Page 104 of Pining for Pierce
She opens the door, but I refuse to let her go. “Hey… where’s my kiss?” She smiles and leans across, kissing me just briefly. “That’s not a kiss,” I say, pulling her close and taking more time over it, allowing my tongue to explore her more thoroughly, even though I already know her so intimately. “You’ll be fine,” I whisper as I pull away and she smiles, nodding her head, and gets out of the car. She stands, waving me goodbye as I turn the car, and then I watch in the mirror as she goes around the corner of the garage, toward the front door, disappearing from view.
I wish I could stay, but I can’t, and I head back to Hart’s Creek, getting there in no time at all.
My morning hasn’t been as busy as it was yesterday afternoon, but I’ve had more than my fair share of customers, some of them just coming in to talk, while others have actually bought things, which is good. At just after twelve, I’m surprised by the arrival of Brady Hanson, although he’s not wearing his usual sheriff’s uniform.
“I can’t stop for too long,” he says. “I’ve left Laurel and Addy at the coffee shop, ordering lunch. Laurel’s celebrating the fact that the smell of coffee doesn’t make her feel sick anymore, and Addy’s celebrating the news.”
“You’ve told her? About her baby sister?” I say and he nods his head.
“She’s thrilled, but I just thought I’d come over to let you know the truck driver has confessed to three separate offenses.”
“Three?”
“Yeah,” he says, lowering his voice. “We found a quantity of cocaine in the cab of his truck. It had to be analyzed, and then he had to be re-interviewed, which is why there’s been a bit of a delay.”
“But he’ll be serving jail time?” I ask, just to be sure.
“Yes, he will.”
I nod my head, feeling a sense of satisfaction. “I’ll tell Harley.”
“How is she?” he asks.
“A lot better than she was. She suffered a kind of delayed shock. That’s what Doctor Dodds called it. It hit her when she went back to work on the Monday after the accident.”
“I noticed the store was closed around then. Were you okay?”
“I had a couple of moments… like panic attacks, I guess. They were mostly caused by thinking about how close I’d come to losing her.”
He nods his head, giving me a smile. “I can understand that,” he says. “But you’re both okay now?”
“We are, thanks.”
“Good.” He steps closer. “I didn’t just come over here to tell you about the truck driver, or to inquire after your health… I also came to give you a heads-up.”
“What about?”
“Your dad. I’m sorry, Pierce, but I saw him yesterday evening, and… well, I assumed you’d have told him about the accident by now, so I mentioned it.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Yeah. He didn’t have a clue what I was talking about, and I couldn’t exactly backtrack, so I told him.”
He looks so contrite, but it’s not his fault. “Don’t worry about it. He’d have found out, eventually.”
“Probably.”
“How did he react?”
“He didn’t say very much. He just listened to what I had to say and then continued on his way. It was kinda odd.”
“Sounds like Dad,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Have you decided what you’re gonna do about the bike?” Brady asks, changing the subject, which is a relief.
“I’m not getting another one, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“You’re not?”
