Page 53 of A Second Chance

“Hey,” Jason stepped off the bottom stair forcing Edgar back a step. “Don’t you dare speak to her like that. If you have a problem with me, that’s fine, I don’t give a shit.”

Gwen watched her mom practically swoon.

“You can’t just start up here in town. That’s not how this works, son.”

“How does it work?”

“I’m the electrician in town,” he answered raising on his tiptoes, and yet he still only came to Jason’s shoulder.

“The only one?” Jason asked, hands on hips. It amazed her how calm he sounded.

“Yes,” he bit out, “for the last forty years.”

“That sounds like a lot of work.”

“It’s my work, and you can’t have it. All the businesses on the square were mine.”

“Come on man, not here… not tonight. There are kids around. Why don’t you go home and we’ll talk when you’re sober?” The trick or treating children had stopped coming up Gwen’s walkway, their parents leading them past the scene where the angry, red, sweaty man was blocking the front porch.

“Don’t you dare patronize me, you snotty little son of a bitch. I was the electrician in town while you were still shitting your pants.” Edgar’s rant continued. He’d pressed a finger into Jason’s shoulder and he didn’t pay attention to the SUV pull into the driveway with Detective Nick Collins bringing Avery home from work. Gwen exhaled and she didn’t know she’d been holding her breath up to that point.

“Is there a problem here?” Nick asked, walking up. Edgar stopped screaming and looked Nick over, stopping on the badge clipped to his belt.

“You called the cops?” Edgar asked, disbelief painting his face. His gaze flashed to Gwen. And even though he’d have to get through both Jason and Nick to get to her, her heart jumped into her throat.

“No one called the cops,” Jason said. “We should have, but we didn’t.”

“Is there a problem?” Nick asked again.

“I think he’s going home now,” Jason said.

Edgar took a step back shaking his head. “This guy is stealing my customers. And I will not let you get away with it.” He jabbed a finger at Jason.

“Are you threating him, sir?” Nick stepped in between them, facing Edgar. Gwen had to move on the porch to see the man, hoping it didn’t come to blows on her lawn in front of children. The old man shook his head. “Have you been drinking?”

“Having a beer isn’t a crime, officer.”

“Public intoxication and disturbing the peace are. Now, how about I take you home?”

“I don’t need your help to get home.” Edgar turned and stalked down the walkway only to turn back at the sidewalk. “Everyone knows you’re bat shit crazy,” he yelled. But he was the only one sounding crazy. And with that, he stomped off down the street and a group of teenagers with pillow cases of candy stopped in their tracks and stared at him as he passed. Avery had stayed beside the car and neither Nick nor Jason moved until the angry man disappeared down the block.

Nineteen

Gwen couldn’t sleep, but Jason laying up against her limited her tossing and turning. The steady rhythm of his soft breath was a confirmation he had had no trouble slipping off to dreamland after they made love. Love? Is that what this was? Gwen was unsure, yes she loved him, but there was so much unknown about him. For starters, whatreallyhappened? And why did the rumor mill label him unstable? How could she give her heart to him with these questions lingering?

“Are you okay?” he asked, sleep saturating his voice.

“Sorry, did I wake you?”

“Yes.”

Gwen stared at the ceiling, swiped in shades of charcoal, lighter near the window and darkening in the far corners of the room. “Can’t sleep,” she whispered.

“Are you still upset about that Edgar guy? Don’t worry about it. I can see why he’s mad. Somehow he’s had a monopoly on this town—”

“Not that. But what he said at the end…Why do these horrible rumors persist around town?”

She felt him shrug, and a silence fell across the room with only the sound of breathing.

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