pan out. He just wished Sam would let him clear the path a bit. It was the very least he owed her.
“We all make mistakes.” She shrugged a shoulder. “I could be worse off than I am, you know. I have aplace to live, I’m in no danger of starving, and I’m digging myself out of my mess. It’s all good.”
“I’m proud of you.”
“Gee, thanks.” She rolled her eyes, preparing to flounce away.
“That was honesty, not snarkiness,” he assured her.
“Oh. Well, thank you.” She gave him a small smile, then straightened her shoulders and looked back at the mess still awaiting them in the shed. “You know, your ‘cleanse it with fire’ idea is really starting to look good.”
“I’m still standing by it.”
Sam drummed her fingers against her thigh. “Do you know Dennis Handry?”
Only because Dennis did some dog walking and pet sitting and had put some flyers up at the clinic. “Not personally.”
“He’s trying to save up some money for a trip this summer.”
“Okay . . .”
“He’s a smart kid, easily able to tell trash from possible not-trash . . .”
“I like how you think, Samantha Harris.” He stood and wiped his palms on his pants. “Put him to work and have him send the bill to me.”
“Only if you let me pay half. Or at least a third—we should hit Ellie up, too. It’s only fair.”
Not if he could help it. “Whatever works.” He’d worry about the fallout of that lie later, but for now Sam was following his lead, and he’d take that as a win. He didn’t want to spend his free time out here in this dismal shed with all its bad memories. He felt lighter and cleaner already.
Sam smiled. Maybe she felt it, too. “Then let’s go get cleaned up and eat.”
“One second.” There was something he needed to do.
Inside the shed, hanging off a shelf that held an old ashtray and a fifteen-year-old radio, was his father’s belt. When he came outside carrying it, Sam scowled. “Why do you want that?”
“I don’t.”
He took it over to the grill and laid it on the rack. After dousing it in lighter fluid, he held up a match. “You want the honors?”
“Be my guest.”
The lighter fluid burned with a blue flame, but the old leather didn’t catch well, just smoldering and blackening instead.
Sam frowned, disappointed. “It’s not going to burn.”
“It doesn’t have to.” He’d made his point.
Sam squeezed his hand. “You’re right.”
They watched it for another minute, not saying anything. Then Sam tugged gently on his arm. “Let it go.”
“I have.”
He left it there, still smoldering, and went inside.
Chapter 6
T he Frosty Freeze had to be responsible for most of the heart disease in the county, but that knowledge wasn’t enough to temper the occasional craving for one of their bacon-chili-cheese hot dogs. Even Dr. Tanner and Dr. Richey, who should be the leaders in denouncing such a thing, could occasionally be seen at one of Frosty Freeze’s weathered picnic tables indulging that craving. It made Molly feel a little less guilty when she also gave in.
“You’re going to get chili on the checkbook.” Tate grinned as he swung a leg over the bench on the opposite side of the table and sat. Even after a lot of stern chats with herself, something about that grin still did funny things to her. She took a deep breath and tried to focus.
“I’m being careful.” She reached for yet another napkin to wipe her hands. To be safe, she ran a second one over her face. Bacon-chili-cheese dogs were delicious, but very messy. Then she handed over the checks to be signed. “Thanks for meeting me.”
“No problem.” He looked at the stack. “Well, this is all very official-looking.”
She was rather proud of it. “I couldn’t figure out how y’all had done this in the past, so I just created my ownrequisition form and paperwork. Mrs. K will be able to follow the paper trail easily.”
Tate seemed to be fighting back a smile. She was trying
“We all make mistakes.” She shrugged a shoulder. “I could be worse off than I am, you know. I have aplace to live, I’m in no danger of starving, and I’m digging myself out of my mess. It’s all good.”
“I’m proud of you.”
“Gee, thanks.” She rolled her eyes, preparing to flounce away.
“That was honesty, not snarkiness,” he assured her.
“Oh. Well, thank you.” She gave him a small smile, then straightened her shoulders and looked back at the mess still awaiting them in the shed. “You know, your ‘cleanse it with fire’ idea is really starting to look good.”
“I’m still standing by it.”
Sam drummed her fingers against her thigh. “Do you know Dennis Handry?”
Only because Dennis did some dog walking and pet sitting and had put some flyers up at the clinic. “Not personally.”
“He’s trying to save up some money for a trip this summer.”
“Okay . . .”
“He’s a smart kid, easily able to tell trash from possible not-trash . . .”
“I like how you think, Samantha Harris.” He stood and wiped his palms on his pants. “Put him to work and have him send the bill to me.”
“Only if you let me pay half. Or at least a third—we should hit Ellie up, too. It’s only fair.”
Not if he could help it. “Whatever works.” He’d worry about the fallout of that lie later, but for now Sam was following his lead, and he’d take that as a win. He didn’t want to spend his free time out here in this dismal shed with all its bad memories. He felt lighter and cleaner already.
Sam smiled. Maybe she felt it, too. “Then let’s go get cleaned up and eat.”
“One second.” There was something he needed to do.
Inside the shed, hanging off a shelf that held an old ashtray and a fifteen-year-old radio, was his father’s belt. When he came outside carrying it, Sam scowled. “Why do you want that?”
“I don’t.”
He took it over to the grill and laid it on the rack. After dousing it in lighter fluid, he held up a match. “You want the honors?”
“Be my guest.”
The lighter fluid burned with a blue flame, but the old leather didn’t catch well, just smoldering and blackening instead.
Sam frowned, disappointed. “It’s not going to burn.”
“It doesn’t have to.” He’d made his point.
Sam squeezed his hand. “You’re right.”
They watched it for another minute, not saying anything. Then Sam tugged gently on his arm. “Let it go.”
“I have.”
He left it there, still smoldering, and went inside.
Chapter 6
T he Frosty Freeze had to be responsible for most of the heart disease in the county, but that knowledge wasn’t enough to temper the occasional craving for one of their bacon-chili-cheese hot dogs. Even Dr. Tanner and Dr. Richey, who should be the leaders in denouncing such a thing, could occasionally be seen at one of Frosty Freeze’s weathered picnic tables indulging that craving. It made Molly feel a little less guilty when she also gave in.
“You’re going to get chili on the checkbook.” Tate grinned as he swung a leg over the bench on the opposite side of the table and sat. Even after a lot of stern chats with herself, something about that grin still did funny things to her. She took a deep breath and tried to focus.
“I’m being careful.” She reached for yet another napkin to wipe her hands. To be safe, she ran a second one over her face. Bacon-chili-cheese dogs were delicious, but very messy. Then she handed over the checks to be signed. “Thanks for meeting me.”
“No problem.” He looked at the stack. “Well, this is all very official-looking.”
She was rather proud of it. “I couldn’t figure out how y’all had done this in the past, so I just created my ownrequisition form and paperwork. Mrs. K will be able to follow the paper trail easily.”
Tate seemed to be fighting back a smile. She was trying
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