“Well, I’ll see you tonight, I suppose. Thanks again for the help.”
“And thank you for…”being nice to look at?“You know.”
Will seems confused, but he saves Owen from further embarrassment by walking to Francie at the counter.
Owen rubs his face, telling himself he’s not going to develop a crush on one of the straightest men he’s ever met. Once Will and his testosterone leave, Owen is free to browse for a book in peace. He finds one that seems intense and weird, then he goes to the counter.
Francie twitches her lips at his pick, which Owen takes as a good sign. “I heard a rumor, Francie. It broke my heart into a million little pieces.”
She puts down her book and crosses her arms, watching him through thick, red glasses. “Do tell.”
“Here I am forced to borrow only one book at a time, while others—I will not mention names—are allowed to borrowthreebooks.”
Francie nods. “Yes, people with cancer get special privileges around here. I’m sure you can understand.”
His stomach flips. “Shit. I didn’t know. Shit.”
“One shit was quite enough.”
“Is Will’s sister going to be okay?”
“No, she’s not.”
Owen exhales. His good mood has taken a nosedive. “That sucks.”
“It does. Go on, pick another book. You do read them quickly.”
He’s too sad to smile, so he only nods and goes to pick up another book, not minding what it is. Before he’s about to leave, he remembers what Will said. “Do you maybe need help around here? Like a part-time job.”
Francie sits straighter, giving Owen a closer look as if she hasn’t seen him before. “I might have an open position for four shifts a week between three and seven o’clock.”
“That would be great. I’ll work hard.”
“This position does not require hard work, as you can see. Staying awake should cover most of your responsibilities. We pay one dollar above minimum wage.”
Honestly, he would have worked for free. His parents gave him enough to get by. “That sounds great. When can I start?”
“Monday afternoon.”
He salutes. “See you then, boss.”
*
He buys milk and cookies that he thinks his aunt would like, even though she’ll pretend otherwise. He’s aboutto leave the town center when a police car slows down next to him. He leans down to see the sheriff.
“Morning, Owen. On your way home?”
“Yeah, I was just finishing some errands.”
“Mind joining me for a ride? I want to show you something.”
Confused, he slips into the passenger seat and fastens his seatbelt. He doesn’t like sitting inside a police car since it brings back memories of his arrest. It was fine when his aunt was the one driving, but the sheriff isn’t family. Owen’s skin turns hot and itchy. He tries to lower the window, only to realize it’s already down.
“Where are we going?”
“I have a favor to ask you, but I’d rather show you something first. It will hopefully help with your decision.”
Decision?“Um, okay.”
