Page 18 of Breaking Bristol

It wasn’t a secret where I lived to people I considered friends, but I still tilted my head at his question. “What do you mean?”

“I know you’ve been there a while, but I don’t think I ever asked how you like it.”

“Oh… yeah. I like it just fine.” And I did. It was peaceful and beautiful, and even though it wasn’t mine, it still felt like it was, and I took pride in how far I’d come being all alone.

“Lou’s taking care of everything all right? Fixing things up if you need?”

My mind immediately flashed to Dr. B in his worn-out jeans and tight T-shirt, his backward baseball hat, and his mesmerizing green eyes. “Uh, yeah, everything’s great… things are all fixed up.”

He grinned. “Good to hear.”

“Bristol.” Cricket called me, and I got to my feet.

I said goodbye to Sutton and asked him to tell Cheyenne I said hi. He promised to do so and told me to get home quickly because a storm was rolling in, and it sounded like a bad one.

Taking the bag from Cricket with a grateful smile, I thanked her.

“You’re welcome,” she said. “Have a nice weekend and drive safe home.”

“I will. You, too.”

“We’re closing up early tonight because of the weather. Since Maverick worries so much.” She rolled her eyes. “He’ll be picking me up so he can drive me home… because ya know, I can’t get myself there in one piece if the roads are even a little slick.”

That was actually sweet. I was jealous that she had that kind of love. I wanted a guy who worried about me and took care of me. That was what I’d been looking for when I met Shane, but obviously, he had a different idea of what love is.

I headed to my car, and as I was driving, I skidded on some sleet. It had been colder here the past couple of days, and there was a bit of a drizzle, but I didn’t think it was cold enough to freeze yet. I guess everyone’s warnings were justifiable.

I made it home safely and carried my groceries inside. After stowing the perishables in the fridge, I brought my dinner to the couch with me. Cricket made the best food I’d ever tasted, but my favorite was her chicken tenders and secret dipping sauce. I turned the TV on to catch the tail end of the news, and weather alerts were flashing on the top of the screen and a scroll along the bottom warned of impending weather.

My phone rang, and I jumped, then got up and grabbed my purse. I took out my cell and answered the call from Mr. Hayes. “Hello?”

“Hi, Bristol. Listen, Heidi and I are about to board the cruise ship, but I just heard about the weather comin’ in.”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me.”

“Since we’re gonna be gone for a while and won’t be reachable, I wanted to tell you a couple of things…”

He and Mrs. Hayes went on a cruise around Valentine’s Day every year. It was so cute that they still went on trips together after over forty years of marriage. It was also sweet that he thought of me. “Okay, what do I need to know?”

“I chopped a bunch of wood last week but didn’t bring it over because I didn’t realize the weather was gonna turn so quickly, so I called up Beau because I knew he’d be out and about. He’s gonna come by and bring it to you so you have it for the fireplace.”

“All right, thank you.”

He told me where the spare key was to their house in case I needed food or anything else, and let me know there was an old radio under the kitchen sink in case I lost power. “Might need batteries, though, so I’m havin’ Beau drop some off for you along with the firewood.”

“That’s really nice, Mr. Hayes. Thank you for thinking of me.”

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a bad ice storm, but if the weathermen are right, it’s gonna be a doozy. I’m sure school will be closed, so don’t drive anywhere and try not to be scared. It’ll pass, and Beau knows we’re out of town, so he’ll come check on you when it’s safe.”

I wasn’t concerned about the weather until now. “All right. Thanks again, and please don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

“I know ya will, darlin’.”

“Enjoy your cruise, and tell Mrs. Hayes I said to have fun, too.”

We disconnected, and I turned the volume up on the TV and paid more attention to the forecast. They were skipping regularly scheduled programs to continue covering the weather. It looked like the temperature wasn’t going to rise, so the rain we were getting would freeze, leaving hazardous conditions.

I’d just thrown my garbage in the trash when I heard a vehicle. Looking outside, I saw Beau in his police SUV. I opened the door and was hit with a bitter chill that had to have been ten degrees cooler than a half an hour ago. “Hi.”

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