Fall to Pieces - Shari J. Ryan Page 0,6

don’t want some repair guy taking them for a ride as usual when I’m not around.

“Whatever,” Pops says, sounding irritated that he can’t do this stuff himself anymore. That’s life, though.

The dirt crunches beneath my tires as I pull into Kenny’s. The place is filling up fast tonight considering it’s barely six o’clock.

I stop the truck and take in a long breath, fixating on the pine smell from my air freshener. It’s better than the rubber coating on a shingle. I push through the dream of eating a home cooked meal and head inside for my nightly burger.

The bells on the door hardly get through a full chime when Luke shouts my name like I’m royalty walking through the door.

“How’s it hangin’, man?” I grab my usual wooden stool at the bar and ease down, favoring a sore spot on the left side of my lower back. Thirty isn’t being good to me. My body must be ticked off after spending half my life doing hard labor, but I know the second I stop moving, age will really kick my ass.

Luke leans into his elbows like he’s taking a quick breather to say, hey. “Dude, that chick is back,” he says. We haven’t discussed this situation, but we’ve seen our share of weird goings on in this bar. It’s just not usually a pretty, young woman.

“Hmm that’s odd,” I tell him.

“There’s something about her,” Luke continues.

“Like what? She looks pissed off. I don’t think that’s weird.”

“No, there’s something more ... something dark brewing in those blue eyes and I’m determined to find out what that is.”

I lightly slap my hand against Luke’s cheek. “Don’t go fallin’ in love with her. Annabelle may not be pleased when you get home.”

“Thanks for the advice,” Luke says with a roll of his eyes. He pushes off the bar top and opens the swinging door behind him. “A bison burger, no cheese, no onions, medium well,” he yells back there.

“Hey, Chance!” I hear from the kitchen. Freddy runs the grill and knows I’m here by the sound of my order.

“That doesn’t sound appetizing,” Snow White peeps up from the corner of the bar.

“Excuse me?” I reply.

“No cheese and medium well?”

“I like my burger dry. You got a problem with that?”

“If you like hard, dry burgers, that’s your deal, not mine.”

“Well, it seems like you’re making it your deal now.”

“Pretend I didn’t say anything,” she says.

“Will do,” I tell her, with a quick nod of my head.

“Dude, don’t piss the chick off. I told you, there’s darkness in those eyes,” Luke mutters in my direction.

I shoo him off and take my phone out of my pocket to catch up on social media. Lord only knows what I’ve missed in Facebookland.

Just as I get the app open, a bottle of Ketchup lands in my lap after skidding down the bar like it’s a runway.

“What in the—” I snap. “Did you just throw me a bottle of Ketchup?”

“I can’t sit near you, knowing you’re eating a dry burger without cheese. For the love of food, at least put some ketchup on that thing.”

“Thanks, darlin’, but I’ll survive without the condiments.” Snow White snarls at me like I just ate a toenail, and it’s mildly entertaining.

As if a channel switched in her head, August breaks eye contact and directs her attention to her oversized bag, yanking out a notebook and a pen.

“Darkness,” Luke hums.

I’m not sure I’d call a scene with a girl writing in a notebook, darkness, but it’s a bit odd for this place.

By time my burger ready, August is in the zone and pays no attention to my hard, dry burger. Luke places a Bud Light in front of me and a set of silverware. “Bon Appetit, dude.”

“Excuse me,” August calls out. She’s calling for Luke this time. “May I have another drink? Something different, but still whiskey.”

“You’ve already had two. Are you driving anywhere tonight?” Luke asks her.

“How is that any of your business?” she replies.

“The safety of my patrons is my business, miss.”

“No, I’m not driving anywhere. Thank you for your concern, though.”

Luke gives me a side eye as if he’s still trying to prove his point that the girl is nuts. I raise a brow in response.

“Not that one,” August says.

“Okay, which one then?” Luke replies.

“Anything but that one.”

Luke tosses his head back with annoyance and grabs another bottle, quickly filling the glass a third of the way. He places it down in front of August and turns around to ring the