Page 39 of Sawyer
CHAPTER 13
“The least you could have done was let me say goodbye to Hector in person. He depends on me to keep Videotopia going.” Lele stared out the rear window of Saul’s truck and watched the “Welcome to Elk Jaw” sign grow smaller.
Saul shook his head and kept driving. “You talked to him on the phone, right? Tell me what you told him again.”
“I told him I needed the week off and that I was going out of town for the week.”
“That sounds like goodbye to me, Half-Pint. We didn’t have time to stop and deliver the message in person. Besides, he has the college kids you trained, am I right?
“Well, yes.” She replied and seemed to relax a little bit.
“Remember, we’re trying to get to my hometown before they run out of muffins and coffee. Today, they have a flavor you’re going to love.”
She didn’t ask what flavor that was because she knew he wouldn’t tell her. She knew this because they’d already had this conversation three times, and they’d just cleared the city limits.
It was hard to think of muffins anyway since she was using allher mental prowess to keep from throwing up. This was the first time she’d left the town of Elk Jaw in two years. The last time she’d left town had been five years ago on a state bus headed for the Blackford Correctional Facility.
A rough, warm hand wrapped around hers, making it impossible to keep scratching the skin on her thumb. It wasn’t bleeding. Yet. But the swollen red mark burned. “Baby, what’s wrong? I thought you might like to get away for a while to relax, and I want you to meet my friends. They are looking forward to meeting you. What has you so upset?”
“Hector got really mad, Daddy. It wasn’t fair of me to just call in on a Monday morning and tell him I wasn’t going to be there. I’ve never missed a day of work since I got back to town.”
Something flashed behind her Daddy’s eyes, but it disappeared before she could tell what it was. “Then I’d say you were due for a vacation. We aren’t going far, but I didn’t see the need to tell him where you’d be. Fair warning, if he bothers you by calling and texting about work all the time, I’m going to take your phone.”
“But Daddy, he might need me. I do a lot at the bar.”
“I think what you meant to say is you do everything, Half-Pint. It’ll do him good to run the bar for a few days to remind him of how much he needs you.”
She couldn’t argue with that, so she said, “I guess.”
It had been her experience that, when it came to the video bar, if she didn’t do it, it didn’t get done. Hector was busy running the town. And she was proud of him. Even in a town the size of Elk Jaw, the mayor was an important office.
“I don’t want you to worry about it, Lele. You need some time to unwind. And we need time to get to know each other better.”
She did like the sound of that.
Her Daddy spent the entire trip telling her stories about his hometown of Darling. She’d heard of it. Of course, she had. Who didn’t know about the town where Littles could live with theirDaddies or Mommies out in the open because it was a small resort town for families with younger children to visit.
How had she known Saul for going on three weeks and not known they lived in the same district? Sure, it was the largest district in the state, and they lived on opposite sides. Finding out new things about him was so much fun. She was going to love it when she knew everything there was to know even more.
She was on the edge of her seat when they pulled into Darling. It had the perfect name, that was for sure. It had everything a Little could want. When they drove past the large fountain and gazebo in the town square, all she could do was stare. It was beautiful.
Once they were parked at a super cool coffee shop called Books-N-Brews, Lele was so excited she unlatched her seat belt and hopped out of the car. Coffee and books, together in the same store? With muffins, too? Who could blame a girl for having a hard time controlling her impulses?
Her Daddy, that was who. Talk about a buzz kill. She’d taken only three running steps toward the shop door when her feet were no longer touching the ground. A band of steel disguised as a muscular arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back. The next thing she knew, she was back in her Daddy’s truck, this time in the back seat. Even worse, he put her over his knee and began thoroughly dusting the seat of her pants.
“Ouch! Oh! Daddy, stop! Someone's gonna see.”
“You chose this, babygirl, not me. Anytime you break the rules… the ones we went over not two minutes ago… you can expect immediate consequences. You may want to keep that in mind.”
He only gave her nine swats, three for each rule, but it might as well have been five hundred. Even with her bottom starting to sting, all she could do was look out the window to make sure no one was walking by. Thank goodness he at least had tinted windows.
He turned her back over, holding her on his lap. “I know you’re excited because you’re in a new town. But there are still dangers here, and the rules still apply. You do not unlatch your own seat belt. You do not open your own car door. And you are damn sure not to get out of the truck and run off. Do you get me?”
“Yes, Daddy, I get you. I'm sorry. I'm just excited. Can we go in now?”
His eyes narrowed, and for one heart-stopping minute, she thought he was going to turn her back over his lap. “Wait here.” He exited the back seat on the driver's side, coming around the back of the car to Lele’s side. Opening the door, he hesitated just long enough to say, “You may not leave the coffee shop without me.” Then lifted her out of the back seat and onto the pavement
She nodded, trying not to skip instead of walking. A bell rang as they opened the door. Everyone stopped and stared. Her smile faded a little. People stared at them and whispered as they walked to Books-n-Bews. Their smiles were friendly, though she had no idea why they were attracting that kind of attention. She stepped closer to Saul.
