Chapter 18
Something was off, I just knew it. Something happened between when I saw Karis two days ago in the bakery and now. Her responses to my text had been short and to the point. She was normally one to use every kind of emoji to complete her text, but she hadn”t used one in the last two days.
I wasn’t able to drop by yesterday like I”d been doing for the last few weeks because Mrs. Beechman demanded my presence to handle the noisy dog next door. I did everything I could to make sure I had time to stop by Whisk Me Away, but I just couldn”t pull it off.
I sent her multiple texts letting her know I wouldn”t be able to stop by and explained why, but she didn”t seem interested in responding.
Now, standing right in front of her, I knew my suspicions were valid. There was something off with Karis, and I was determined to figure out what it was.
”Talk to me, Peach,” it was small, but I didn”t miss the flinch at the nickname I”d been calling her.
What the heck was that?
I stood on the other side of the counter while she worried her bottom lip between her teeth and fidgeted with her hair. Something was eating at her, and I wanted to fix it. But I couldn”t do that if she wouldn’t open up to me.
”It”s nothing. I”m just busy, is all,” she said quietly without making eye contact.
I was really trying to be patient, but quickly losing the battle against myself to push her for information.
”Quite the crowd you have in here,” I knew the comment wouldn”t go over well, yet I said it anyway.
As if in slow motion, I watched her fortify the walls already erected between us.
”You know what, Brant? I have other things to do besides serving customers. So even if the the bakery may be empty at the moment, it doesn”t mean I have nothing to do but sit around and twiddle my thumbs,” she shot daggers at me.
There she was. There”s that feisty spirit I was familiar with. I could deal with a mad and sassy Karis, but what I couldn”t deal with was a sad Karis. I couldn”t handle when she bottled up her emotions and put on a cool, unaffected mask.
”Never said you didn”t, Peach,” I said more gently. ”All I”m asking is what happened. A few days ago, we were fine, and today, there is a nine-foot steel wall between us.”
Her ridged form loosened a fraction before her gaze met mine.
”Were you engaged before?” Her voice sounded small and frail. I immediately hated myself for being the one to do that to her.
I blew out a long breath, preparing to lay my heart out there for this girl, when Randle”s voice squawked through the radio attached to the vest at my shoulder. I held a finger up to Karis as I pulled the radio up to my mouth.
”Go ahead, Randle,” I said without ever breaking my stare with Karis.
”Gonna need you to head over to the high school, Sheriff. A couple of kids got into a fight, and it”s pretty bad.”
Of course, it was something pressing that”d pull me away from giving Karis the answers she deserved. I bowed my head and drew in a deep breath.
”Copy. Be there in five,” I radioed over and dropped my arms to my sides in defeat.
When I raised my head to meet Karis” gaze, her eyes were on the floor.
”Peach—”
”It”s fine. We”ll talk later,” she cut me off before I had the chance to say anything.
I watched her walk through the swinging door that led to the kitchen. Once she was out of sight, I snapped into Sheriff mode and headed for the high school.
I pulled my SUV to a stop in front of the main office building, adrenaline coursing through my veins. I flipped my lights off and climbed out, bracing myself for what lay ahead. This was one of the hardest parts of the job. Dealing with the aftermath of violence and trying to mend the broken pieces of young lives shattered by conflict.
As I approached the building, the tension was thick, a silent testament to the altercation that had just occurred. But I wasn’t deterred. With each step, my resolve hardened. I pushed open the door, and the hushed whispers of the students lingering intensified, eyes following my every move.
I ignored them all and made my way to the principal’s office. Before knocking, I sent up a prayer asking for both strength and grace as I handled the situation on the other side of the door.
I spent the entire afternoon at the high school working through the altercation with both boys, the school staff, and their parents. It wasn’t my favorite way to spend a day, but I felt like both the boys seemed remorseful. I was hopeful we made good progress. It was now in the hands of the school and the parents to help those boys moving forward.
I pulled off my ball cap and tossed it on the dash. Letting out a long sigh, I scrubbed my hands over my face and brought them up through my hair. The exhaustion after a day like today was bone deep. Everything in me wanted to drive straight to Whisk Me Away and continue the conversation I started with Karis earlier. But I had paperwork to write up from today, and I needed to do it while it was still fresh.
Starting the engine of my SUV, I pulled out of the parking lot and drove to the station. Maybe if I got through this paperwork quickly enough, I could catch Karis at the bakery before she headed home for the night.
The drive to the station was quick. I pulled into my parking spot and hopped out of the SUV. Dawn was still sitting at her desk when I walked through the doors.
“Evening, Sheriff. Everything go okay over at Ashwood Falls High?” Dawn asked with a tentative smile.
Dawn was in her sixties so I’m sure she’d seen her fair share of unruly teenagers acting out.
“Hey Dawn. It was alright. Could have been worse,” I replied with a shrug, rounding the reception desk and walking through the bullpen.
I tipped my head at the few officers scattered around the space and continued to my office. I left the door open and took a seat in the worn leather chair. The stack of paperwork on my desk was daunting when the only thing I wanted to do was go find Karis. I tried to focus on the papers in front of me but the guilt and worry gnawed at me the whole time.
Unfortunately, the sun had long set by the time I got through all the pressing files that littered my desk. There was no chance Karis was still at the bakery, but that wouldn’t stop me from doing a drive-by just in case.