I need to tell him it won’t be going any further than it already has… That what we’ve done is a mistake.
I know I need to… So why haven’t I yet?
Leaving the station after a shift, I walk down the street to Trixie’s Diner. It’s been a long day, and all I want to do is eat, get my mind off Hollis, and then go to bed. I scan the area as I walk in, spotting Larry in a booth toward the back by the window. He waves when he notices me heading toward him, a faint smile tugging on the corner of his mouth.
“Captain Wesley,” he says by way of greeting as I slide in across from him.
“Please, call me Ford,” I tell him. “I’m glad you came.”
“I was surprised to hear from you.”
The server comes and takes my drink order before leaving us to peruse the menu as if I haven’t been here a million times before and don’t have the menu practically memorized.
“How have ya been?”
Since my team was called out to Larry’s house when hethought he was having a heart attack, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him. In my line of work, we deal with dozens of people on a weekly basis, but every once in a while, there’s one person or situation that just sticks with you.
“Oh, not too bad,” he murmurs with a shrug.
“Why do I feel like you’re not tellin’ me the truth?” I ask, arching a brow as I take a sip from my ice water.
Larry’s chuckle is tired and gruff. “I’m fine.”
“Had any more anxiety attacks since then?”
His eyes narrow, and he cocks his head to the side. “You’re one nosy son of a bitch, ya know that?”
I huff a laugh, shaking my head. “Not usually.”
Larry’s quiet for a moment, then our server comes and takes our order. Once she takes our menus and walks away, with his gaze focused out the window, he says, “Not as bad as it was that day.”
His face carries the weight of years. Sunspots are scattered across his cheeks, his arms, even the back of his hands, and deep lines frame his mouth and eyes. Without knowing much about Larry, I know those lines aren’t just from time, but all the things he’s seen and experienced in his lifetime.
“They wanted to put me on pills.” He breathes out a small chuckle as his gaze drifts over to meet mine finally. “Told them I didn’t need no damn pills.”
“Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me.” A smile spreads across my face. “You got any family around, Larry?”
He shakes his head. “My Dolly and I, we never did get around to having any kids.”
“I’d imagine now that she’s gone, you’d be feelin’ pretty lonely.”
“I’m fine by myself,” he insists. “I’ve never neededmuch; been that way my whole life. But Dolly… I need her. In all our years together, I never expected to outlive her.”
His agony and grief are palpable; I feel it in the center of my chest.
“I want to share something personal with you, Larry,” I say. “If that’s okay with you.”
“Course it is.” He rubs his hands together, like doing so soothes his anxious mind.
I wiggle my toes inside my boots for the same reason.
“This is a hell of a lot different than your situation, but I’m going through a divorce right now.” Swallowing thickly to bring some moisture back to my dry mouth, I say, “Despite it bein’ for the best, I’ve found myself feelin’ a little lost lately. Like I don’t know where I’m supposed to go from here.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, son,” Larry offers, his tone genuine. “How long were y’all married for?”
“Twenty-three years.” I clear my throat before adding, “I figure if I’m feelin’ this lost, I can only imagine how you must be, and I just thought maybe you could use a friend in your corner.”
“A friend,” he repeats quietly. “Yeah, I sure could use one of them.”
