“I'm not making you work for anything, Veronica,” I say, closing her door, then walking back around to mine to start the truck.
Before she can say anything else, I go into the pharmacy, then make a beeline to the garden center before running back to the truck. Veronica is fixing her makeup in the mirror, and when I walk in, she looks at me, then frowns.
“You’re not the Bo I left our senior year.” She is right. I wasn’t. I’d gone to war, fought alongside brothers in arms and friends I’d never see again. I’d seen the cost of war and the reason for it. Things change when you see the things I have.
“No, I’m not. But you haven’t changed much. You’ve cut your hair.” I look over then back at the road as I turn up the Inn.
“Are you still in touch with Tyler Williams and his little sister, Fay, or something?”
“You mean Falon,” I have to tap down the frustration I feel for her using her old name for Falon. It had been an ongoing thing for Veronica. Tyler guessed that Veronica knew I liked Falon, and that just got under my skin. And it did.
“Yeah, Falon. I never could remember her name.” She knew, she just chose not to say it.
“Yep. Tyler and I served in the Marines together forfour years. I’m on reserves, but he decided to stay on active duty. He’s overseas now.” Just then, Veronica places her hand on mine again. “Are you sure you aren't up for dinner? To catch up?”
"I appreciate that," I say. "But I'm taken. I’m dating Falon Williams.” Veronica has the decency to look sheepish.
She blinks, then smiles again, and this time it is gracious. "Of course you are." She glances at Rowdy again. "Lucky her."
"Lucky me," I say.
She laughs. "Well, I'd better check in if I want a room.
“Janet’s always got a room open. It’s good to see you.”
"You, too." She leans over the console and kisses me on the cheek, then gets out with a smile on her lips and a bounce in her step.
I sit there for a second.
Rowdy jumps into the front seat and is now watching with his head tilted and one ear up.
"Don't," I tell him.
He wags his tail and pants.
Veronica waves goodbye at the door, then disappears behind the closed door. I start the truck and head back home. The street moves around me. Ed is locking up the post office window, Mrs. Henderson is coming out of the flower shop with a paper-wrapped bunch of flowers, and a couple of kids on bikes are cutting through the hardware store parking lot.
I told Veronica I was taken, and not one time did I get the sinking feeling in my gut or worry about the repercussions. It was like asking for milk at the dairy.
I'm taken. That's easy.
Rowdy puts his head on my knee.
"Yeah," I tell him. "I know."
I look in the rearview mirror, then pause when I saw the lipstick on my cheek. I wipe my cheek to get Veronica’s lipstick off my cheek, then curse her for doing that. I’m not going to hide it from Falon, but it sure did give her the opportunity for the wrong impression before I could explain.
The drive back is long enough to run through the rest of the day in my head. Drop off Rick and Melodies' mail. Ed asked me to drop it off since I was already going there to drop off Rick's boot. I needed to get the lemongrass pot off the truck before Falon realized Gerald had upsized it, and I could install the new sprinkler head by dinner. I’d stopped and bought pizza delivery for tonight. That way, Falon can relax without having to cook.
I pull into Rick and Melodie's drive first. Rick is on the porch with a glass of Coke and the newspaper.
"Are you ready for the new boot?" I ask, setting the pharmacy bag on the porch rail.
Rick looks at it and snarls. "Fine." Then tucks it under his chair before Melodie can see it.
"Dawson said?—"
"I know what Dawson said." He looks disgusted by the whole idea.
