The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen Page B

in this kind of situation was to look around and see all the people who could help her doing nothing. Paxton seemed to know what she was thinking. She was trying to meet her eyes, trying to keep Willa from looking away. Don’t leave me .
    “Paxton, set down your bags,” Willa finally said.
    “But …”
    “Just do it. Let’s take a ride in my Jeep, okay?”
    “I have my car.”
    “I know. But let’s go in my Jeep.” She made a small gesture with her hand, and Paxton’s eyes went to the can of pepper spray. Paxton dropped her bags to the concrete. The wine bottles smashed.
    “She ain’t going nowhere,” the man holding her arm said. “Except maybe behind the building for a little fun.”
    Willa took a deep breath, then lifted the can and aimed. This was her last course of action, but she didn’t hesitate. Plus, she’d spray-painted enough things in her misspent youth to have pretty good aim. She got the first man in the face. The second man moved, and she had to chase him to the door before she got him. Once she did, she lunged over and grabbed Paxton’s arm, dropping her spray in the process.
    They were almost to the Jeep when Robbie stepped in front of them. The first man was coughing and rubbing his eyes, making it worse, making his anger rise. He yelled at Robbie to grab the bitches. The second man had run into the store to get the clerk, who was now coming toward the doors. Willa didn’t have anything to defend them with now.
    “Was the letter really a Joker prank?” he asked.
    “Yes,” Willa said.
    “Oh. Sorry, Paxton.”
    Paxton was holding on to Willa now with a force that was going to leave marks.
    Robbie dropped to his knees and covered his face, screaming as if he, too, had been maced. Willa had no idea what he was doing until he took a break from his theatrics to say, “Go, goddamnit.”
    And that’s exactly what they did.
    Willa jumped behind the wheel, and Paxton fell into the passenger seat. Willa was trembling so much she had trouble putting the Jeep in reverse. After she had set up particularly big pranks at school, which had sometimes taken all night, she remembered crawling back into bed and shaking like this. It hadn’t felt bad, more like a thaw. When she finally got the Jeep in gear, Paxton nearly fell out from the speed with which Willa backed out of the parking lot. She had to grab a handful of Paxton’s dress to keep her inside.
    Once they were on the road, a long stretch that ran parallel to the highway, Paxton was finally able to sit upright. The wind from the open top of the Jeep made their hair fly, and the only sound was the flapping of their clothing, like sheets on a line. Willa kept checking her rearview mirror, relaxing only when a couple of miles had passed and she realized they weren’t being followed.
    Neither of them said anything for a very long time.
    Finally, Paxton asked, “Do you have any tissues?”
    Willa turned to her. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her nose was running. “I have some paper napkins in the glove compartment.”
    Paxton fumbled around until she found the napkins. “I’m not crying,” she said.
    “Okay.”
    “No, really, I’m not. I got hit by some of the pepper spray.”
    “Oh,” Willa said. “Sorry about that. I thought my aim was better.”
    Paxton snorted, which made Willa smile.
    “Where are we going?” Paxton asked, blowing her nose as they reached the town proper.
    “To your house.”
    That had an immediate reaction. “No, don’t take me home!” Paxton said loudly. “Let me out right now.” She started fumbling with the door handle.
    Willa had to pull over because she was afraid Paxton was going to try to leap out of the Jeep while it was still moving. Now that the adrenaline rush was over, she could finally see what a problem she had. She had drunk Paxton Osgood in her car, and she had absolutely no idea what to do with her. “Where do you want me to take you, then?” she asked. They were in front of