Edith stopped short and faced Damien. “I didn’t know Sully was back. I’m sure he can give me a jump. I don’t want to trouble you.”
Sully had plenty on his plate already but kept his mouth shut. He knew as well as Edith that her offer had been merely a formality. Lately, Damien seemed to take every opportunity he could to help anyone even remotely related to Sorrow. The kid was worse than a rent collector, coming around like he did. The thing of it was, Sully had begun to wonder just how much the girl even wanted his help.
Sure enough Damien told her, “Edith, you know helping you is never any trouble.”
He certainly was a smooth operator. But Sully was happy enough to be left out of it all. He hid his amusement as he pulled a pallet of bread and buns from the back and carried it to the tavern.
Granted, Sully appreciated the fact that someone was looking out for Sorrow, giving her a hand. But there was something that wasn’t perfect about the fling those two were having. And by the way some of the women acted around Damien, you’d have thought things would be perfect.
He supposed a girl wouldn’t exactly be overwhelmed with dating options in a small town like Sierra Falls. Especially someone like Sorrow, who was too busy to get to nearby Silver City to experience any sort of nightlife.
His eyes cut back to Damien. He liked the kid well enough, but he was a smidge too suave. Maybe that was why, when Sully saw the two of them together, he just didn’t get it.
Damien popped Edith’s hood. “Did you leave the lights on? That’ll burn out the battery in no time.”
“I never do. It beeps if I try.”
“Even the interior lights,” he said. “That’ll burn through the juice, too, if they’re left on all night.”
Sully heard Bear’s heavy step and turned to find him staring at Damien and Edith.
Bear’s cheek jumped, just a little tic. “That boy’s got the town charmed.”
“And your women seem to be at the top of the list,” Sully said, but his comment made Bear scowl, so he added, “Hey, Sorrow could do worse. It’s nice for a woman to have a man around. Buy her dinner, tell her she’s pretty.”
Bear’s expression didn’t change. “My fool daughter seems to want to cook her own dinner.”
“You know what I mean. A girl likes to feel appreciated.” Sully grew serious, thinking how appreciation should start at home. “She’s a special girl. Good on Damien that he noticed.”
“That damned sheriff seemed to be doing some noticing earlier. He’s been coming around more than usual.”
Sully pondered that. “Yeah, I suppose I have seen his eyes on her once or twice.”
“Don’t know if I should encourage it or punch the man,” Bear said.
He laughed. “It’s never wise to hit a lawman.”
Edith’s car engine roared to life, and Damien hit the gas a few times to rev it.
“Looks like Superman saved the day.” Bear said it with a bitterness that sounded like he still wanted to be Edith’s Superman. At least to Sully’s ears.
“No surprise there,” Sully said. Whatever he thought about Damien Simmons, the guy was capable.
Bear turned his attention to the Jeep, peering in the back. “Hey, Sergeant, these groceries ain’t going to unload themselves.”
“That’s Major to you.” Shouldering past Bear, he hauled a couple of beef tenderloins from the back. When Bear bent to help him, he saw the man’s hands tremble and gave him a sharp look. “And I’m ordering you to get your hands off my ground round.”
A cloud darkened Bear’s features. “Seems to me, I paid for it, and I’m perfectly able to carry it, too.”
Sully counted to ten in his head. Bear hadn’t been the same since the stroke—no man would be after such a thing. But he fought his weaknesses, as well as everyone else who was there to witness them.
Edith scurried over. “Bear, I need you.”
That got his attention—the woman knew her husband, that was for certain. Bear raised his brows in silent question.
She said, “Damien says we need to keep the car running for a half hour to recharge the battery.”
He narrowed his eyes. “And?”