Chapter 37
Thirty-Seven
“ S hoot. Looks like John needs to be the one in Ms. Abby’s class. He can’t even count how many chairs he needs around his table for this meal.”
Their friends had all gathered around the table, ready to sit down and share a meal together. Abby was sitting next to John, his hand possessively squeezing her leg. She didn’t miss the smile Grace gave her as her eyes drifted down to his hand, or the way Emma winked when he first sat down next to her even though there weren’t assigned seats and everyone else just seemed to be sitting wherever they could find a spot.
“Very funny. I seem to remember a certain brother of mine having to repeat kindergarten though. Jordan is the smart one out of us, so that just leaves you, doesn’t it?”
Jackson’s face flamed bright red. “It was because Mom and Dad put me in too early. I was only five, and the age for kindergarten is six, asshole. So yeah, I went twice, but that was just because I was too young to move on.”
“Alright, no bickering. It’s friendsgiving. The only thing that should be roasted tonight are the marshmallows we got for s’mores later. Besides, I’m about to tell the girls to come out here to eat, so there is to be no more swearing.” Abby slid out of her chair.
“Who knew Abby was going to be the hippie-dippy peacemaker of the Boone brothers?” Jackson joked. She knew it was meant to be a lighthearted joke, but she cringed.
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that about my sister if I were you. She’s not a fan of our mother’s eccentricities.”
“Oh my gosh. Sylvie is the best!” Emma laughed. “You know, she gave me this heart-shaped amethyst, I think, something purple and sparkly, and told me to put it in Addie’s room to help with her nightmares. I think it’s been working, because we’ve hardly had any screaming wake ups since I put it in there.”
“Or, that could be because you’re doing the hard work in therapy with her.”
“Speaking of going to therapy…” Emma jabbed back.
“Oh, give me one second. I’m going to grab a chair from the living room.”
“Here, I’ll help,” Grace said, handing Jack over to Jackson.
“Thanks.”
“It’s no problem. This way Jackson has Jack when the food is ready, and I’ll get to eat with my hands free.”
“I love that,” Abby laughed. “Although, Jackson seems like such a hands-on dad. I find it hard to believe he wouldn’t let you eat.”
“You missed Thanksgiving with the Boone clan. Trust me. It’s insane. Those men get their eyes on the turkey and there is no stopping them.”
“Well, hopefully since there’s no turkey today, they’ll have more sense.”
“Oh, I’m sure. Okay, which chairs do you want to take in?”
Abby moved towards the front window to survey her options. “Hm, I’m not sure. I think the two chairs around the side table will work and then we ca?—”
Shattering glass rained down on Abby as she felt something slam into her shoulder. Grace screamed, wrapping her hand around Abby’s arm before pulling her away from the window.
“What the hell?” John’s voice boomed through the house as Abby stood, clutching her left arm absolutely stunned.
“Baby. What the hell? Are you okay?” He ran towards her, turning her arm over in his hand. “You’re bleeding.”
“What happened?” Hank asked as he walked over to the window with Jake and Sam right behind him.
“This rock. It just came flying through the window.” Grace’s voice shook as Jackson wrapped her in a hug.
“We need to get your arm cleaned up, sweetheart.”
“I’m okay.”
“Here.” John swept Abby up into his arms and rushed her down the hall and into the bathroom. “Jesus. We’re so lucky that it didn't hit you in the head.”
“Yeah, the shoulder doesn’t feel great. Can’t imagine it would have been pleasant to take it to the head.”
“How the fuck did a rock get through the window?”
“Neighborhood kids? Probably someone just messing around.”
“Everything okay here?” Jake knocked on the door frame. “I am a trained medical professional if you are in need of assistance.”
Abby smiled, but John just shook his head. “Come look. I think we can just pull it with some butterfly bandages, but what do you think?”
“I don’t want to go in for stitches. I’m sure a bandage will be fine.”
“Abby, this gash is pretty deep. Let’s get it cleaned up properly and then I’ll see. Hank went out to my car to grab my bag, but I think we can just start with some water to make sure there isn’t any debris in there.”
Abby sucked in a sharp breath as Jake pressed on her shoulder. John laced his fingers through hers and gave a quick squeeze of encouragement.
Another knock on the door frame revealed Sam holding the medical bag.
“You okay, dove?”
“I’m fine.”
“Sam, bring that bag in here. She’s going to need stitches on one of these cuts, but the rest can just get bandaged.”
After some light swearing and a whole bunch of numbing medication from Jake, Abby was bandaged and ready to get back to their dinner.
“Where did Jackson and Seb go?”
“They drove over to Jackson’s house to get some plywood to cover the window.” Hank answered. “Daisy and I pulled the food off the grill and put it all in the kitchen.”
“Oh, thank you! I forgot we even had food out there. It would have been charcoal.” Abby laughed nervously. Hank sighed, holding the rock that had careened through the window in his hand.
“Hank?”
“Abby. Is there anyone giving you a hard time right now? I mean, has anything weird happened since the night of the fire at Sal’s?”
Her car. The phone call. Now the rock.
“What Hank? What aren’t you saying?” John asked.
“It wasn’t a random rock that got thrown through the window. And it doesn’t seem like you were the target, John.”
“Why? How do you know?”
“There’s a message on the rock. It’s…abrasive.”
Hank held the rock out and John turned it over.
Whore.
“Fuck.”
“I’m asking this officially now. Has anything strange happened lately?”
Abby looked at John and nodded. “My tires were cut on my car the day I moved in here. There was a note.”
“It was the same tone in that note. And the phone call the other night. It’s been this same message over and over again.”
“Right. I remember you telling me about that. Shit. Alright.”
“Hank, I’m going to need the paperwo?—”
Hank held up his hand and nodded. “You’re officially on leave from this moment until we figure out what’s happening here.”
Abby’s eyes bounced between him and Hank. “You can’t be on leave. What are you talking about?”
“Baby, someone is targeting you. I was afraid that the thing at Sal’s wasn’t an accident. That person didn’t just hurt you because you were randomly in their path. And then when the tires happened, and that phone call, I talked to Hank about it all. The most important thing is that I’m not letting you and Katy out of my sight until we figure this all out.”