Chapter 11
Eleven
“ I t’s getting late. I should let you and Katy get home.”
John sighed as he watched her zip her jacket up so that it was covering her neck again. “Actually, we’re headed to Sal’s if you want to join.”
Her eyes shot up as she pulled her bag up over her shoulder. “Oh no. I don’t want to interrupt family time.”
“You’re not interrupting. I want you to come. Katy would be thrilled, too.”
“I don’t know.”
“We just worked out really hard. I’d like to not have to worry about you eating a good meal after.”
“Why would you worry about that? I’m a grown woman, I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can. I just… I like to take care of my friends.”
“So, I’d be doing you a favor by tagging along?” He heard the teasing in her voice, but if that was what needed to be said to get her there, he’d go along with it.
“Yup. I’d owe you one. Big time.”
“I think that’s the funniest thing you’ve ever said. I’m pretty sure I’ll be in your debt for the rest of my life.”
John hated how sincere she sounded.
“Stop it. You don’t owe me anything for that night. Let’s just go celebrate making it through your first lesson and forget everything else.”
“What should I get, Katy?” Abby asked as they made their way through Sal’s.
“Meatloaf!” Katy shouted. “Meatloaf, meatloaf, meatloaf!”
“Ladybug, inside voice.” John smiled as he held his hand out and helped Katy sit down in a chair. “Remember, we sit on our bottoms when we’re eating our meals.”
“Sorry, Dad.”
“Meatloaf is Katy’s favorite. I’m a burger and fries kind of guy.”
Abby’s mouth watered. “I think I’m a burger and fries kind of girl. That sounds amazing.”
“A woman after my own heart. I was scared you were going to order a salad and I was going to have to charm you into eating half my meal.”
“You seem to forget that I was raised on a ranch, Deputy Handsome. If I’m not having a burger, it’s because I’m having a steak.”
“Daddy, I color now?” Katy asked.
“I think you have your notebook in your bag, right? Here, let me see.” John shuffled through the bag and produced a spiral notebook and some crayons. “Here you go, ladybug. Have at it.”
A waiter came and took their orders while Katy sat next to John, coloring away happily.
“So, do you think our lesson today was helpful?”
She sat back in her chair and tried to breathe as the memory of his body pressed on top of hers sent warmth throughout her core.
“Yes. I think so. I’d like to try that hold that tripped me up again. That’s the one I want to be able to get out of the most.”
“We can do that. I’m glad you want to keep going. I was a little nervous that maybe we’d pushed too hard and you would decide to stop.”
“I think I’m in it now. You know, facing it was always going to be hard, but having you there made it easier.”
“Alright, one kid’s dinner and two cheeseburgers, one with pickles,” John grimaced, and Abby laughed. “And one without.”
“You really don’t like pickles?” she asked.
“Can’t stand them. I think it’s a texture thing. The crisp ones aren’t bad, but sometimes they are just limp and slimy.”
“Well, I happen to love them.”
“Good. If I ever accidentally get a pickle when we’re eating together, I’ll just give it to you.”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll eat your pickle anytime.”
John laughed and cleared his throat. Why did she just say that? Heat scorched her neck and she said a silent prayer that it wouldn’t show on her face.
“Ladybug, it’s time to put your crayons away and eat your dinner.”
“Almost done, Dad!”
Abby picked up her burger and took a big bite. Condiments squished out all over her hands and face, but she didn’t care one bit. It was delicious. A small moan escaped as she rolled her eyes and chewed.
“That good, huh?” John’s eyes were hooded and a slow smirk was making its way across his face. “You’ve got a little… Here, let me.”
His body leaned across the empty chair between them. His finger swept across her mouth as he cleaned the condiments from her skin.
“Better?”
He nodded, licking the ketchup from his finger just like he’d licked the cream cheese that oozed out from her bagel. Holy hell!
“John! We didn’t know you were going to be here tonight!”
His eyes went wide as he turned to look at where the voices had called out from.
“Mom. Dad. What are you guys doing here?”
“Didn’t feel like cooking tonight, honey. Hi, Abby. It’s so nice to see you.”
Abby smiled at John’s mother, wishing the ground would open and swallow her up. Mrs. Boone’s eyes were sparkling, darting between her and John. Abby wasn’t blind to the fact that it looked like they were on a date.
“Grammy! Grampy! You eat wif us?”
“No, sweetie. We don’t want to interrupt your meal.”
“Oh, you should sit down,” Abby found herself blurting out. What the hell was wrong with her? John looked shocked and she shrugged her shoulders. “The wait looks crazy tonight. If you sit with us, you can get your meal faster.”
“That’s so sweet of you, but we don’t want to butt in on your date.”
“Oh, no. Not a date. John, shouldn’t they join us? ”
John grumbled under his breath, but she missed what he said.
“Tom?” Nellie’s husband shrugged his shoulders. “Alright. Abby, would you mind sitting next to that handsome son of mine? If Tom grabs a chair from that table over there, I can sit next to Katy and keep her entertained.”
“Oh, uh, sure.”
She moved chairs and held her breath when she saw him lean over.
“I was a little upset you were so insistent that this wasn’t a date, but I’ll have to thank my mom later for getting you to do something I’d been wanting you to do since we got here.”
“What’s that?” she whispered back.
“Sit next to me, so I could do this.” John stretched, his arm wrapping around the back of Abby’s chair. His hand landed on her arm and she could feel the warmth from his touch seeping through her jacket.
Katy stood on her chair and started waving her paper around before she could form any sort of coherent response.
“Ms. Abby! Look! I drawded this for you!”
“Oh, Katy. It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
“Butt in the chair, ladybug,” John instructed.
“Sorry, Dad!”
Abby looked down at the paper now in her hands and felt an overwhelming ache settle in her chest. Katy had drawn a picture with three people. Well, they looked more like boiled potatoes, but since they had what could pass as stick arms and legs, she was betting they were people. In fact, it was easy to see which potato person was John. A big beard adorned his face. And the smallest potato was clearly Katy, with a high ponytail and purple dress. It was the third potato that was currently giving her butterflies.
Connected by hands with John, Abby’s potato was there, a sweater on its body covering all the way to its face. It was so innocent and pure that Abby was at a loss for words.
“I’m going to put this right on my fridge when I get home, Katy. Thank you again.”
“I has you and Daddy holding hands!”
“Let me see that.” John reached for the picture and smiled. “Our eggs look really happy together.”
“I thought they looked very potato-like.”
“I can see that too. We look like we’re very happy potatoes, at least.”
“Egg or potato, I’m thinking if Katy sees me as that round, maybe I should have gotten the salad,” she laughed.
“Nah, I’m enjoying watching you eat that burger.”
“John, could we order a little d-e-s-s-e-r-t for l-a-d-y-b-u-g?”
“Not tonight, Mom. It’s too close to her bedtime.”
“Totally understand.” Nellie smiled and turned to Abby. “You can’t blame a grammy for trying.”
“Not at all. I’m all for t-r-e-a-t-s whenever I can sneak them.”
“Katy! Katy!” Honey Mayfield ran up to the table.
“Well, isn’t this cozy?” Laura, Honey’s mother, walked up to their table, a smile plastered on her face. “Is this an official parent-teacher conference? I didn’t know this was an option or I would have suggested a wine bar for us to meet at, Ms. Abby.”
“Maybe I’ll suggest that to Ms. Margery. I’m sure we’d have better parent turnout if that was the case,” Abby joked.
“I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt. I’m so sorry, Honey and I didn’t mean to interrupt your date,” Laura said before she looked at Tom and Nellie. “Or your family dinner. Whatever this is. She just saw Katy and ran right over here.”
“Oh it’s not a da?—”
“We get it.” John interrupted her, his arm once again going around the back of her chair. “The girls are friends. It would be hard for anyone to resist saying hi.”
“So true, John! You know, we should get the girls together for a play date.”
“Pwease, Dad! Honey come to our house and we can play with my babies!”
“We’ll see, Katy.”
“We should exchange numbers. For coordinating everything.” Laura’s hand went to the back of John’s seat, and she pulled her phone out, handing it to him.
What the hell? Sure Abby had denied they were on a date, but even if she’d been sitting in John’s lap with her tongue down his throat, she had a sneaking suspicion that wouldn’t have stopped Laura.
John pushed the phone back to her. “You have my email on the parent contact tree from school. Just send me a message through there and we can figure something out that will be fun for the girls.”
“Sure. That’s smart. I’m free pretty much all next week if we can make something work. Just spending time training some new admin at the hospital, but I imagine you’re busy with important deputy things.”
“Yep. Like I said, just email me.”
“Honey.” Laura finally seemed to get the hint that John was clearly sending her. “Let’s let the Boones, and Ms. Abby, finish their meal.”
“Bye, Honey!” Katy waved at her friend.
“Bye, Katy!”
“Well, she’s about as pleasant as a porcupine in the middle of a cactus field.”
“I don’t think that’s a real saying, Mom.”
“Well, I said it, so it is.” Mrs. Boone winked at Abby. “You have to be careful, John. Women like that see your uniform and swoon.”
“I’m not interested in that.”
Abby’s eyebrow quirked, wondering just exactly what that was. Laura? Or dating someone in general?
Abby didn’t fail to notice that the waiter returned to the table, handing the bill to John.
“You don’t have to pay for me.”
“I asked you to come with us. Friends can do nice things for each other, can’t they?”
“Yes, I suppose.”
“And I would never, ever, let a beautiful friend come out to dinner with me and not pay for her meal. That lady right over there would send me to an early grave over that.” He pointed to his mom who was helping Katy put her notebook back into her backpack.
“Well, I can’t let that happen.”
She set to putting her money back into her purse as the Boone clan got up from the table and said their goodbyes to each other. Abby waved to Tom and Nellie and they headed for the door.
“I want you to try not covering your scar tomorrow, Abby.”
“I’m not ready.”
“You are, sweetheart. You’re ready. It didn’t feel weird the other day with me, did it? Or at the gym?”
“No, but you were there,” she whispered.
“You’re so much stronger than you think you are, Abby. Surprise yourself tomorrow. Don’t cover it up. You survived. You’re not a victim, you are a survivor. Don’t run from it.”