Donuts and Detours

by Baganz, Susan M. ;

  “Thanks, Adele. I appreciate it.”

  Bethany ran up the stairs and got in the shower. A futile attempt to scrub away the other memories that threatened and to erase all the tears didn’t work. Unfortunately, a headache resulted. She hoped it would be gone by morning. She hugged her pillow close. She’d get affection from that at least. A soft place to land.

  ~*~

  A week passed, and Titus searched for Bethany Joelle at the Thursday night group. Bowling. Typically, he enjoyed these outings but tonight he was on edge. B.J. hadn’t shown up either.

  He arrived home and took the dog for a walk. The animal had yet to bark and seemed afraid when he’d first came home at the end of a day. He spent time snuggling with the pup before settling in for the night. The dog jumped up on the bed to cuddle up next to him, but Ty didn’t mind. It wasn’t like there was anyone else to do it.

  He closed his eyes and mulled over the two pressing relationship issues. B.J. and Bethany Joelle. Obviously, God was up to something to burden him so with these two lonely souls.

  ~*~

  Sunday came, and Ty looked for Bethany and B.J. but failed to find them at church. B.J. had failed to come in Saturday and it concerned Ty to have him so scarce. And Bethany? Well, she intrigued him.

  The next day, out of curiosity he went back to the grocery store where Bethany and B.J. worked. Once he arrived at the bakery, he peered behind the counter. He spied Bethany with a white cap and her braid hanging down her back as she focused on kneading bread.

  A young man came to the counter. “Can I help you? Did you need a special order?”

  “I’m searching for Bethany.”

  The guy frowned but nodded. “Beth. A customer is asking for you.”

  She turned, and her eyes widened when she realized who it was. “I’ll be right there.” She washed her hands and grabbed a paper towel. Still drying them, she came to the counter. She wasn’t smiling. “Titus. What can I help you with? Curtis could have taken care of you.”

  “I didn’t want to take Curtis to lunch.” Ty winked at her and even though she still wore a frown, her face turned a delightful shade of pink. “When do you get off?”

  She glanced at the clock, biting her lip. “In about forty-five minutes.”

  “Great. I’ll wait for you out front.” Titus started to step back.

  “For what?” She folded her arms.

  “Lunch.”

  “You didn’t even ask.”

  He noted the tilt to her chin. Interesting. He grinned. “Bethany Joelle, would you do me the honor of eating lunch with me?”

  Her brows furrowed. “Why?”

  “Because I’m hungry and I like you.”

  “You don’t even know me.”

  Was she shaking? “Maybe I aim to rectify that. Bethany Joelle, I mean no harm. It’s just lunch.”

  She huffed. “Fine.” She put on gloves and started beating the dough again.

  Ty grinned as he walked away. He wondered if she liked dogs. But that would mean lunch would need to be a picnic.

  4

  Keep love in your heart.

  A life without it is like a sunless garden

  when the flowers are dead.

  Oscar Wilde

  “See you tomorrow, Bethany Joelle.” Jack gave her a wink. “And enjoy your date with the handsome customer. And you said you weren’t good at customer service.” With a bark of laughter, he headed out the door.

  Bethany finger-combed her hair. Why had she said yes? She didn’t date. There was no point. She went to the bathroom and changed her clothes, took a deep breath, and headed out of the store. Titus never even said where they would meet.

  Maybe he’d be late, and she could get in her car and go home. After all the burden was on him, right? She didn’t want this. Except if she was honest with herself, she did.

  Her alter-ego was at risk the more Titus knew her as Bethany Joelle. “What a tangled web we weave…”

  Who even said that? It wasn’t Jesus although she doubted the good Lord approved of her masquerade. But didn’t everyone hide in some way or another? She stepped out and glanced around.

  Ty’s pick-up truck was coming, and a furry head peered out the window with his tongue hanging.

  She swallowed her sorrow. The dog had the better owner. What did she have to offer? A shell of a human. Except at some level, she had hoped the dog would rescue her rather than the other way around.

  The truck stopped, Ty jumped out, came around, and opened the door. “Hi. How does a picnic sound? I thought Shazam would enjoy being outside for a little while.”

  “This is your dog?” She climbed in and the dog moved over to give her space before sitting on her lap to give her kisses. “Why’d you name him that?”

  “Yeah, he’s mine now. I hope you don’t mind. I never even thought to ask if you liked dogs. He came with that name from the shelter. I’m trying to think of a better one for him.”

  “I like dogs.”

  “Obviously, he likes you very much.”

  Bethany hugged the dog close and fastened her seat belt.

  “So…picnic, OK?”

  “Sure.”

  The car headed out into traffic.

  “How was your day at work?”

  “Busy. Never a dull moment.”

  “What’s your favorite thing to bake?”

  Bethany frowned. Did she have a favorite? “Donuts and bread.”

  “Why?”

  “Variety. So many people have their favorite and come in looking for that special kind of donut. Fresh. Every morning. I see them smile as they select it. I get to be part of a good moment in their day.” This had to stop. But how? “Don’t you work today?”

  “I pulled some overtime last night being on-call for the tow-truck, so I took the hours as compensation time today.”

  “So, you don’t work at all today?”

  “I’ll head in after lunch for a few hours.”

  “Then what?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “After work. Tow-truck again or something else?”

  “I volunteer in The Garage ministry at church. Supervise and train as well as get to tinker on cars.”

  “So, you work on cars all day and after work do the same?”

  He shrugged. “I like working on cars.”

  “Everything has a cause and effect. An easier puzzle to figure out?”

  “Something like that. Not always easy, especially now with all the computer codes controlling things. Intermittent problems are the worst. But generally, if there’s a problem, I can find the answer. People aren’t that easy.”

  “And you own a dog.”

  “He’s easy to figure out. A bundle of unconditional love.”

  The dog stayed on Bethany’s lap with his paws up on the door to peer out the window. She ran her hands down his soft short hair. “He’s a sweetheart.”

  “He’s definitely taken to you faster than anyone I know so far. I’ve not had him a long time, though, only about a week. I adopted him. He’d been abused. A volunteer at the garage found him in the trunk of the car, bloody and duct-taped.”

  “That’s terrible. I’m glad you found him before it was too late.”

  “Well, I didn’t. It was the kid who heard the noises.”

  “You couldn’t hear him?”

  Titus shook his head. “The Garage is a noisy place and I have significant hearing loss in my right ear.”

  “Good to know. I’ll only share my deepest darkest secrets when I’m to your right.”

  “You’re mean.”

  She grinned. Ty hadn’t heard the dog’s whines. She had wondered. “Why no hearing aid?”

  “Didn’t seem necessary. I’ve adapted, and my hearing is perfectly normal on the left side. I wanted you to be aware so if you want to whisper sweet nothings in my ear, you’ll do it on the correct side.”

  “They would truly be sweet ‘nothings’ if I did them on the right side,” Bethany quipped. “But you�
��re kind of jumping the gun here, aren’t you? We’re not dating. Not boyfriend and girlfriend.”

  “I think of this as a date.”

  “Oh.” Bethany stared out the window. Where were they going? Was she even safe with this man? He was friends with Pastor Dan at the church, but that didn’t guarantee he wouldn’t try anything inappropriate. Her heart raced at the possibilities as the dangers of the past hurled through her memory.

  Gravel crunched.

  “This park is a favorite of mine. There’s a pretty creek we can walk to, or we can stay closer to the parking lot and use the picnic table. I thought it would be nice for Shazam to be able to run a little.”

  “Won’t he run away?”

  “I don’t think so, but I’ve got a long leash for a tie out just to be safe. So where to?”

  “Here is good.”

  He parked the car and opened the door.

  A blast of warm air hit her. The dog abandoned her to jump out on his side. Titus scooped him up and came around to open her door. “Come, lunch awaits.” He connected the dog to the wire, attaching the other end to the picnic table.

  Shazam sniffed through the grass, with plenty of freedom despite the leash. The dog came back and settled down under the shade of the table.

  Ty grabbed a basket and cooler and took them over the to the picnic table. “Come on Bethany Joelle. I don’t bite, and I promise I haven’t poisoned the food.”

  A faint smile tugged, and she sat at the table.

  He unpacked, set everything out and handed her a glass filled with ice-cold lemonade.

  She took a sip. “Mmmmm.”

  “Hits the spot?”

  “Yeah. It’s warm today. I’m glad this is under the maple tree.”

  “Strategically placed for that very reason.” Titus reached across the table. “I’ll pray. Can I hold your hand?”

  “Why?”

  “It’s a connection.”

  She reached out and let his fingers wrap around hers. Connection? More like comfort. And something else she couldn’t identify. That bugged her, not understanding what these feelings were.

  Titus bent his head. “Jesus, thank You for this beautiful day, this food, and the company of the lovely lady here with me. Let our conversation give You honor and the food strengthen us to do the work You’ve called us to do. Amen.”

  “Amen,” she whispered.

  He released her hand.

  She pulled it back, emotions drifting like an anchorless ship in choppy seas.

  Potato salad, coleslaw, chopped melons, large strawberries, and blueberries accompanied a box of fried chicken.

  She spooned up a little of each. Silence hung as they ate, but the awareness of his perusal agitated her. Her appetite fled. She set her fork down, took a sip of her lemonade, and finally met his eyes, coffee-brown with caramel stirred in. Decadence and danger. She was sure he would never hurt her. But still, being here in this park, relying on him for a ride back…stripped her of her usual escape plans.

  “You seemed upset when you rushed out of Dan and Skye’s home.”

  “So?”

  “What happened? Care to share?”

  “Not really.”

  “There’s a price to be paid in vulnerability, isn’t there? And I haven’t earned the right yet.”

  “The price is too high for anyone to pay.”

  “Cryptic. I’m not a bad guy. Most people like me.”

  “I’m sure they do. I’ve no complaints about the company.”

  “So, what? I’m getting too personal? OK. Let’s try something more innocuous. What’s your favorite color?” Ty asked.

  “Green.”

  “Why?” He set his fork down and leaned forward, elbows on the table, joined fists holding up his chin.

  “I look good in green. It’s the color of growing things.”

  “Does that make you a growing thing?”

  “It’s an illusion. I might wear it but that doesn’t mean it represents my soul.”

  “Shouldn’t it? Don’t we all have areas we need to grow in?”

  “Maybe. What’s your favorite color?” Bethany Joelle asked.

  “Turquoise. A mix of blue and green but not teal.”

  “That’s pretty specific.”

  “Yeah, but it’s what I like.”

  “Why?”

  “Touché. I imagine tropical waters. Calm. Relaxing. Warmth without this humidity.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “Are you done? I don’t want to pack things up if you are still hungry.”

  “I’m fine. Thank you. This was a lovely meal.”

  “Probably not an impressive first date. Broad daylight, public park, and nothing in here I made myself.”

  “Why would that matter?”

  “I don’t know.” He put the food away and gathered the trash in another bag.

  Shazam hopped up on his rear legs to check if there was anything for him.

  “Sorry boy, no table scraps for you.” Ty pulled out a bowl, filled it with water, and set it down for the dog, who eagerly lapped it up.

  “I can tell Shazam has a good home.”

  “I hope so. It’ll take a while before he starts showing his real personality. They said the trauma and abandonment can make him leery. He’s on his best behavior because he’s afraid I’ll punish him or abandon him too. I need to show him that I won’t but that takes time.”

  “Interesting.”

  “Yeah, almost as if he’s human too, right? I just hope he realizes I would never hurt him.”

  “He knows,” Bethany Joelle said.

  ~*~

  Bethany walked a leashed Shazam down the path to the river.

  Ty stashed the picnic supplies in his truck and took off after them.

  She came to a clearing and stood by the riverbank.

  Shazam found a rock to pee on.

  Ty stood by her side, and the dog came to sit down between them.

  “It’s peaceful here. Listen.”

  He tilted his head and closed his eyes.

  “They call it a babbling brook. Like a baby learning to talk. The words are unintelligible but there’s a meaning there anyway. Makes me wonder what God is trying to say.”

  “All creation cries out?” Titus asked.

  “Yeah. I guess.”

  “So are you getting the message?” he asked, but the quiet was disturbed by the ringing of his cell phone. Titus pulled it out to look at the screen. “Hold that thought.” He stepped away. “What is it, Frank? A pile-up? I’ll get there as soon as I can, but I need to drop someone off before I can get the truck.” He listened. “Fine. I’ll be in soon. They probably won’t be ready for the vehicles to be towed until they’ve thoroughly investigated and mapped out the accident anyway.” Ty hung up.

  “Work?”

  “Yeah. Sorry.”

  “No. It’s fine. You told me you needed to work after lunch and we at least got to eat, right?”

  He sighed. “I guess so. Come on, Shazam, we need to get you home after we drop off Bethany.”

  They headed back down the path.

  Ty wondered what he’d missed by taking that call. Would Bethany have shared something personal? Would she have lowered her wall just a smidge, so he could see who she really was? He’d need to be patient.

  The ride back was quiet. He dropped her off at her car, but she leapt out before he could leave his seat.

  “Ty. Thank you. It was…nice. Stay safe, OK?” She shut the door, gave him a little wave, and a half smile as she unlocked her own car.

  Once she was in and the car had started, he took off.

  Shazam had his paws up on the window. He whimpered.

  “Miss her?”

  The dog plopped down, came across the bench seat, collapsed, and placed his head on Ty’s lap.

  “Me too, buddy.”

  ~*~

  The pileup was a huge mess. Everyone wanted their car taken somewhere else. Titus took one car all the way to Fond du
Lac. His day was done, but it was late. He was glad Paul was at the garage, but he wondered if B.J. showed up this afternoon. He still needed to connect with the kid.

  He showered and collapsed in his favorite chair. His on-call shift started in a few hours. He really needed to get some sleep. He dragged himself up and took Shazam for a long walk. Once home he fell into bed with the dog snuggled up next to him. He dreamed of babbling brooks speaking words he couldn’t understand.

  5

  There is no such thing as low maintenance

  or high maintenance, just a bunch of women

  hoping for a capable mechanic.

  Liz Vassey

  Titus had his head under a hood replacing spark plugs on Wednesday night.

  Shazam barked. It was a rare sound from the dog as he continued to recover from his injuries and abuse.

  B.J. come in wearing his standard uniform. Long sleeved work shirt, even in this heat, along with baggy jeans and boots. A baseball hat covered his head. The kid came over and squatted down to pet the eager dog, who licked his face.

  “You’re only the second person I’ve ever seen Shazam that excited about.”

  “Shazam? Does he have superpowers?”

  “Shelter named him. I’m trying to think of another name for him.”

  The dog settled down at B.J.’s feet to enjoy getting his belly rubbed, one of the few places there were not obvious injuries.

  “How about a car name since that’s your livelihood?”

  “Like what?”

  B.J. stood up and stared down at the dog relaxing on the cool cement floor. “He doesn’t look like a Miata, Vette, Porche, Mustang…” the dog continued to relax, watching the boy. “What about Cooper?”

  The dog sat up and barked. His tail wagged as he tried to jump up on B.J.

  Titus laughed. “Well, guess I own a Mini-Cooper, don’t I?”

  “Technically a Cooper. Mini is the company that makes it.”

  “True, but owned by BMW. Fine. Just Cooper. Besides, I suspect his personality will emerge as anything but mini in spite of his ten pounds.”

  “He’s skin and bones. I suspect you’ll get another pound on him once he’s been well-fed for a while and heals up.”

  “That’s the goal the vet said to shoot for. He hasn’t eaten much yet.”

  B.J. was back down on the floor petting the dog. “Give him time. He’s been through a rough patch and he’s still learning to trust that you’ll not hurt him.”