Refuge for Flora by Deanndra Hall

Chapter 8

“Hopeyou haven’t been waiting too long.”

Bud smiled, stood, and stretched out a hand for Barrett to shake. “Nah. Got here early. I went over to the gift shop and bought a bracelet for Martina, just something pretty and delicate.”

“I was afraid I’d kept you waiting, but I had to stop and get a turtle out of the road.”

The older officer laughed. “Why didn’t I guess that?”

“Guess I’m just a sucker for shells!” Barrett was laughing too as both men took a seat. “Have you eaten here lately?”

“Nah, but it’s a Kentucky State Park. The Kentucky Hot Brown is always a sure bet.”

“That it is! Hmmm. This burger looks good.”

Bud nodded. “I hear their fried chicken is really good too.”

“Can’t be better than my mom’s.” Barrett glanced up and down the menu until the server came and took their drink order.

As soon as she was gone, Bud dropped a hand onto the table. “So, you didn’t ask me here to eat fried chicken and hot browns. What’s up?”

“So I met this woman―”

Bud laughed. “Why do these stories always start with a woman?”

“Mine don’t usually.”

“That’s true.”

“So anyway, I met this woman, and …” Barrett started with the story. He had to stop for the server to take their order, then started right back up after she left. He’d barely finished when the food came. “So, what do you think?”

“I’m thinking you need to find these guys and get them the hell outta here before the river floods and we have an alligator problem on top of everything else we deal with.”

“That’s my thinking too. I mean, I would be doing my job and it would help Flora too, which is my main concern.”

“Exactly how can I help you?”

Barrett took a bite, chewed, and swallowed. “I need somebody who’s not from that area to come in undercover and work a sting operation. Somebody no one would know. Maybe a KSP officer, or a conservation officer from the next district, if you know somebody.”

Bud chewed a bite of food, and Barrett could tell he was thinking about it. Then he smiled. “You’ve already got the perfect person.”

“Who?”

“Conor.”

The conservation officer shook his head. “I couldn’t ask him to do that, come here and work on this.”

“Why not? First off, you know he will. Hell, he wasn’t here for it, but he helped with Renita’s case. He’s the one who found her! And second, it’s affecting his region if these numbskulls are sending animals that way, so his superiors would probably welcome the chance to send him down here and stop it before they make it across the Texas state line. But third, Conor’s just a great guy. He calls me from time to time to ask about Martina, and he and Erin have talked about coming here for a getaway weekend with us. They’re just good people, Barrett. Ask him. What have you got to lose?”

Nothing. He had nothing to lose. It was time to take whatever help he could get. He had no leads, no firm information, and no clues where to even start. Conor, on the other hand, had been on the receiving end of it all. He knew a little more.

And Bud was right about one thing for sure. If he called Conor and asked for help, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department officer would be on the next flight out of San Antonio unless his superiors told him he couldn’t go. “I know you’re right. I’ll give him a call this evening. I’ve already told him everything I know and he’s really interested. Maybe he’ll want to come here and help. God knows I can use all the help I can get.”

“Sounds good. Now, tell me about this woman. What’s her name? Flora?”

Barrett launched into what he knew about Flora, and the more he talked, the bigger Bud smiled. When he was finished, the older officer said, “Wow. You’ve got it bad.”

“Think so?”

“Yeah. I do. Look, I know what happened with your ex-wife, and I’m really sorry about that. But it’s time for you to move on, and it sounds like she’s a good prospect if you can get past all this other crap.”

“I think so. I mean, we really like each other and enjoy each other’s company. She’s funny and smart and a great cook.”

Bud laughed aloud. “Great cooks always get a thumbs-up in my book!”

“Mine too! I’ve got to introduce her to some friends and my parents, but I think she’ll be one of the gang in no time.” Just the thought of having her in his circle, knowing his friends and family, made him happy. In his mind he could see them together, cooking out with Zyan and Landee, going to his parents’ house for dinner, going to see his grandmother. They’d love her as much as he did.

Love her. There was no point in lying to himself. He was falling in love with Flora, and that was okay. He wasn’t in deep enough to get his heart broken, but he knew he wanted to pursue a long-term relationship with her, whatever that might look like. Making sure she was safe was his first priority, but they could build on what they already had while he worked on that.

He and Bud laughed and talked, and before he knew it, it was mid-afternoon. “I should probably get going. I’d be willing to bet she’s going to cook something and I should be there to eat it,” Barrett said with a chuckle.

“Yeah. Martina will be cooking too. Now that she’s drawing disability, she cooks all the time. The house is full of cookies and cakes and pies, and she gives them away and makes more. I swear, it’s a miracle I don’t weigh five hundred pounds!”

Barrett stroked back and forth up and down his own cheeks. “Yeah, I see your face has filled out a little―”

Bud began to laugh again. “Oh, stop it! It’ll happen to you too!”

“Yeah. I know. Bring it. I just want what everybody around me has gotten―a happily ever after.”

The two men paid and strolled out the front door of the lodge. “So I’ll be seeing you, but don’t be a stranger. We sold Martina’s house, bought a little piece of property over on Green River, and put a big camper on it. You’re welcome to come up and use it as a getaway anytime you want.”

“I’ll remember that! Thanks so much. See ya around, Bud. Take care and tell Martina I said hello.”

“Will do!” The door of Bud’s unmarked cruiser closed and Barrett climbed into his work truck. He’d put his phone on silent before he entered the lodge, so he knew he’d better check his messages. There was one from the office, but there were two back-to-back from Flora, and that scared him a little. He hit her first voicemail with the phone in speaker mode.

“No, no, no. Barrett? It’s me. They’re here, Barrett. Please, please, call me back. Please? I’m so scared. Barrett, please? Answer the phone, please?”

That one had no more than ended when the system rolled over to the second one. “Barrett, please! I need to talk to you now! I don’t know where you are. They’re here. I know Bradley’s here, and if he’s here, Darryl is too. Please call me back? Please? Please? I’m so scared. Please call me back.”

Barrett snapped his seatbelt and started up the truck. The tires squealed as he tore out of the state park’s drive, but he didn’t care. As soon as he was on the highway, he barked out to his onboard assistance service, “Sindi, call Flora.”

“Calling Flora,” the computerized voice answered, and he waited as it connected and started to ring.

It was answered almost immediately. “Barrett! Where are you?”

“I was in Dawson Springs having lunch with a KSP detective to talk to him about the case. What’s wrong? What do you mean, they’re there?”

“They’re here! I went to the vegetable stand this morning, the one down the road, and―”

His hands had started to shake with fear. “I thought I told you not to go anywhere like that by yourself! Did they see you?”

“No, no, but they’d been to the vegetable stand. The old man said he recognized me because they’d shown him a picture of me! I didn’t know Darryl even had a picture of me! And they didn’t know who he was, but the man who’d been there was Bradley! He wanted to know if they wanted some baby alligators to sell! God, Barrett, they’re here somewhere! I don’t know what to do!” Hysteria had taken over and she was babbling. He knew she was scared. Hell, he was scared too.

“You stay right there, that’s what you do. You tell Mrs. Murphy not to answer the door and if she does, she should have her shotgun ready. And you stay the hell in the house, do you hear me? Stay there until I get there.” He didn’t dare tell her how long it would take him to get there. She’d totally lose her shit if she knew it would most likely take him over an hour. “Do you hear me, Flora?”

“Yes. Yes, I hear you.” The hysterical voice had quieted to little more than a whisper.

“Go talk to Mrs. Murphy now. I’m going to make some calls and I’ll call you back, okay?”

“Okay. Okay, yeah. Okay. Please hurry.”

“I’m going as fast as I safely can, baby. I promise. Gotta go. Gotta make those calls. Hang in there. I’ll be there in a little bit. Bye, babe.” There was no time for niceties. Instead, he hit a contact and waited.

“Hey! What’s up?”

“Kirby, I need you to go to Mrs. Murphy’s. Don’t go to Mrs. Murphy’s. Go somewhere nearby, hide your truck, and watch the house. Those god damn assholes with the alligators are there somewhere.”

“How do you know?”

“Long story, but they’re there, and they’re looking for Flora.”

“Shit! I’m on my way! Where are you?”

“Headed back from Dawson Springs. I met with Bud Griffin and talked to him about this. I’ve gotta call in reinforcements, but right now, I need you to make sure she’s safe and stays that way until I can get there.”

“You got it. I’ll be there in under twenty.”

“Thanks, Kirby. Give me a call if you need me.” He hung up and pressed Flora’s contact again.

“Hello?”

“Babe, Kirby’s coming that way. He’s going to find a place to hole up and watch the house, okay? You’re safe and you’ll stay that way.”

“Could he be, you know, in with―”

“Kirby? No. Absolutely not. He’s as trustworthy as they come. You just sit tight. Everything’s gonna be fine.”

“O-o-o-okay. Barrett, I … I … I …”

“I know, babe. I feel the same way. Just hang on. I’m coming. Bye, baby.”

“Okay.”

The last time he’d told her he was coming had been the night before, and it sure hadn’t been in the truck as he raced toward home, terror filling every nook and cranny of his being. Flora was in danger, and Bud was right. He had nothing left to lose. His first call when he got there would be to Conor. His mistake? Thinking he had plenty of time to take care of the situation.

It looked like time was running out.

* * *

“Girl, sit down. Yore makin’me nervous,” Mrs. Murphy barked as Flora paced back and forth, back and forth.

She’d spent the thirty minutes prior explaining the whole story to Mrs. Murphy, who nodded along and asked questions here and there. To Flora’s surprise, when she was finished, the old woman said, “Them boys need killin’. They come here, that’s what they’ll get.” There was no doubt in her mind that Mrs. Murphy meant every word she’d said.

The big question in Flora’s mind was simple: How had they found her? She hadn’t and wouldn’t tell Rissa, and besides, it seemed that they’d been there for a little while. Hell, she hadn’t even known where she’d wind up when she left Pikeville! It was only by sheer luck that she hadn’t run into them somewhere. Of course, their version of shopping was shoplifting, and a decent restaurant probably wouldn’t let them in. She’d been to the gas station, though, and to the grocery. Yeah, Paducah was bigger, but the western part of McCracken County was pretty small and most folks knew each other. She’d been to the dollar-type store down the road a couple of times, but she wouldn’t go there again.

A glance out the window told her nothing. She knew Barrett had said Kirby would be out there somewhere, but where? It would be nice if she was sure he was there. There hadn’t been a chance for her to meet Barrett’s coworker or get to know him, but knowing that he thought enough of Barrett to honor the request of surveillance and protection for her was good enough in her mind. Kirby had to be a good guy. Was he married? Barrett had never said. She hoped she’d live long enough to eventually find out.

The afternoon was wearing on and still no sign of Barrett. After looking through the cabinets and pantry, she decided she just didn’t have the concentration skills needed to cook something. She didn’t know what they’d eat, and she didn’t care. All she cared about was Barrett being there and being safe. Everything else was irrelevant.

It was well after four when she heard the sound of tires in the driveway and saw his truck through the sheers at the windows. “Oh, thank god,” she whispered.

“’Zat Barrett?”

“Yes, ma’am. It is.”

“Good. Maybe he can calm you down,” Mrs. Murphy grumbled as Flora headed to the door.

The view she got was a little surprising―it wasn’t his work truck that he’d rolled up in. “What, you went home before you came here?”

“Glad to see you too,” he said and stooped to kiss her cheek.

“Yes. I’m glad to see you. But you went home first?”

“Babe, I went home to swap out trucks. I really don’t think having folks see a KDFWR truck in the driveway is something we should do.”

“Oh. I guess you’re right.”

“Besides,” he said as he pointed out the door at a thicket across the road, “Kirby’s right over there.” The minute he said it, she could see something moving, and then it stopped. “He’s parked back on Switchback Road. Walked in. Thought that would be best. I was inclined to agree.”

There was no stopping it. Flora dissolved. But she didn’t fall as her knees buckled―Barrett caught her under her arms and stood her back on her feet. The tears were coming so fast that she couldn’t see, and she was so choked up that she couldn’t speak. Instead of telling her to hush, he just crushed her to him and held her as she sobbed.

Flora wrapped her arms around his ribcage, pressed a cheek to his chest, and wailed. All the while, he stroked her hair and held her to him. Those strong arms were her safe harbor, and Barrett was her lifeboat. She’d heard people say they wanted a partner to help them weather the storms of life, and she understood what they’d meant. Inside her, lightning crashed, thunder roared, and the wind howled, but there, in his arms, there was peace. Her sobs slowed and she sniffled. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, babe. Here. Sit down and let me get you something, okay?” Her butt dropped onto the lumpy sofa and Barrett disappeared into the kitchen. When he came back, he had a small glass with brown liquid in it. “I want you to drink this.”

“What is it?”

“Just drink it.”

“But what is it?”

Mrs. Murphy harrumphed. “It’s whiskey, girl. Just drink it like the man says.”

Flora took the little glass and threw the liquid into her mouth. Almost instantly, her eyes started to water, her throat burned, and her tongue felt like it was on fire. “Whoa,” she breathed out as her shoulders shivered involuntarily.

“That’ll help you calm down a bit. Now, I need you to tell me what set you off. What happened that makes you think they’re here?”

Flora started slowly, explaining what the farmer and his wife had said, the way the man had looked at her and thought he recognized her, and the picture she’d shown them of Darryl. “They didn’t recognize him, but when I asked about a man with a scar, they knew exactly who I was talking about. It’s Bradley, and if Bradley’s here, so is Darryl.”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t know you’re here.”

She huffed out a loud sigh. “Barrett, I didn’t know where I was going when I left. I bought one bus ticket after another until I ran out of money and landed here. He has to know I’m here somehow. How else would he have landed here? It doesn’t make sense, and I don’t believe in a coincidence that big.”

Unlike her sigh, his was tired. “Yeah. It does seem like a really huge coincidence. You haven’t talked to anybody but Rissa, and that was through email, right?”

“Not a soul.”

He sat there, staring at his hands, and Flora wondered what he’d say next. Suddenly, he sat straight up. “What did you bring with you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, with you. When you came. What did you bring with you?”

She shrugged. What was he getting at? “I mean, clothes and stuff like that.”

“What kind of stuff?”

“Um, a locket my mom gave me years ago. A tiny little stuffed toy I got at a thrift store.” She blushed. “I used to cuddle it when Darryl had been beating on me or cussing at me. It made me feel better.”

“Shoes?”

She pointed. “The tennis shoes and the ankle boots. I figured I’d get more when I got to wherever I was going.”

“No other jewelry?” She shook her head. “No books?” Another head shake. She could tell he was scraping around in his brain for something when he asked, “And what did you carry all of that in?”

“A little wheeled bag. Not very big. I didn’t have much.”

“Where is it?”

“I emptied it when I got here and I donated it to the Salvation Army so I wouldn’t be tempted to take off again. I needed a place to be and―”

“The bag. That’s it. It’s the bag. He put something in it, some kind of tracking device. I bet he put it in there the night he killed Velma. He was afraid you’d run, and he wanted to be able to find you, but he never dreamed you’d run this far. I’m guessing when he finally got here, he went straight to where the bag was, but you didn’t have it. He’s here, but right now, he doesn’t know where you are, just that you’re in this area, because if you were still moving, the bag would be too.”

“Oh, shit. He thought he’d walk right up to me and kill me, but all he found was a thrift store. I’m glad I got rid of that bag.”

“Me too, or he would’ve already found you.” Barrett took her hand and squeezed it. “As of right now, he’s here, but he doesn’t know where you are, and we’ve got to keep it that way. No going anywhere unless you’re with me, and we’re not going much of anywhere either.”

Flora snorted. “As long as we don’t go to dives and burger joints, he’ll never see me. He’ll be shopping at convenience stores and dollar-type places. As long as I stay away from those, it’ll be fine.”

Barrett hopped up. “Come on. We’ve got an errand to run. Mrs. Murphy, I need to borrow your girl here for a little while.”

“Y’all do what ya want. I’m takin’ a nap.”

“Would you mind if I had cable and internet put in here?”

Mrs. Murphy’s head snapped around and she gaped at Barrett. “Why on earth would you do that?”

“Because I want her to have internet service and I don’t mind paying for it.”

“Well, if you’ll take care of gettin’ it put in, I’ll pay for it if’n ya think she needs it.”

“She does. Come with me, baby.” Barrett grabbed Flora’s hand and headed toward the door.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see. Come on.”

On the way to wherever they were going, Barrett stopped at an office building and told her to stay in the truck. He was only gone a few minutes. “What was that about?”

“I just asked them to put in the cable and internet out there and paid the deposit for the equipment. Now for the fun.” He wheeled out of the parking lot and headed toward the mall.

An hour later, Flora sat in the front seat of the truck, staring at the shiny beauty in her hand. “I don’t believe it. I never thought I’d have one of these.”

“Well, now you do. You can do anything on that phone―check email, get on social media, make calls, send texts, all that stuff. We’re going to be very careful about who we give your number to. Mrs. Murphy should have it. I’ll give it to Kirby and Bud. I’ll give it to Mom and Dad, and Zyan and Landee. There’s really nobody else who needs it.”

“But I don’t even know your mom and dad or Zyan and Landee.”

“Don’t worry,” Barrett answered with a twinkle in his eye. “You will.”

* * *

“Areyou sure you’ll be okay here by yourself?”

Mrs. Murphy snorted. “Well, hell yeah. You ain’t been ‘round here all that long, and I was fine afore you came.”

“I’ll just be right down there. If you need me, you can call me.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine. Y’all go do whatever you need to do.”

Flora headed toward the door, then turned and stepped back over to Mrs. Murphy. “Can I give you a hug before I go?”

“Why on earth would you wanna hug me?” the old woman asked.

“Because I care about you and I’ll miss you while I’m gone.” Flora bent down and wrapped her arms around Mrs. Murphy’s shoulders. Surprisingly, the woman patted her arms and kissed her on the cheek. “I won’t be gone late.”

“You bringin’ him back here when it’s all over?”

“I dunno. Why?”

Mrs. Murphy was grinning from ear to ear. “One-o these days he’s gonna walk outta that bathroom buck nekkid and I wanna be here to see it.”

“Oh, lord. I’ll be back in a while. I’ll bring you a plate.”

“Sounds good. Bye, girl. Be careful.”

“I will. Bye.” It occurred to her as she stepped outside that she and Mrs. Murphy were becoming more than an employer and employee. They were more like grandmother and granddaughter, and she liked it. It worked for them.

She’d no more than touched the truck’s seat when Barrett turned to her, one eyebrow hiked up. “Are you ready for this?”

“I need to be. If I’m going to stay alive, this has to happen.”

“Okay. Here we go.” He backed out of Mrs. Murphy’s driveway and pointed his truck homeward.

They’d only been in the house for about five minutes when a voice rang out from the vicinity of the front door. “Yoo-hoo! You here?”

“Yeah! Come on in.” They’d been working in the kitchen, and a small, round woman appeared in the doorway, a big casserole dish in her hands. Barrett headed straight for her. “Is this the baked beans?”

“Yes, honey. You asked and I delivered. Your dad’s unloading the extra tables, and Kirby’s out there helping him. Need any help with anything else?” she asked as her eyes darted toward Flora.

“Oh, yeah! Mom, this is Flora Stevens. Flora, this is my mom, Beth Quarles.”

Flora extended a hand, but Beth walked right past it and threw her arms around the younger woman. Her hug was magical, all warm and soft, and she smelled like sugar cookies. “I’m so glad to meet you, honey. Barrett’s told us wonderful things about you.”

“He’s said a lot of great things about you and his dad too. I’m glad to meet you. You look just like the picture!”

“So what do you two need help with? Got some tea made?”

“No, we don’t, so that would help a lot.” Barrett set a big pitcher out on the countertop. “The tea’s up there in the cabinet over the sink.”

“Got it.” Beth got to work and Flora kept shucking the ears of corn Barrett had picked up from the farmer’s stand.

“Well, look at this! Looks like a hive of little worker bees!” a female voice called out, and Flora looked up to see a stunning woman standing in the kitchen doorway, a big casserole dish in her hands.

“Oh! Let me take that. Landee, you know my mom.”

“Yes! Hi, Mrs. Quarles! It’s good to see you!”

“And you too, honey. Where’s Annalise?”

“Out helping the guys get the folding chairs set up. And you must be Flora.” Landee strode toward the shorter woman and held out her hand. Flora took it, and Landee clapped her free one on top of their joined ones. “It’s so great to meet you. I told Barrett to bring you over sometime and we’ll all sit around the pool.”

“Yeah, he made me buy a swimsuit. I’m glad to finally meet you. He really thinks a lot of you and Zyan.”

“And we think he’s a pretty great guy. What can I do to help?”

Barrett gave a head toss toward the refrigerator. “Wanna devil the eggs?”

“Oooo, yeah! I love deviled eggs! I need mustard, mayo, and relish. Oh, and paprika.”

“Everything’s in there. Babe, would you look right up there and grab the paprika for Landee?”

“Sure!” Flora dug around in his spice cabinet until she found the bottle. “I think there’s enough in there.”

“I’ll just sprinkle it on every other egg. That way if somebody doesn’t like it, they can choose one without. Got some onion and garlic powder up there too?” Flora rummaged around and found a bottle of each. “That’s perfect. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Flora went back to shucking the corn and realized something important.

She was happy. She and Barrett were working shoulder to shoulder on the corn. Two other women were there with them, and everyone was cheerfully doing their part, chatting and laughing as they worked. It felt like home. Like family. Even though none of them had said it, she felt loved, and even more so because the whole purpose of the day was to introduce her to everyone who was important to Barrett.

“Hope we’re not late!” a male voice rang out from the front of the house.

“No! You’re right on time! Come on in!” Barrett called out.

A tall man stood in the doorway and with him, a woman who wasn’t very tall and was fairly thin for her height. Her head listed to one side and one of her eyelids drooped. “You must be Flora! I’m Bud, and this is my wife, Martina.”

Flora knew who they were instantly. “Oh! Barrett had lunch with you.”

“Yeah! I’m really glad to meet you.”

“I’m glad to meet you, and you too, Mrs. …”

“It’s just Martina. Good to meet you too. I brought some things. I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course!” She hadn’t noticed that Bud was carrying a basket, and he held it out to her. “Does any of this need to be refrigerated?”

“No. It’s brownies and some cookies, and a cake, and … and … I can’t remember.” Martina looked a little confused.

“There are some of those crispy cereal bars in there, sweetie, remember? You made them with the little chocolate candies in them?”

“Oh, yes. I remember now. And I made something else too. Bread?”

“No. Rolls. Your dinner rolls.”

“I made dinner rolls?”

“Yes, baby, you did.” Bud smiled. “I’ll just set it down over here, if that’s okay.”

“Sure! Would either of you like something to drink. Beth made some tea.”

“That would be wonderful. Honey, I think I need to sit down.” Martina’s voice had started out strong, but it faded by the time she was finished.

“Of course, babe.” Bud took her hand and Flora watched as they headed toward the living room, Martina wobbling just a little as they went.

“I’ll bring your tea.” She glanced over at Barrett.

He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “She was shot.”

Flora was stunned. “Oh, god!”

“Yeah. I’ll explain later, but she has some residual problems. Nothing horrible, just memory and balance, and she’s blind in one eye.”

Flora grabbed a glass, threw some ice cubes in it, and poured it full of tea. “Martina, do you want sugar and lemon?”

“Sugar, yes, please.”

“I’m going in there to sit with her and keep her company,” Flora whispered to Barrett.

“Thank you. I appreciate that.” As she stepped away, he slapped her on the butt, and she giggled.

“I saw that,” Beth said, play-growling.

“Me too,” Landee added with a giggle.

“Y’all need to mind ya own bizzzzness,” Barrett mocked, and Flora laughed at them as she carried the tea to the living room.

Seven hours later, there was a mess in the kitchen, everyone was gone, and it had been a wonderful day. Flora felt like a part of the group, like they’d adopted her and drawn her in. It was amazing, really, since her own family had just cut her loose. In truth, it hadn’t felt like much of a family since her parents had divorced, and marrying Darryl had been the straw that broke the camel’s back. Barrett didn’t look up at her, just kept cleaning, as he asked, “So?”

Flora kept rinsing dishes and stowing them in the dishwasher. “So, what?”

“So how do you think it went?”

“It went fine. I liked everybody, and they at least pretended to like me.”

“Like you? Babe, Landee and Zyan want to adopt you, but my mother said she and Dad would fight them for custody. Kirby told me he’s looking for a girl like you. And I think Bud thanked me three or four times for how nice you were being to Martina.”

“She’s so sweet. You said she was shot?”

“Yeah. You’ve heard me talk about the woman who was missing in Graves County, the one Conor found in the tree. Her body, I mean.”

“Yeah?”

“That was her daughter.”

“That’s horrible!”

“Yeah, a very long, sad story, but Martina got caught in the crossfire in a bad situation. She’s lucky to be alive, but she’s doing very well considering how badly she was injured.”

“That’s good. They seem happy.”

“They are.”

Flora kept working, all the while thinking about a question she wanted to ask. When she got to the point that she couldn’t stop herself, she blurted out, “So does this mean you want to keep seeing me?”

Barrett threw down his dish towel, cocked a hip, and rested his hand on it as he leaned against the counter. “I’ll keep seeing you until you don’t want to see me anymore.”

“Well, that’s not gonna happen.”

“Me seeing you?”

“No. Me not wanting to see you anymore.”

“Good. I’d hate to think I’m wasting my time here. I smoked a lot of meat for this little get-together. Glad to know it was worth my time.” He straightened and pressed a finger under her chin to force her head up so he could look into her eyes. “Flora, I want to see you every damn day. I’m falling for you, and I’m not the least bit upset about it.”

She could feel her cheeks blazing, but she didn’t care. Barrett wanted to be with her. That was just about the best news she’d ever had in her life. “I’m falling for you too. Just promise me one thing?”

“I’ll try.”

“Please … Don’t ever hit me.”

The eye roll he turned loose was epic, followed by a huge sigh as he gripped her waist with his big hands. “Baby, I would never hit you. Never. There is never any excuse for hitting a woman unless she’s hitting me, and then I won’t hit her. I’ll just try to stop her.”

“There’s never any excuse for hitting a man either.”

He smiled down into her face. “I agree. And if I do ever hit you, which I won’t, but if I lose my mind and I do, you call my dad and he’ll whup my ass. That right there you can take to the bank.”

“I can tell your parents raised you right.”

“I can tell yours raised you right too, although it seems somebody didn’t do a very good job of raising them. They could use a few lessons in loyalty, forgiveness, and love.”

“Speaking of loyalty, I need to get that plate down to Mrs. Murphy. You know how she is. Probably hasn’t eaten anything all day.”

“Yeah. You’re probably right. I can finish this up. Let me take you home and I’ll take care of this later.”

Home. It was the first time Flora had thought of the little house down the road as home, but that was what it had become for her. She hadn’t been there long but for the first time, she felt like she was where she was supposed to be.

Three hours later, as she lay in bed and tinkered around with her new phone, it pinged with a new text message: You still up?

There was no way to keep the smile from her face. Yeah. Thinking about today.

Thinking about me?

Yeah. You too. Ha!

Is Mrs. Murphy asleep?

Flora snickered. Of course. She barely made it through dinner.

Want me to come down and stay?

She had to stifle a laugh. Of course.

Be there in a few. Gotta get my stuff together for work tomorrow. XOXO

Hugs and kisses. Boy, it had been a long time since she’d seen that! XOXO back atcha.

In almost no time at all, she’d be in Barrett’s arms, and she couldn’t think of a single place she’d rather be.