sound went right up my spine and bounced around in my head. God, did I need this break.
I stopped at the hardware store first and picked up a few things I knew I was going to need in the coming weeks. None of it was pressing, but Ali would grill me if I came home empty-handed. I spent a solid half-hour shooting the breeze with Larry, the store’s owner. I worked for him part-time in the winters to make ends meet when the stand was closed, and he was a decent guy. It was a relief to talk baseball, whatever bugs were trying to eat my cucumber plants and even a little town politics. He didn’t once mention art, pop culture or nail polish, and for that I was grateful.
I swung by Boomer’s after that, catching him just before he closed up.
“Hey, boy. Whatcha need?” He leaned back against his paper-strewn desk, keys in his hand.
“Hey, Boomer. Do me a favor and take some part you have laying around that you don’t need and toss it in a paper bag for me.”
The older man folded his arms across his broad chest and cocked his head. “Say what? Little early for drinking, isn’t it, Sam?”
I shook my head. “Haven’t had a drop. But I told Ali I was coming out tonight to pick up a part I needed first thing tomorrow morning, and if I come home without a bag from you, she’ll know.”
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “So you’re lying to your sister, huh? You got a girl out here in town, boy? Who’re you seeing?”
“God almighty, no. Last thing I need is another girl. That’s why I had to get out.” I shuddered, and Boomer chuckled.
“Ah, I see. You got that pretty little art teacher living out with you now, and the females are ganging up on you, huh?”
“Not so much ganging up as ... giggling. Boomer, you don’t know. They talk about the stupidest things, and then they laugh like it’s hysterical ... they’re making me nuts. I just had to get away tonight.”
“Hmm.” Boomer eyed me up and down. “Funny thing, wasn’t it, that girl getting the job here in Burton. You think that’s why she was here that night, scouting us out?”
“Nah.” I shook my head. “It was just one of those things. Coincidence.”
“Well, I wouldn’t have figured her to stay around once she knew it was your house she was living in. The day she came to pick up her car, I was afraid to leave the two of you alone. Wasn’t sure if I’d come back to see you in a knock-down brawl ... or on the floor doing some other kind of wrestling.” He smirked.
“What the hell are you talking about, Boomer?” He was too close to touching on the truth, and it pissed me off. “I was just telling her how she’d left her friend in a bad way, and she took it wrong. We were yelling, sure, but it wasn’t any more than that. I didn’t even know her. Still really don’t.”
Boomer guffawed. “The hell. You don’t need to know someone to feel the pull. I’m not saying anything about now, but that day, right here in this room, you were looking at that girl the same way I look at the cherry pie down at Kenny’s.”
“You’re crazier than they are.” I stuck my hands deep down in my pockets. “Are you going to give me a bag or not? Because if you’re just going to stand here and tease me, I may as well go home.”
He waved a hand. “Calm down, calm down. I’m going to get you covered.” He opened up a desk drawer and dug around for a minute and then came up with an old crankshaft. “Will this do?”
I nodded, grateful. “Yeah, that’s perfect. Thanks, Boomer.”
“Any time, boy. And if things get bad with all them women, just give me a call and I’ll come rescue you.” He came around the counter and slapped a hand on my shoulder. “Four daughters and a wife, remember? I feel your pain.”
I grinned. I’d forgotten that Boomer would definitely be the one who’d understand. “Thanks, man.”
“I got your back. Now get on out of here so I can close up, or the wife’ll be calling to see if
I stopped at the hardware store first and picked up a few things I knew I was going to need in the coming weeks. None of it was pressing, but Ali would grill me if I came home empty-handed. I spent a solid half-hour shooting the breeze with Larry, the store’s owner. I worked for him part-time in the winters to make ends meet when the stand was closed, and he was a decent guy. It was a relief to talk baseball, whatever bugs were trying to eat my cucumber plants and even a little town politics. He didn’t once mention art, pop culture or nail polish, and for that I was grateful.
I swung by Boomer’s after that, catching him just before he closed up.
“Hey, boy. Whatcha need?” He leaned back against his paper-strewn desk, keys in his hand.
“Hey, Boomer. Do me a favor and take some part you have laying around that you don’t need and toss it in a paper bag for me.”
The older man folded his arms across his broad chest and cocked his head. “Say what? Little early for drinking, isn’t it, Sam?”
I shook my head. “Haven’t had a drop. But I told Ali I was coming out tonight to pick up a part I needed first thing tomorrow morning, and if I come home without a bag from you, she’ll know.”
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “So you’re lying to your sister, huh? You got a girl out here in town, boy? Who’re you seeing?”
“God almighty, no. Last thing I need is another girl. That’s why I had to get out.” I shuddered, and Boomer chuckled.
“Ah, I see. You got that pretty little art teacher living out with you now, and the females are ganging up on you, huh?”
“Not so much ganging up as ... giggling. Boomer, you don’t know. They talk about the stupidest things, and then they laugh like it’s hysterical ... they’re making me nuts. I just had to get away tonight.”
“Hmm.” Boomer eyed me up and down. “Funny thing, wasn’t it, that girl getting the job here in Burton. You think that’s why she was here that night, scouting us out?”
“Nah.” I shook my head. “It was just one of those things. Coincidence.”
“Well, I wouldn’t have figured her to stay around once she knew it was your house she was living in. The day she came to pick up her car, I was afraid to leave the two of you alone. Wasn’t sure if I’d come back to see you in a knock-down brawl ... or on the floor doing some other kind of wrestling.” He smirked.
“What the hell are you talking about, Boomer?” He was too close to touching on the truth, and it pissed me off. “I was just telling her how she’d left her friend in a bad way, and she took it wrong. We were yelling, sure, but it wasn’t any more than that. I didn’t even know her. Still really don’t.”
Boomer guffawed. “The hell. You don’t need to know someone to feel the pull. I’m not saying anything about now, but that day, right here in this room, you were looking at that girl the same way I look at the cherry pie down at Kenny’s.”
“You’re crazier than they are.” I stuck my hands deep down in my pockets. “Are you going to give me a bag or not? Because if you’re just going to stand here and tease me, I may as well go home.”
He waved a hand. “Calm down, calm down. I’m going to get you covered.” He opened up a desk drawer and dug around for a minute and then came up with an old crankshaft. “Will this do?”
I nodded, grateful. “Yeah, that’s perfect. Thanks, Boomer.”
“Any time, boy. And if things get bad with all them women, just give me a call and I’ll come rescue you.” He came around the counter and slapped a hand on my shoulder. “Four daughters and a wife, remember? I feel your pain.”
I grinned. I’d forgotten that Boomer would definitely be the one who’d understand. “Thanks, man.”
“I got your back. Now get on out of here so I can close up, or the wife’ll be calling to see if
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