Page 4 of Just Friends

“As in they stink,” Hannah said.

“Yeah, either that or they’ve taken a bath in a vat of cologne. It clogs my sinuses, and I can’t breathe. It’s gross.”

Autumn and Hannah nodded in agreement. “That’s true,” Autumn said. “I don’t like heavy cologne either.”

“No,” Rebecca said. “It needs to be just enough to notice when you’re right up against him.”

“I think so too,” Autumn said wiping Danny’s sticky face. He resisted by turning his head to avoid his mom’s efforts.

“We left Ben cooking the burgers,” Brandon announced. “We should get back.”

“Yes, please,” Rebecca replied looking at Weasel. “Where’s my drink?”

“Down the drain, Tipsy,” Weasel replied.

She scowled at him. “I wanted that.”

Two

For the first time since he’d taken a job with the White Oak PD and moved back home, Weasel was not working the Harvest Festival. He’d arrived late and hoped to meet up with his friends—well, Rebecca, most importantly. The others were fun, but figuring her out and stopping her from dating some jackass off the internet required spending more time with her. He walked to the gate, flashed his badge, and was let through. Then, he put it away. When not on official duty, he kept his badge and gun concealed. The afternoon was still too warm to make this feel like it was fall festival time of year. Summer refused to give up its hold on the region. So, tourists looking for East Tennessee fall colors today were out of luck. However, once the sun set, the forecast did call for a significant drop in temperatures.

For the last few years, the fall fest had grown, and this year was no exception. What started with a small pumpkin patch and a few games for children, had now expanded to include a row of tents selling arts and crafts, food vendors, some carnival rides, a show with the high school band, and a corn maze at the far end. It was now more popular than the county fair. He’d texted Rebecca that he was there and asked where to meet up, but she hadn’t responded.

He wandered further through the crowd, hoping to spot someone he knew. Then he saw her. Rebecca was pale as a ghost, and in almost a full out run, she was headed straight at him with a clown fast on her heels. “What the…” was all he got out before she grabbed his bicep and whirled around behind him, plastering herself to his back. She was breathing like a freight train and on the verge of, if not already, a full-blown panic attack.

“Get him,” she stammered, “away.” Her fists held his shirt in a death grip. The clown approached and tried to make his way around Weasel after her.

“Hey, back off,” Weasel said. “What do you think you’re doing?”

The clown ignored him and honked the horn in his hand and danced around for a beat before he again attempted to step toward Rebecca. Weasel turned to keep his body between this crazy clown and her. It looked like he was going to need to beat some clown’s ass. He wasn’t in the mood for paperwork. The incident was now drawing spectators. He needed to end it. He managed to slide his hand in between him and Rebecca to fish his badge out of his back pocket; once freed, he held it up. “Look, asshole, I said… “

That was all it took. Once the clown realized he was dealing with law enforcement, he turned tail and tore through the crowd without looking back. During the madness, Rebecca had let go of him and disappeared. He searched around for her. The crowd dispersed without another thought of whatever had happened. Mrs. Whittaker sat knitting in a bright pink folding chair in front of her craft tent.

“She went that way, dear,” she said and pointed a needle to the left, hinting at the far edge of the venue and the corn maze. Great. He had to catch Rebecca before she ended up lost in a corn maze while having a clown induced panic attack.

“Thanks, ma’am,” he replied to Mrs. Whittaker.

She nodded. “Come back after you find her. I have a scarf for you.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” he responded. Then he headed off at a brisk pace to get Rebecca; spotting her curly hair just before she went into the maze. What was she thinking? She wasn’t. That was the problem. The fight or flight response had taken over, and she was on flight. He entered the corn maze in less than a minute behind her and hit lucky that she’d only made two turns before cowering in the corner of a dead end.

“It’s me,” he said in a low voice. Rebecca turned toward him, face still pale, pupils dilated, and arms folded across her trembling body like she was trying to hold it together. He approached her, and she surprised him by throwing her arms around his waist and pressing tightly to him, and he reciprocated and held her.

She shook her head against his chest. “I’m so sorry for getting you involved in that; I shouldn’t have grabbed you and hid behind…”

“No,” he whispered. “Don’t apologize. You did nothing wrong.” He rubbed her back. “You did the right thing. Put me in between you and a threat. I can handle the asshats.” He pulled her tighter to him, and the softness of her breasts stirred the lower part of him awake. If she noticed, it would ruin the moment. No way he’d dare make a move on her now, but sometimes, it had a mind of its own. “I got rid of him,” he added after several minutes of silence.

“Did you shoot him?” she asked up against his chest.

He kept back his amusement. “No, babe. It’s not illegal to be a clown or an asshole.”

She glanced up at him. The color had returned to her face. “You still could have shot him for me.”

“Maybe next time.” He smiled but kept his amusement to himself. He slid his palms down her arms and held her hand in his, entwined their fingers, and tugged her arm. “Let’s walk.” Allowing him to lead her out of the dead end, they navigated the maze holding hands. Many people got lost last year, and the Mayor required the organizers to give the map to the police department, so he knew his way around. But he needed to make certain that her panic had dissolved. “Do you have a problem with all clowns or this particularjerk?”

She inhaled and released it through puffed cheeks. “All of them. It’s a fear I’ve had ever since I can remember. No clue where it came from.”

“It’s a common one,” he replied, nodding. Rebecca halted eyes wide, and he looked for any sign of the clown. “What’s wrong?”

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