Chapter Two #3
Emerson cut me off. “Deputies often do this, to let the shopkeepers know we have our eyes on them and also to see if there are any problems we can help with.” He grinned. “Never a hardship to check in at Dolly’s, and not only for the baked goods.”
Blushing, she fluttered her lashes and giggled. “You’re so funny, Emerson. Let me get your things together. I have to get more boxes from the back. Excuse me.” She hurried away.
“She’s cute. Is she new?” Bradford asked when she was out of earshot.
“Yeah,” Emerson answered. “Just moved here two months ago from Albany. We’ve gone out twice this week, and we have a date tonight.”
“You’re the town’s welcoming committee now?” I arched a brow, and Emerson’s face turned a dark red.
“You have a problem or something? I mean, she’s over twenty-five, Starr. Too old for you, I’m thinking.”
My turn to grow hot. “Screw you, Emmy. Let’s go, Bradford.” Without waiting for an answer, I strode out of the bakery. Yeah, I hooked up with younger women, as they were more likely not to want anything too serious.
“All right, what the hell was that about?” Bradford caught up with me at the entrance to Ackerman’s hardware store.
“What?”
“You and Kane.”
“What about it? He’s a dick.”
Confused, Bradford scratched his cheek. “You wanna ask that girl out? Is that it?”
“Nope. Not interested.” I pushed open the door, and Bill Ackerman’s face lit up.
“Deputies. Nice to see you. How’s everything?”
Ackerman was a sweet, elderly man with a perpetual smile. He was old-school, always in a cardigan sweater and a bow tie. I’d met him after I moved to Appleton Falls and needed to change the locks to my apartment. Never married, he’d lived here all his life and was beloved by everyone in town.
“All good, Mr. Ackerman. How’s it going? Everything okay? No complaints?”
“Not a one. Can I make you fellas a cup of coffee? Got a new machine here. All the rage in those fancy New York City places you’re used to, Deputy Starr.”
“Not me, Mr. Ackerman. I’m a regular-coffee guy, and I will take one. Thanks.”
“Me too, Mr. Ackerman,” Bradford said. “Beautiful day, huh? Gonna be like it all week, they’re saying. I’m thinking of going fishing on my day off. Got any new tackle?”
“Sure do. Take a look. I got lots of rods and reels in aisle four.”
As Bradford went to look, I took the coffee and sipped. “It is smooth. So what’s the good word?”
“Me? I’m just glad to get up in the morning. If I open my eyes, it’s a good day already.” He laughed. “Now you? You’re a young man full of the juice of life. Tell me, any of our pretty ladies here catch your eye yet?”
“Too many.” I chuckled. “I think I’m like you, Mr. Ackerman. Destined to be single.”
The sparkle in his eyes faded. “No.” More serious than I’d ever seen him, he shook his head. “Don’t be like me. Live your real life.”
What did that mean? I didn’t have a chance to question him further as Bradford returned with a rod and reel and lures. “Mr. Ackerman, can you hold these for me? I’ll come back after my tour to pick them up.”
“Of course.” He placed them behind the counter.
I wished I could’ve had more time to ask Mr. Ackerman what he meant, but we got a call that an alarm had gone off at Norman’s Jewelry across town.
“Gotta run, Mr. Ackerman.” I downed the rest of my coffee. “Thanks.”
“Take care of yourselves.” His gentle smile sent my nerves ping-ponging.
We hustled to the car, almost colliding with Emerson as he left Dolly’s Bakery.
“What’s going on?”
“What the hell do you think?” I spat out. “There’s a sale at the mall. Better hurry over, or you’ll miss it.”
Bradford reached the car first, and I slid in behind the wheel. I flipped on the lights and siren, and we took off. In the rearview mirror I saw Emerson still standing where I’d left him. When I shifted focus, Bradford was staring at me with a puzzled face.
“I dunno, dude. You can say no all you want, but you got a bug up your ass about Kane. What the hell is going on?”
I forced out a laugh, hoping it didn’t sound as fake to Bradford as it did to me.
There was so much I didn’t expose to the light that I lived like a fucking vampire.
For once, my dark mood had nothing to do with Emerson.
My father had sent me another text that morning, and again I’d made the mistake of reading it.
Where’s your mother? She can’t hide from me forever, and neither can you.
“It’s nothing.”
“Sounds like something. We’ve hung out a couple of times at Sweeny’s after work. He seems cool.”
Oh, Emerson Kane was cool. So cool, he was hot. Panic swirled in my chest, and I shrugged. “Yeah, he’s fine. He just annoys me. Always has, even in high school, but if Jet’s cool with him, that’s all that matters.”
“Man, high school? Pffft,” Bradford exclaimed. “Time to move on.”
He was correct. However, I couldn’t elaborate further without exposing shit I wasn’t about to get into.
Mainly because by coming up here, I was doing exactly the opposite and spinning my wheels in the same spot where I’d been stuck since I was seventeen.
Stuck on Emerson Kane but unable to do anything about it.