Page 16 of Griffin
Mom's face went peachy pink, and Dad rubbed the back of his neck, a sure sign that he wasn't going to say a word.
Jules blinked at both of them with her big brown eyes. "Someone better spill the beans, or I'm going to come up with all kinds of scenarios in my very young and impressionable imagination, and none of them are going to be flattering."
Mom sighed, knowing full well that Jules was not going to give up easily. "Let's just say, I was running from someone, and I needed a human shield, and your very large dad just happened to be nearby so I grabbed him and?—"
"You kissed him to hide from someone else?" Jules asked, her eyes as round as the pancake on her plate.
"I did."
Dad nodded. "It's true. I just happened to be big and have a pair of lips and let's end this topic." He looked at me. "I'm going to stop by another possible job this morning. Make sure everyone has their assignments, and let Shay know I left a list on her desk. You said she seemed all right after you talked to her last night?"
"Yeah, but I wasn't buying it. I mean we both met that asshole yesterday, and we both got the same bad feeling about him."
"She's protecting herself," Mom said. "It'll be worse if she says something." She wiped her mouth hastily. The subject had upset her. I knew Mom had been with an abusive monster before she met Dad, and those memories still haunted her.
Dad reached for her hand and squeezed it. She forced a smile. "I've got to get to work. There are a million things to take care of for this big real estate purchase." She hurried out of the kitchen.
Jules looked upset now too. Her eyes were glassy with tears.
"Guess that conversation would have been better away from the table," Dad said.
I nodded. "Guess so." One thing was for damn sure, I was going to be keeping a close eye on Shay, and I knew Dad was too.
TEN
SHAY
I'd learned to be as quiet as a church mouse over the past few years. My dance skills helped. My mom used to joke that my feet never touched the ground when I walked. Tate was out cold from his late night. There was a cloud of stale beer scent around him and his snores sounded like drums in the dark, quiet bedroom. I managed to get dressed, collect my things, brew a cup of coffee and get out the door with his snores still rumbling through the house.
It was a beautiful morning with a clear blue sky and only the slightest hint of last night's chill still hanging on. I'd pulled on a pink sweater, a khaki skirt and my black ankle boots. I didn't have a big wardrobe. Most of our money went to rent, insurance and his truck loan. It seemed the piles of debt only ever got heavier. I hoped the new job would help me get rid of some of the layers.
I sipped hot coffee from my travel mug and took advantage of a nice, energetic walk to the bus stop. I was feeling wide awake and light on anxiety by the time I reached the stop. I was surprised to find Annie huddled down in a plaid coat as she watched the traffic roll past. There were three roses clutched tightly in her hand. She looked up when she heard my footsteps. She smiled politely at first, obviously not recognizing me.
"I didn't expect to see you here at this hour, Annie," I said.
She peered up at me through cloudy blue eyes, and her smile sparkled. "Shay, it's you. You're here early too."
I sat down next to her. "Actually, I was late yesterday. This is the time I need to be here to make sure I'm at work on time. And you? Visiting early?" I motioned toward the flowers.
"Yes, I am early." She sighed and tilted her head side to side. "My friends have been begging me to come back to the knitting circle. They meet three times a week. I do enjoy seeing them all. We chatter like a bunch of busy hens and then stuff ourselves with tea-sized sandwiches and coffee cake and very little knitting gets done. It's the knitting part that always makes me tense. I used to knit circles around all of them. I taught three of them how to knit in the first place, but I hate sitting there with my trembling fingers and my bad eyes and?—"
I placed my hand on hers. "They're probably just glad to have you there, Annie. I wish I had a circle of friends like that."
Our bus turned the corner and shambled toward us like a big, diesel-spewing dragon. The brakes squeaked so loud, we both flinched at the sound.
"Too early for the school kids," Annie said over her shoulder as she climbed aboard. We both settled into a pair of seats about halfway down the aisle. There were a few other people on the bus. Everyone looked as if they were heading to work like me.
The bus took off. Annie was silent at first. She stared down at the beautiful flowers in her hand.
"It's so nice of you to always remember to bring her flowers," I said.
Annie nodded and smiled at me. "No circle of friends? A pretty, young woman like you?" she asked.
I'd forgotten where our conversation left off. "Oh that. I don't mind. I'm sort of a loner, an introvert."
Annie stared straight ahead. "You know, there was a time in my life when friends were scarce. I'd had plenty, and then one day, I couldn't count on any of them to call me back or invite me out for a cup of coffee." Annie looked down at the roses again. On our last trip together, she'd been so animated telling me about her childhood. She laughed in between her stories, but this morning there was a much more serious woman sitting next to me.
"What happened? Did you get too busy with life?" I asked, naively.
