He shook his head again once but spoke. “Not eatin’ right, no medicine, no water to clean, probably doesn’t even know to do it. That’ll all delay healing but that doesn’t mean that kid didn’t get nailed. He got f**kin’ nailed. Nine years old, slinkin’ around for food, dumpster diving, I’m across the goddamned street and all I can do for his sake is sit on my ass, watch and wait.”
Entire verses of “Holding Out for a Hero” crashed in my brain.
As they did, I squeezed his knee and called softly, “Honey.”
Instantly, his head turned to me but I was so focused on his anger for the boy, I didn’t see the expression on his face.
“He’s got food. I’ll put medicine out tomorrow and tell him how to use it. Shampoo, soap, a washcloth, a towel, suggest he finds someplace to clean up. Urge him to eat the fruit and veggies. Maybe buy some vitamins and ask him to take those too. We’ll take care of him and then we’ll get him.”
“I know we’ll get him, darlin’, and that’ll be good. But who I really wanna get is whoever f**ked him up.”
I pressed my lips together because he said that like he meant it a whole lot.
Then I unpressed my lips and replied quietly, “I want you to get him too.”
His eyes moved over my face before coming back to mine and he whispered back, “Then I will.”
I smiled at him.
He leaned in and touched his mouth to mine.
Unfortunately, he leaned right back and said softly, “Gotta get to work.”
“Right,” I replied.
“Call you before you go to bed.”
I smiled again and repeated, “Right.”
His eyes dropped to my mouth before they came back to mine, he leaned in several inches and whispered, “I’d take that mouth, but that’d mean I’d be makin’ out with you in your car on the street. The town’s pretty librarian doesn’t need that kinda talk.”
This was disappointing.
Until he finished, “Least not yet.”
I smiled again.
Chace awarded me a return smile.
Then he took off and I drove my Cherokee into the lot, parked and went to the library.
* * * * *
Nine fifty-five that night
I was on my back on my couch, feet in the seat, knees to the ceiling, apple candle burning, snapping a piece of bubblemint in my mouth, the last glass of the wine Chace brought the night before mostly consumed and sitting on a table beside me.
I had my Nook in my hand and I was reading.
Lexie was luckily free. Her friend Wendy was not on shift at Bubba’s so she came with us to the outlet mall. They were both not only free, but also beside themselves with glee that we were going to the mall because I was going out with Chace. Lexie especially. She was delighted and didn’t mind showing it.
This felt good.
It also felt hopeful.
I liked my clothes but contradictorily, I wasn’t a shopper. Luckily, I knew what I liked and I knew where to get it so my shopping experience was as narrow as my life had been (that was to say, as narrow as it was a couple of weeks ago).
Lexie and Wendy took me to the outlet mall and opened up an entire world to me.