The Long Road Home 22 - Home Changes, page 7
part #22 of The Long Road Home Series
Allison hesitated. “Edna’s probably still over there. If we walk in together, they’re going to say we’re dating.” An electric feeling zipped through her when he smiled and winked at her.
“That wouldn’t bother me in the slightest.” He grinned. “Which reminds me. Can I get your number? You know, for a text. Or a phone call.”
Allison stared at him, brows raised. Yep, emotions, all kinds of emotions, were doing the ping-pong-ping through her brain. “Are you serious?”
“Of course, I’m serious. I asked, didn’t I?”
She pulled her phone from her pocket, and her hands shook a little. “All right. Give me your number.”
He rattled it off, and she punched it in, sending a quick text to confirm. “Thank you.” When his eyes dropped to her lips, she about fainted. Flat-out falling on her face type of fainting. A truck trundled down the street, breaking her from her trance. “Oh, wait. I need to lock the back door, and I’ve got something for you.” She sprinted back up the steps and into the break room.
Allison grabbed the lavender box, filled with little things she thought Seth, Chester, and especially Gomer might enjoy.
To be honest, most of it was for Gomer. Homemade, bone-shaped treats with dog-safe ingredients like sweet potatoes and blueberries. She’d never made dog biscuits before, but she hoped they turned out okay.
She came back out, locking the door behind her, and handed the box to Seth.
“What’s all this?”
“Something for you, Chester, and Gomer. Gomer gets the bone-shaped ones. Don’t eat them,” she said with a smirk. “I mean ... You could. But they’re not going to taste as good as the stuff I made for you two.”
Seth peeked into the box and chuckled. “You’re going to spoil us.”
“You know,” she said as they started walking, “as hard as you’re working with your dad, a little spoiling wouldn’t hurt.”
“Let’s go to the diner,” Seth said, tucking the box under his arm, placing his hand on her back. “I’ll take this back to the store later. No sense in confusing Chester right now.”
They crossed the street diagonally, waving at Phil and his nephew-in-law, Alex Thompson, who both owned and worked the repair shop and gas station.
The bell over the diner door chimed as they stepped inside. Every head turned in their direction. Ken and Samantha were sitting in the booth immediately inside the door. It was Ken’s usual booth, due to the easy exit if he had to respond to something. Seth stopped and shook Ken’s hand, and then Ken introduced his wife.
“Ma’am,” Seth said after greeting her, “I’d like to schedule an appointment with you. Chester and I need to get his business in order.”
Samantha extended her hand, and Seth took it. Allison faded back a bit. No matter how kind Sam was and how many times Ken had forgiven her, being with both of them was an uncomfortable situation for her. It was her issue, not theirs.
“So nice to meet you, Seth. I have time next week, unless it’s something urgent?” She glanced across the street to where Chester, Delbert, and Gomer sat in the shade.
“No, ma’am. Next week is fine,” Seth assured her.
“Then how about Wednesday, about eleven?”
Seth glanced toward the window and nodded to his dad. “Would it be possible to make it closer to this time? I’m trying to keep him on a schedule. It seems to help.”
Sam nodded immediately. “Sure. One?”
“Perfect. Thank you for making time for us.” Seth smiled back at her. “And congratulations.”
“Thank you so much, we’re so excited, and it isn’t a problem at all.” Sam looked around him and smiled at her. “Allison, the pie you sent as congratulations was delicious. I don’t know how you make such flakey crust.”
Allison smiled. “Practice. Years and years of practice.”
“Well, it paid off,” Sam said and raised her coffee cup to Allison. “You’ve mastered the art.”
“Thank you, but we came over here to find some information. Since you’re here, I should probably tell you we may have an issue.” She stepped forward a bit and lowered her voice. “There was a girl, maybe a young woman, today who was digging in my trash can. I think she’s been taking some of the expired products from the trash can to eat.”
Ken straightened and looked around. “Sit down for a moment, will you?” Seth slid into the seat across from Ken and Sam, placing the box alongside the window. He glanced over to check in on his dad as Allison sat down, too. Her leg touched his, and the feel of his hard muscles sent a little tingle of excitement through her, but Ken rerouted her thoughts with his question, “What are you talking about?”
Allison blinked and then leaned forward, lowering her voice, “For the last week, maybe a little longer, something has been getting into my garbage cans. The thing is, nothing is disturbed except the food I have to throw out because I can’t sell it or give it away. Today I saw a girl at the trash can. She was bruised and so damn thin. Seth saw her, too.”
Seth nodded and carried on in the same quiet tone, “Briefly. Brunette, five feet six or seven, bruises on her face, the side of her neck, and down one arm. They were about two weeks old, with a yellowing and fading appearance. She was wearing white tennis shoes, blue jeans, and a white or gray shirt.”
Allison blinked and turned to look at him. He glanced at her. “I saw her longer than you did,” Allison said. “And I couldn’t have told him half that information. How did you see all of that?”
“I was a cop for my entire career in the Air Force. MWD handlers are security personnel, and we primarily work on law enforcement issues unless we’re forward deployed for base security.”
Allison couldn’t help but notice the way his arm flexed. Her eyes dipped to his bicep and then back to his eyes. He winked at her. Mortified, she snapped her head in Ken’s direction and immediately changed the subject. “She looked way too skinny. Has there been any reports of a runaway or anything?”
Ken frowned and shook his head. “No, nothing. I can go back and look at other counties. Do you think she’s that young?”
“I don’t know.” She looked at Seth. “Maybe twenty at the oldest?”
“Honestly, I’m crap at ages. She could be anywhere from sixteen to twenty-five.” He shrugged. “Sorry about that.”
“No, what you’ve given me is enough. I’ll let the deputies know to be on the lookout for her. Strange she hasn’t asked for help or anything.” Ken looked out the window. “We’ve had a couple of strangers in town lately, but they’ve moved on.”
Seth leaned a bit closer. “You think she may have gotten free from an abusive situation?”
Sam nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m thinking.”
“I’m going to leave her a decent meal tomorrow and a note letting her know she can trust me.”
“That could be a hard sell, but it couldn’t hurt,” Sam said. “Most people on the run from abusive situations fear everything and everyone. They have no reason to trust.”
Allison sighed; her gut dropped. “I have to try.”
“Please do,” Ken said before turning to Sam. “Babe, I’m going to head back to the office and start working on this. I’ll put the description out to see if anyone’s been reported missing locally. If we can’t find anything, I’ll push it out to the state and nationally. If we can get her to trust us and get her story, that would help.”
“I’m done, too,” Sam said. “I’ll leave with you. Seth, it was a pleasure meeting you, and I look forward to talking with you and your dad.” Ken stood up, helped Sam out of the booth, and dropped money for their lunch. “Tell Corrie the meal was great.”
“I heard you, and thank you,” Corrie said as she approached the table. “Sorry, I was prepping breakfast for tomorrow and didn’t hear you come inside. What can I get you?”
“Nothing for me,” Allison said and glanced at the clock on the wall. “Kathy and I are running in twenty minutes. If I eat anything now, I’ll be in misery.”
“For you?” Corrie looked at Seth. “Sorry, do I know you?”
“I don’t think so, ma’am. I’m Seth Hansen. Chester is my father. I understand he’s been asked not to come here any longer.”
The woman’s face fell. “I hated doing that. Chester was just so out of control. We have our other customers to consider. If you’ve got his temper under control, he’s welcome back.”
“I understand,” Seth said, smiling. “He won’t be spending much time in town anyway.”
Allison nudged him. “Did you want a coffee or something?”
“No, I’m good. Glad we got to talk to Ken,” Seth said.
“Then I’ll leave you two to visit.” Corrie took the dirty dishes in a stack that rivaled the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Allison slid out of the bench and glanced over at Edna Michaelson. The woman had a smile the Cheshire Cat would have been jealous of. Allison knew better than to walk out without introducing Seth and setting the record straight. They were not dating. Although she wouldn’t mind … No, she wouldn’t start wishing for things that weren’t going to happen.
Touching Seth’s elbow, she tilted her head to the side. He glanced at the table she was indicating and smiled. “The hen party still owns the back corner booth, huh?”
“Some things never change.” Allison laughed as they made their way to her booth.
“Edna, do you remember Seth Hansen?” Allison asked, gesturing to him.
“Miss Edna,” Seth said, balancing the box in one hand and offering the other. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
Edna took his hand and beamed. “Of course, I remember you, Seth. How nice of you to come back and take care of your daddy. We’ve all been very, very worried about him.”
Seth smiled, polite and measured. But Allison noticed his eyes didn’t quite match the smile.
“Thank you,” he said softly, then stood straighter, holding his lavender box.
“I see Allison has hooked you up with all the goodies.” Edna’s voice left no doubt that she wasn’t talking about the baked goods. Allison glared at her, but the woman dared to smile wider.
Seth chuckled, obviously noting the exchange. “Dog biscuits for Gomer, my retired military working dog, and a few goodies for Chester and me.” He turned to the other ladies at the booth. “Miss Belinda, Miss Doris, it’s good to see you looking so well,” he added with a nod. “If you’ll excuse me, it’s time to collect Chester and make sure Delbert gets home.”
“I’ll go with you.” She wasn’t staying for the Edna Inquisition. They said their farewells, and Allison walked out with him. “I’m so sorry for that, but if we didn’t stop by to say hi to her, the woman would have us married by next week.”
Seth chuckled. “Not much changes in a small town.”
Allison glanced across the street at the two men sitting on the bench. “How’s Delbert doing? Your dad used to take care of him.”
“As far as I can tell, he’s still getting along. I made my father a promise that when he was no longer able to take care of him, I would.”
“Delbert isn’t any trouble. Just slow,” Allison said as she walked Seth back to his truck.
“He used to be very smart, or so my dad has told me. He was kicked in the head by a bull when he was a teenager. My family has cared for him for as long as I can remember. Delbert had a small cottage on my grandpa’s place. When he and Grandma passed, Delbert became Dad’s responsibility.”
“You know Mr. Hollister pays for his groceries, and Mr. Marshall lets him stay rent-free in one of his little cabins,” Allison said as they slowed to a stroll, neither one seeming to want to end the talk today.
“Both the Hollisters and Marshalls are good people. They take care of this little town.” Seth looked around. “But it has grown. At least doubled in size since I left.”
“We’re kind of proud of the community it’s become,” Allison agreed as she looked up and down the main street, where she saw Kathy jogging down the road. “There’s my running partner.”
Seth opened his truck door and put the box on the seat. “Is it okay if I call later?” Seth was turned so Chester could only see his back.
She smiled up at him. “I’d like that, but I want to warn you, I might get the idea you like me if you keep this up.”
“I’ve always liked you, Allison.” He winked at her and nodded down the road before he turned and walked up the wooden steps to the front of her parents’ store. “You’d better get going, or you're going to be late.”
She stood there like an idiot watching him walk up the steps before her brain engaged, and she spun, setting out at a quick jog to intercept Kathy. They fell into step, and Kathy smiled as they passed the store. Both Chester and Seth waved at them. Allison had to give Kathy credit; she waited until they were out of earshot before asking, “So, do you have any tea for me?”
Allison laughed. “Man, do I ever.”
CHAPTER 9
Seth stared down at his phone, where Allison’s name and number were glowing on the screen. It had been a couple of days since she’d given him her number. He hesitated for a breath, then tapped the call button as he stepped onto the front porch. The evening air was crisp, cool enough that he considered grabbing a jacket, but the cold didn’t bother him much. Gomer wandered the perimeter of the yard, nose to the ground, sniffing his way along the fence line with quiet purpose.
The phone rang three times before she picked up. “Hey,” she said, her voice warm. “How are you doing?”
He could hear a television murmuring in the background. “Did I interrupt anything?”
“No,” Allison said. “Just watching an old movie. I usually head to bed early, so this is my wind-down time.”
“I figured you’d be up at the crack of dawn to start baking.”
“Well, I’m lucky I live above the bakery,” she replied with a soft chuckle. “So, my commute isn’t exactly long. I’m usually at work by four thirty.”
Seth let out a mock groan. “Now I feel lazy. I’m not up until five thirty or six.”
“Yes, I would absolutely call you a slacker,” Allison teased. “But you’ve got a lot more stress than I do. My business kind of runs on autopilot these days. I’ve got regulars with regular orders, and I’ve figured out what sells and what doesn’t. It’s a rhythm now.”
“I’m impressed by your business acumen,” Seth said. “I don’t think I could run a business. I hate paperwork, which is why I retired after twenty-two instead of staying longer. And it’s a good thing I did, with Dad’s decline and all.”
“Have you gotten the results yet?” He knew exactly what results she was referring to. They’d talked about it a couple of times, how the wait for the results was hard on both him and Chester. “I got the call this afternoon. We go to Belle Fourche tomorrow,” he said. “The doctor’s got the final assessments in.”
“That’s going to be a stressful day for both of you,” Allison said, her voice quieter. “I wish I could do something to make it easier for you.”
“There’s nothing to do,” Seth replied. “Just talking to you helps. Sometimes I have the same conversation with Dad all day.”
“Well,” she said, her voice brightening, “I promise our conversations will always be varied.”
The corner of his mouth ticked up. “And I thank you for that.” He paused for a moment, then added, “I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind having dinner with me one day next week. It would have to be here, and I’d cook.”
“Or,” she offered, “I can bring dinner out to you and your dad. And, of course, something for Gomer.”
Seth laughed softly. “But that would be you providing the date, not me. And I’m not sure how I feel about that.”
Allison’s voice lowered, almost angry, “You’re not one of those macho men who has to be in charge of the date, are you?”
He blinked, then shook his head. “I never really thought of it that way, but yeah, I guess that was what I was thinking. Is that outdated?”
Allison laughed, a warm, easy sound. “No, I was just yanking your leg. Honestly, it’d be easier for me to cook and bring it out. Maybe one day, we’ll get to go out on a real date, and you can buy me some fancy food in a sit-down restaurant. But for now, let’s take the easy route. I know how to bake a thing or two, and I’ve been told my cooking’s not bad either.”
“If your cooking is as good as your baking, I have no doubt I’ll enjoy every morsel. You sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all. What do you say about next Saturday?”
“That’s perfect,” Seth said. “I’ve started cleaning the house, but it’s a lot of work. Chester’s not exactly a hoarder, but he’s kept a lot of stuff over the years that probably should’ve been thrown out a long time ago. I’ve been working through it slowly. As long as he doesn’t get too agitated, I move the stuff to the back porch. From there, it goes into the fire pit or the dump.”
“He’s been alone for a while,” Allison said. “I couldn’t see your mom letting him collect all that stuff.”
“Oh, heck no,” Seth replied with a quiet laugh. “My mom was hell on wheels and kept Chester in line. She took care of him, and in return, he worked his butt off to give her the things he thought she wanted. They had a good relationship. She understood him in a way I never could. Although,” he added with a dry chuckle, “Mom used to say Chester and I were hit over the head with the same stick. Both stubborn. Both prideful. Both thinking we knew too much for our own good.”
Allison went quiet for a moment. “I don’t know what I’ll do when my parents pass,” she said softly. “Not that they have any health issues, thank God, but I think it’s going to carve out a hole in my soul.”
Seth made a low sound of agreement. “You never really stop thinking about them,” he murmured. “Mom’s been gone for a long time now, and still, there are days when I think, I should show her this, or I wish I could talk to her about that.” He exhaled. “But this is turning into a depressing talk, and I didn’t mean to do that.”
