Not that I had any plans of my own; my life was already mapped out. Libby had seen to that. Yes, Liberty Monroe in fifth grade had decided I was the one. From there, she had decided where we would live, how many children we would have, and where we would be buried. Yes, she had plans, the first being that she and I would marry as soon as possible. Me, I wanted to farm and raise the best cattle and tobacco in the county. My family had lived on the same farm for generations, and I was in a hurry to continue that tradition. Libby had not wanted me to make this stopover. She was excited about my homecoming, but my army buddy was in Los Angeles, and he wanted to see me before I went home. Doug had been my savior in Vietnam. We had fought side by side, and I couldn't count the times that he had covered my back. Doug was fearless and he had kept me alive. Before being drafted, I had never been outside of Kentucky. Doug was an army brat. He had been everywhere, and he was street smart. He taught me a lot during that year in Vietnam, and we had become good friends. Doug had gotten out of the service two months ahead of me. He already had a job and was doing well. I was looking forward to seeing him because I doubted I'd ever be out here again. California was a long way from Kentucky. As I made my way to the baggage claim, I saw the picketers were out in full force. Hippie types with long hair and beads, shouting antiwar slogans and vile comments to me and the other GIs as we left the baggage area. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Doug emerging out of the crowd. His lean six-foot frame wove easily around the picketers. He looked cool as ever wearing chinos, an open black polo shirt, and loafers with no socks. He hugged me and took my bag. "Don't mind the locals, Kentucky." He grinned, using the familiar nickname he had pinned on me. "They're all draft-dodging motherfuckers, trying to piss off the government. They'll get their pictures taken and go back to their dorms to get high. College kids are going to change the face of this war. We fought in 'Nam, but their protests are making the news. Hell, some people think they're the true heroes of this war." I couldn't help smiling as Doug flipped them the bird and said, "Have a nice day, assholes," as we left the airport. I watched him pause and change direction, dismissing the crowd. "How was your flight?" he asked. "Feels good, doesn't it, to finally be free of Uncle Sam. Man, I've been busier than a dog in heat. I have a great job, a new apartment, and a nice piece of ass. Life is good." I let him ramble on, just enjoying his excitement. We were finally free to live without death and danger threatening our every waking moment. I needed to put Vietnam behind me and get on with the rest of my life, as Doug had. As we drove onto the freeway, I couldn't help but notice all the fancy cars, new and expensive. What did these people do for a living? Maybe California was the land of the rich and famous and why Doug chose to live there. He liked expensive things. He was telling me about his new job as an inspector in an import-export business. I was impressed. At twe