feeling somewhat confused. She’d been emotional one second, almost taciturn the next. Blatantly curious about the corner of the truck from what I’d observed, and then claiming to me she wasn’t looking at anything specific. And then she’d marched back to the duties at hand.
“Hey,” I said as I hurried to catch up to her. “I’ve wanted to be a customer since the second I saw you pull into the lot. I’d love a cupcake.”
Basha laughed. “Come on over, I’ll hook you up.”
Again, her personality shifted. Now she seemed downright jovial. I waited outside as she hoisted herself into the business part of the truck and came over to the counter.She pointed at the handwritten menu board folded open on the counter, which listed the flavors she’d made today. “What can I get you?”
Key Lime Disco, Maple Bacon Sizzle, Piña Colada Party, Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl, Chocolate Coma, and Lemon Pucker.
“I’ll take two of each,” I said.
“Dessert for the family?”
“Maybe,” I said with a smile.
Basha nodded knowingly.
Shortly, I had the box of cupcakes, but no answers to my questions about what Basha had been looking at. Another customer appeared so I stepped out of the way after our brief transaction, and resumed my search for Allison.
It was by chance (though sometimes I called these incidents twin-moments) that I happened to see her standing at the market entrance by her office building just as she looked my direction and waved me over.
As I passed each food truck, I glanced inside them, ready to wave if the proprietors were available. The only person I was able to greet was Daryl, who stood at the counter of his wing truck and watched me though those tilted glasses. Would it be rude to ask if one of his ears was that much higher than the other or if he’d just done something to bend the glasses? He scowled when he waved and made me uncomfortable. I didn’t see either Mel or Hank in their trucks and I wondered where they’d gone, so I stepped up the pace as I hurried toward Allison.
“Cupcakes?” she said with an enthusiastic but weary smile when she saw the box under my arm.
“Couldn’t resist,” I said.
“I tried one earlier and thought it was delicious. I also had a taco. I recommend Paco, I mean Mel, and his tacos.”
“You look tired.”
“I am. Peyton’s on her way back. Sam’s bringing her,” Allison said.
“That’s good news, isn’t it?” I said.
“Peyton’s not being held but she isn’t in the clear yet. I don’t know exactly what that means and I hope you try to get some details from Sam when you can. I told Sam I would be responsible for her. I’ll watch her.”
“I’ll get whatever I can from him. Any word from Jeff?”
“Nothing. I tried to call him earlier, but only a couple of times. Haven’t heard from him. Hopefully Sam can give you more information about that, too. Maybe they talked to him today. There they are.” Allison nodded toward the parking lot entrance.
A police cruiser moved slowly through the parking lot. It was followed by a smaller car—Harry’s rental.
Peyton was seated in the front passenger seat of the cruiser. She glanced at us through the window, making it clear that she was not a happy cousin.
Sam got out of the car first. He opened the door for Peyton at the same time Harry got out of his rental. We became an awkward group of five.
“Allison, Becca,” Peyton said as she barely looked up from the ground.
For a long moment the rest of us blinked at each other.
“Peyton needs to stay in town,” Sam finally said. “I lether know that Harry’s here because of some trouble in Arizona. She recognized him.”
“I haven’t done anything wrong,” she mumbled as she crossed her arms in front of herself.
“Truthfully, there’s not a lot that tells us you
did
do something wrong, Peyton,” Sam said. He turned to Allison. “But there are some questions that we need answered before we know for sure. She would like to
“Hey,” I said as I hurried to catch up to her. “I’ve wanted to be a customer since the second I saw you pull into the lot. I’d love a cupcake.”
Basha laughed. “Come on over, I’ll hook you up.”
Again, her personality shifted. Now she seemed downright jovial. I waited outside as she hoisted herself into the business part of the truck and came over to the counter.She pointed at the handwritten menu board folded open on the counter, which listed the flavors she’d made today. “What can I get you?”
Key Lime Disco, Maple Bacon Sizzle, Piña Colada Party, Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl, Chocolate Coma, and Lemon Pucker.
“I’ll take two of each,” I said.
“Dessert for the family?”
“Maybe,” I said with a smile.
Basha nodded knowingly.
Shortly, I had the box of cupcakes, but no answers to my questions about what Basha had been looking at. Another customer appeared so I stepped out of the way after our brief transaction, and resumed my search for Allison.
It was by chance (though sometimes I called these incidents twin-moments) that I happened to see her standing at the market entrance by her office building just as she looked my direction and waved me over.
As I passed each food truck, I glanced inside them, ready to wave if the proprietors were available. The only person I was able to greet was Daryl, who stood at the counter of his wing truck and watched me though those tilted glasses. Would it be rude to ask if one of his ears was that much higher than the other or if he’d just done something to bend the glasses? He scowled when he waved and made me uncomfortable. I didn’t see either Mel or Hank in their trucks and I wondered where they’d gone, so I stepped up the pace as I hurried toward Allison.
“Cupcakes?” she said with an enthusiastic but weary smile when she saw the box under my arm.
“Couldn’t resist,” I said.
“I tried one earlier and thought it was delicious. I also had a taco. I recommend Paco, I mean Mel, and his tacos.”
“You look tired.”
“I am. Peyton’s on her way back. Sam’s bringing her,” Allison said.
“That’s good news, isn’t it?” I said.
“Peyton’s not being held but she isn’t in the clear yet. I don’t know exactly what that means and I hope you try to get some details from Sam when you can. I told Sam I would be responsible for her. I’ll watch her.”
“I’ll get whatever I can from him. Any word from Jeff?”
“Nothing. I tried to call him earlier, but only a couple of times. Haven’t heard from him. Hopefully Sam can give you more information about that, too. Maybe they talked to him today. There they are.” Allison nodded toward the parking lot entrance.
A police cruiser moved slowly through the parking lot. It was followed by a smaller car—Harry’s rental.
Peyton was seated in the front passenger seat of the cruiser. She glanced at us through the window, making it clear that she was not a happy cousin.
Sam got out of the car first. He opened the door for Peyton at the same time Harry got out of his rental. We became an awkward group of five.
“Allison, Becca,” Peyton said as she barely looked up from the ground.
For a long moment the rest of us blinked at each other.
“Peyton needs to stay in town,” Sam finally said. “I lether know that Harry’s here because of some trouble in Arizona. She recognized him.”
“I haven’t done anything wrong,” she mumbled as she crossed her arms in front of herself.
“Truthfully, there’s not a lot that tells us you
did
do something wrong, Peyton,” Sam said. He turned to Allison. “But there are some questions that we need answered before we know for sure. She would like to
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