by Lauren Dane
Her mouth hardened. “I don’t hardly think so, Carl. The shed is going to catch fire. Or rats. It’s full to the rafters out there. You don’t need any of this. Everything you use is in the garage. You know I didn’t touch any of that stuff.”
Joe noted how worn thin his mother appeared. He wished he knew how to help them both. But he didn’t. This little moment between the two wasn’t the issue. He understood enough to get that.
The problem was huge and he was one person.
One problem at a time. That was the one way he could see to get through this. He needed to draw on his training and simply deal with one thing. And then the next. And the next. It was the only strategy he could imagine that could solve what seemed pretty insurmountable.
“How about some tea? Maybe a little something sweet to go with it?”
His mother sent him a grateful look. “I think I can do that. Come on through. I’ve got some leftover roast beef for Buck. He should get a treat if everyone else does.”
He had tea at the dinner table with his parents. His mother moved around the room, pretty much the same way she had his entire life. The tabletop was smooth from use, from plates moving across the surface for decades. It was comforting here. Even his father had calmed a great deal. The confusion he’d been wearing on his features had faded, easing the panic that had seized Joe’s heart.
Buck was dozing in a far corner, on the cool linoleum, sprawled to get the full benefit on his belly.
They sat for a while in sort of companionable silence. Joe didn’t quite know what to do next so he let his mother lead.
Finally she patted his hand. “You should get on home. I know you have to work in the morning.”
He glanced her way, hoping she understood. Maybe he should sleep over? She gave him a slight shake of her head.
His dad had wandered off in the direction of their bedroom, which was at the back of the small house.
“Thank you,” she said in a quiet voice as they headed toward the front door.
“How often does this happen?” They hadn’t really had the frank conversation they needed to. She was uncomfortable, he knew, and truth was, so was he. But avoiding it any longer wasn’t possible.
She licked her lips, her gaze skirting from his. “He just needs rest.”
Joe combed fingers through his beard. Time to push a little, though he hated to. “How often?”
“Sometimes he wanders off. But he comes back.”
He scrubbed hands over his face. “Like once a month? Once a week?”
“Used to be once every six months or so. More often lately. Like once every few weeks.”
Cold dread settled in his gut. “Mom, he needs to see someone.”
“He refuses. I tried to get him to the VA hospital in Atlanta, but he won’t do it. He’ll be all right. He just needs to settle. Relax a little.”
Joe would do some poking around to see if they couldn’t get someone out their way. Maybe a home visit. This couldn’t go on without some sort of medical intervention.
“Mom, he can’t just go running off into the night. That’s not being tired. There’s something wrong. This could be dementia, or something else. I don’t know. But it’s not going to go away. He could get lost. Or get hurt.”
“Don’t be silly. Who’s going to hurt an old man? This is Petal.”
“He was in the park. Alone. No shoes on. He didn’t recognize me at first. Didn’t know what he was doing out there.”
“Well and he’s home now, isn’t he?” She shook her head. Denying with her body language that there was any problem. It broke his heart nearly as much as it frustrated him.
“Now that you’re here, he’ll be better. Go home.”
He sighed as he and Buck headed to the truck and back to his place. Things were most assuredly not fine.
Beth carted a huge tray of hot dogs and slider-sized hamburgers over to the table where the kids were sitting in Tate and Matt’s big backyard. A loud celebratory chorus met her, and she laughed, kissing heads as she did.
Little hands grabbed the food as she squirted mustard and ketchup on things when asked to. Tate insisted on fruit salad instead of chips, but the kids thought that was just fine.
“I’m going to get y’all some extra napkins. Be back in a sec.” She headed to the table near the barbecue to grab some and some juice boxes as well.
William loomed nearby, and when he saw her, he sidled over, pretending to be nonchalant in a way a guy who stood well over six feet tall could never be. She knew it was only a matter of time before her brothers approached her about Joe.
“Let me take these over and then you can ask me whatever it is,” she told him before returning to the kids’ table with the promised napkins and juice.
She grabbed her own burger and began to lay tomato, onion and pickle on it. “So?”
“Joe says you and he had lunch last week at the Sands.”
“We did. It was nice. Cake day, dontcha know.”
He sighed. “What’s your plan here, Beth?”
“It is my plan to make sure there is bacon the next time we have burgers.” She grabbed a root beer and cracked it open.
He sighed again and she took pity on him. “I’m feeling magnanimous so don’t get used to this. Are you asking about me and Joe?”
His grimace made her smile. “Yes. He’s…well he’s older than you are.”
“He’s five years older than I am. Let’s get to the heart of the issue. I like Joe. In a I-want-to-kiss-him sort of way. He of course is trying to hold on to the whole you’re my best friend’s sister so I can’t touch you in your no-no places thing.”
William flinched. “God. So leave him alone then.”
“Look here you.” She turned and narrowed her eyes at him. “I like Joe Harris. He’s a nice guy. I know he was a wild one when he was young. But you were too and now you’re a family man. People can change. Also, I’m a big girl. Five years is nothing. Anyway, if he didn’t like me, he wouldn’t be so panicked. You and I both know it.”
“It would be so nice if one of my sisters was unassuming and sweet.”
She guffawed. “Wrong family for that. But I can handle him. Anyway, you’re acting like I’m going to elope and have eleventy billion of his babies next week or something. We’re at the hey I like you-like you stage still. That’s the best part. Don’t ruin it. You know I’m going to have him if I really want him. I’m totally good enough for him.”
He shook his head and took her chin for a brief moment. “Honeybunch, that was never in question. You’re beautiful and successful, and as far as your brothers are concerned, there’s no one who’s good enough for you. He’s just, he’s seen a lot.”
“Yeah? Fancy that. I have too.”
He shrugged. “I guess that’s true. And I know you’re strong enough to kick any man who’d hurt you to the curb, though you’d have to get in line. But he was in Iraq for four tours. He’s seen a lot. I just don’t want you hurt.”
She grinned. Her brothers were all big, gruff men. But beneath the surface, they were each giant marshmallows for the women in their lives. It was a good thing. Made her lucky. “Thank you, William. I mean it. Thank you for looking out for me.”
He sighed. “You’re going to pursue him anyway, aren’t you?”
“Duh. And there’s already the fact that you and he are friends from way back. We know he’ll fit in just fine.”
“You’ll at least keep me updated? Not on any details of a physical nature or I’ll have to pound his face. But you know the general stuff?”
“I sure love you.” She dodged his question neatly before she patted his arm and headed off to the table where her sisters sat.
Still, it was a week after that conversation with William, and Beth hadn’t seen Joe around town for a few days. She’d waved his way when she’d walked past the garage some days prior, but he’d been talking with a customer and she’d been on her way back to the salon so there hadn’t been time to stop.
“Go get some, girl.” Lily spoke from her place in the chair. Tate was going over a few different styles of wedding hair. The date was a ways off, but it was fun and it made them all happy.
Tate cocked her head as she held a curl up and then shook her head. “Too foofy.”
“What’s foofy?” Anne sat on the other side of Lily as they all chatted.
“You know, dumb. Lily’s not a curls-up-near-her-face-in-a-fountain kind of girl.”
“Thank God or we’d have to taunt her.” Beth shrugged. “Back to me, hello. God, Lily, does everything have to be about you?” She winked and Lily laughed.
“Just go on down to that garage and lay some sugar on him.”
“He’s a giant. I’d have to pole vault to get him by surprise. I need to corner him somewhere.”
Tate glanced up, catching Beth’s gaze in the mirror a moment. “Why not at the garage? Okay so we know he’s too tall to surprise with a smooch, but you’re a total pest. Really, no one I know is better at cornering someone. Go over and say hey. I brought cookies today anyway.”
Beth grinned at Tate. “You did? Have I mentioned lately how much I love it that you’re like my baking fairy godmother?”
“Of course there’s cookies. I knew I could get rid of them somehow and this is for a very good cause. I like it when y’all are happy. And you want Joe so I’ll do all I can to help. I even set some aside for Matt. He’s coming with the babies to have lunch with me.”
Tate and Matt had two gorgeous children and another on the way. Matt’s mother, Polly Chase, worked with Matt, whose schedule changed at the fire station often, to deal with childcare so Tate could still work three days a week. Even on those three days, Polly or Matt would often show up with the kids and a lunch. Tate would brighten a thousand watts at the sight of them.
It thrilled Beth because no one she knew in the universe deserved that kind of happily ever after than Tate. And it made Beth ache for it herself.
She hugged her sister, kissing her cheek. She patted Lily’s shoulder as her friend gave her a thumbs-up. “I expect a full report back on the status of the Joe situation.”
“We all do,” Anne added.
“Right!” Beth gave herself the once-over in the mirror, touched up her lipstick and then grabbed the cookies, heading to the garage to deliver them.
Beth wasn’t surprised to see the other single women of Petal had noticed Joe. He was super hot in that bad-boy, works-with-his-hands, has-a-scruffy-beard way. In other words, her type.
The thing was, she wanted him. And so the Dollys and Steffies of the world needed to get that through their heads. Everyone in their family joked that Beth was the queen of stubborn.
Ha.
She was. Which meant all these other hoochies had to hit the damned road. She pulled her phone out and made a quick call.
Once that was done, Beth tossed her hair back and walked in, right past Dolly, who wore a questionably tight, extremely low-cut shirt as she thrust her knockers at Joe.
Buck saw her and barked, nearly skipping—cutest damned thing she ever saw, his little prancing dance—over. Joe sent a look her way, part pleased, part pleading to be freed from Dolly’s clutches.
“Hey, Buck.” She bent to scratch behind his floppy ear and straightened. “You ready, Joe?”
Joe blinked and then nodded. “Yes. Ready.”
Beth put the cookies on the counter and turned to Dolly with a smile. “Hey, Dolly, thanks for keeping Joe company until it was time for him to take me to lunch.”
“He never said anything to me.” Dolly tried to look triumphant but she just looked dumb. As usual.
“Why would he?” Beth laughed and turned to Joe, who’d grabbed his keys. Lunch was impromptu, but she didn’t want Buck here suffering, not that Joe would leave the dog there anyway. “Want me to grab Buck’s leash?”
Joe couldn’t help but be impressed by Beth. She breezed in, looking amazing. Especially in comparison with Dolly who apparently didn’t believe in the less-is-more philosophy.
The damned dog actually danced to her, barking happily. And she had cookies? He could totally take her to lunch just for that. Then she’d saved him from Dolly and made sure he understood she wanted Buck along?
Every time he ran into her, he had less and less defense against her charm. Because she was charming.
And really hot.
He handed the leash to Beth and turned back to Dolly, once again pushing the bill and the keys her way. “So like I said, I changed the oil and checked everything over.” He’d known, of course, that there was not a damned thing wrong with the car and that Dolly had been interested in him, not his mechanical skills. But he remembered what she’d been like in school and that had left him sour on her ever since.
Beth bent, chatting to the dog as she got him leashed. “Sorry, the cookies are triple chocolate and dogs can’t have chocolate. Which really sucks, Buck, because chocolate is awesome. But I promise to let you have some of my ham sandwich as a consolation prize.”
Joe held back a smile, shaking his head, amused. Dolly gave an annoyed huff, but paid and stomped out.
“Every single woman in town is going to be bringing in dog treats now.” Beth straightened, handing the leash to Joe.
“None of them mean it.”
She shrugged one shoulder. “I still aim to make you go to lunch with me.” Buck barked. “And you too, Mister Buck. I haven’t forgotten the promise of the ham sandwich.”
He opened the door, locking it in his wake after he put out the lunch sign. “I need to lock the garage. Hang on a sec.”
He needed to hire someone else. Which was actually a good thing.
“There’s a nice shaded picnic table behind the salon. We of course have a very lenient dog policy.” She said this as she knelt to get eye to eye with the dog. He liked how she was with Buck. It wasn’t fake at all. She was as goofy with Buck as she was with Joe.
“He’s going to leave me for you at this point.”
She grinned, standing. “We can get sandwiches and stuff at the Honey Bear. I called ahead so they’d be ready. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Ever since you mentioned food, I’ve been starving.”
She handed him the leash again, and took his arm. He should have stopped her. But he didn’t.
She indicated the table under a big oak tree as they walked past the salon. “It’s the Murphy version of a break room.”
He laughed and very nearly leaned in to kiss her temple. “Why don’t you and Buck head over. I’ll grab lunch and be back in a few.”
“Fine. I’ll get some water for him. To wash down the ham sandwich.”
He walked a block down and then across the street to the Honey Bear bakery and café. William worked there, Joe knew, as a baker. The early hours and solitary nature of the job suited his friend well. Joe got that too. He liked his job. Liked solving problems with an engine on his own. Puzzling through and going step by step to finish.
No one got on his nerves. He had no boss to take orders from either. It was just him and the thing he was best at.
He recognized the woman at the counter, and she grinned, holding up two big bags. “Got your order ready.”
“That’s some kind of service. Thanks.”
She wouldn’t take his money though, saying that Beth was like family and they had a deal with the ladies at the salon. He shoved a ten in the tip jar and headed out.
But when he got back across the way, she was lying on a blanket with Buck, scratching his belly. The dog opened one eye as Joe approached.
“He likes to drink from the hose. I told him he could have it from the bowl, but he snorted at me and got dog snot and spit on my leg. We had a talk about such behavior, and he assures me he won’t be repeating that again.”
She got to her feet, joining him at the table where she’d laid out some paper plates and stuff. He thought he’d be cool, sit
ting across from her, but that only meant he saw her face fully. The way her hair lifted now and again on the breeze.
He unpacked the bags and found she’d ordered two large sandwiches and a potato salad for him.
“Lots of food here. Thanks.” He tipped his head. He liked that she’d handled the order, that she’d figured he’d be so hungry. Though he wasn’t a fan of the idea that they didn’t let him pay.
“I figured you’d be hungry. Tim can put away like four sandwiches when he’s been out on calls all morning. It’s meatloaf-sandwich day.” She shrugged as she unwrapped a plain ham sandwich on thick-cut white bread. “This is okay, right?” She meant giving it to Buck.
Joe laughed. “He’s a garbage disposal. Considering what I routinely have to make him stop eating, a ham sandwich is a good deal.”
She grinned, breaking it into a few pieces and handing them Buck’s way. He groaned and then devoured the food.
“I like to pay my own way.”
She looked up from her potato salad. “What?”
“They wouldn’t let me pay. When I picked the food up.”
“William has baked for them for nine years. We trade haircuts and the like for food.” She shrugged. “You can pay me back with other services. If you like.”
An image of just exactly what she could exchange with him burned through him like a fever.
“It’s a small town, Joe. That’s how things work. Have you been gone so long you forgot? These sandwiches aren’t a handout.”
The thing about Beth is that she had the ability to put him in his place without making him feel chastised. And, he realized, he’d pushed a button he hadn’t meant to.
“I’m sorry if I made you feel that way. You’ve built something here with your sisters. Hell, so have William and Tim. Nathan. All of you Murphys have dug in and made something of yourselves. You did something nice and I was a jerk.”
She sighed, absently petting Buck, who shot him a baleful look. “We’ve all got our issues. Apology accepted.”
“I feel like an asshole.”
“You can take me to dinner next time. Make it up to me.”