hands on her
hips. “That kid, Danny, works hard, I’ll give him that. But sometimes, he just
sits and stares at the ground like he doesn’t have a lick of sense.”
I stepped beside her. Sure enough, Danny
sat on a folding stool and stared at the ground between his feet. “Maybe he’s
resting from all his work.”
“Maybe. But something heavy rests on that
boy’s mind.” Mom turned. “How’s the hand?”
“Duane took me to the clinic. They
cleaned it out, gave me a prescription for pain and antibiotics, and told me to
rest for a couple of days. So, he’s coming to pick me up, and I’ll be at home
the rest of the weekend. Can you manage?”
“You bet. Go home and rest. I’ll check on
you later.” Mom gave me a hug and then a gentle nudge toward the door. “Love
you, sweetie.”
Duane was just pulling up to the curb
when I stepped outside. I climbed into the truck cab and closed my eyes. Duane
patted my shoulder, then handed me a pill and a sip from his water bottle.
“You’ll be home and in bed within ten minutes.”
It wasn’t just my hand hurt that gave me
pain and dragged me down, but that someone wanted to kill me. Add in that
Dottie’s life was also in danger, and I didn’t know which way to turn to
protect either one of us.
Last time, the murderer had been someone
I saw on a regular basis: A member of high-standing in the church. She’d been head
of the women’s ministry. I ran through my mind everyone I knew that could
possibly wire a house to blow up. I didn’t know anyone.
Duane pulled the truck to the back of
Mom’s house, making the distance to the cottage less. He thought of everything.
By this time, my legs were starting to feel like rubber because of the pain
meds, and I happily leaned on Duane’s arm while he half-carried me into the
cottage.
“Sofa or bed?” He pushed open the door.
“Sofa, with the remote close by.”
“You got it.” Duane settled me on the
sofa, propped pillows behind my back, then headed to
the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned with a water bottle from the
refrigerator. “Where’s Lindsey?”
“I have no idea.” She’d been sleeping
when I’d left the house that morning. “Maybe she’s still in bed.”
“I’ll check.” He headed down the hall,
returning seconds later. “Nope. I’ll text her to come home and take care of you
until your mom gets off work. I have some football stuff to do.”
“I’m not dying, Duane.” Yes, my hand felt
like it was killing me, and I loved all the attention he poured on me, but I
didn’t need a full-time babysitter for a few cuts. “I’m going to sleep, then
watch some television. I’ll see you later.”
He kissed me and left. I rolled over and
gave in to the pain meds.
*
Loud voices woke me. Not angry, just
voices trying to speak over the sound of a power tool. Tossing aside the afghan
I’d covered with, I shuffled to the window and parted the curtains.
“I’ll tell you right now, son.” Leroy
wiped his face with a stained bandanna. “A man has to own up to his mistakes.”
“What mistake?” Danny jerked, dropping
the hammer. “How did you find out?”
“The fact you nailed those two boards in
the wrong place! Are you asleep? I can see your mistake with my own two eyes.”
Leroy shook his head. “You swore you didn’t smoke any of that loco weed, but
sometimes I wonder.”
Danny visibly relaxed. Yep. Someday, that
boy and I were going to have a long chat so I could ferret out his secrets.
I stepped onto my tiny porch, more like a
stoop really. “Leroy, what are y’all doing?”
“Sorry, sweetie. Didn’t know you were
home. I guess we’re making quite the racket out here.” Leroy clicked off the
sander. “Your mother wanted the back porch rails smoothed and repainted. Since
the back room is almost finished at the store, and she complained of a
headache, I thought I’d use Danny for another hour or two. He doesn’t mind the
extra money, do you, boy?”
Danny
hips. “That kid, Danny, works hard, I’ll give him that. But sometimes, he just
sits and stares at the ground like he doesn’t have a lick of sense.”
I stepped beside her. Sure enough, Danny
sat on a folding stool and stared at the ground between his feet. “Maybe he’s
resting from all his work.”
“Maybe. But something heavy rests on that
boy’s mind.” Mom turned. “How’s the hand?”
“Duane took me to the clinic. They
cleaned it out, gave me a prescription for pain and antibiotics, and told me to
rest for a couple of days. So, he’s coming to pick me up, and I’ll be at home
the rest of the weekend. Can you manage?”
“You bet. Go home and rest. I’ll check on
you later.” Mom gave me a hug and then a gentle nudge toward the door. “Love
you, sweetie.”
Duane was just pulling up to the curb
when I stepped outside. I climbed into the truck cab and closed my eyes. Duane
patted my shoulder, then handed me a pill and a sip from his water bottle.
“You’ll be home and in bed within ten minutes.”
It wasn’t just my hand hurt that gave me
pain and dragged me down, but that someone wanted to kill me. Add in that
Dottie’s life was also in danger, and I didn’t know which way to turn to
protect either one of us.
Last time, the murderer had been someone
I saw on a regular basis: A member of high-standing in the church. She’d been head
of the women’s ministry. I ran through my mind everyone I knew that could
possibly wire a house to blow up. I didn’t know anyone.
Duane pulled the truck to the back of
Mom’s house, making the distance to the cottage less. He thought of everything.
By this time, my legs were starting to feel like rubber because of the pain
meds, and I happily leaned on Duane’s arm while he half-carried me into the
cottage.
“Sofa or bed?” He pushed open the door.
“Sofa, with the remote close by.”
“You got it.” Duane settled me on the
sofa, propped pillows behind my back, then headed to
the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned with a water bottle from the
refrigerator. “Where’s Lindsey?”
“I have no idea.” She’d been sleeping
when I’d left the house that morning. “Maybe she’s still in bed.”
“I’ll check.” He headed down the hall,
returning seconds later. “Nope. I’ll text her to come home and take care of you
until your mom gets off work. I have some football stuff to do.”
“I’m not dying, Duane.” Yes, my hand felt
like it was killing me, and I loved all the attention he poured on me, but I
didn’t need a full-time babysitter for a few cuts. “I’m going to sleep, then
watch some television. I’ll see you later.”
He kissed me and left. I rolled over and
gave in to the pain meds.
*
Loud voices woke me. Not angry, just
voices trying to speak over the sound of a power tool. Tossing aside the afghan
I’d covered with, I shuffled to the window and parted the curtains.
“I’ll tell you right now, son.” Leroy
wiped his face with a stained bandanna. “A man has to own up to his mistakes.”
“What mistake?” Danny jerked, dropping
the hammer. “How did you find out?”
“The fact you nailed those two boards in
the wrong place! Are you asleep? I can see your mistake with my own two eyes.”
Leroy shook his head. “You swore you didn’t smoke any of that loco weed, but
sometimes I wonder.”
Danny visibly relaxed. Yep. Someday, that
boy and I were going to have a long chat so I could ferret out his secrets.
I stepped onto my tiny porch, more like a
stoop really. “Leroy, what are y’all doing?”
“Sorry, sweetie. Didn’t know you were
home. I guess we’re making quite the racket out here.” Leroy clicked off the
sander. “Your mother wanted the back porch rails smoothed and repainted. Since
the back room is almost finished at the store, and she complained of a
headache, I thought I’d use Danny for another hour or two. He doesn’t mind the
extra money, do you, boy?”
Danny
Similar Books
