Page 13 of All I Need

“DID HE JUST LEAVE?” WILLOW asks to which I nod, my eyes still focused on where Walker just stormed through the door as if angry for some reason.

“Who put a bee in his bonnet?”

I giggle at her choice of words and shrug. How should I know? I’ve spoken with him for a few minutes and it wasn’t exactly a deep conversation.

I woke up this morning conflicted for what to do with my day. Should I just leave really early, dropping a note to Miss Polly with some cash thanking her for her hospitality? But the moment I cracked my eyes open I knew I wouldn’t be doing that. The smell of coffee drifted up from the kitchen along with something cinnamon-y. Of course, the sound and smell of sizzling bacon helped my decision to stay… at least through breakfast.

I came downstairs and one look at Miss Polly told me I’d be sitting next to her in a church pew in a few hours.

She points to the seat I used just last night and takes a sip out of her coffee cup, standing next to the counter as she preps the chicken. “Sit. Eat. We’ll go to church then you can see why I can get that boy’s butt in a church pew on Sunday morning rather than sleeping the day away just by the promise of my fried chicken.”

“Which one?”

Her shoulders shake with laughter but no sound comes out. “Both, honey. Both. Now, you take today to relax. Tomorrow. Tomorrow we decide your next steps.”

“Coffee?”

She hands me an empty cup then nods her head to the coffee maker. “There’s always coffee here, honey.”

I smile and she lifts her eyes to me. They twinkle a bit.

There’s a coffee cake on the table and if the smell in here is anything to go by, it’s fresh out of the oven. If she’s trying to convince me to stay around, she just won the gold.

“Can I help?” To my simple offer her eyes not only twinkle, they dance. She reaches out her clean hand and squeezes mine.

“I’d love nothing more, Ellie.”

“I’ll see you at Miss Polly’s?” Willow’s voice pulls me out of the staring contest I was having with the door.

“Um, yes. I’ll see you back there.”

“She’s good people, you know? I’ll save my story for another time but just know, if you have her on your side, nothing and no one can hurt you.”

I nod, my throat tightening. I don’t remember the last time I’ve had truly good people on my side. But, obviously, that might be because I’m not a very good judge of character.

She gives me a small smile before walking over to her son, reaching up to place a hand on his shoulder. He turns to look down at her and wraps an arm around her showing he’s not afraid to show his mother affection in front of his buds.

I catch Miss Polly’s attention as I walk to the door, letting her know I’ll be waiting in the car. I have no doubt if I ventured over to where she’s standing, I’d be even more the center of attention than I’ve already been this morning.

The second I push through the door, I suck in a breath of fresh air which immediately gets caught in my throat when my eyes land on the vehicle parked two spots down from mine… Gary’s, really.

Which reminds me that I should probably get in touch with the jerkwad and return his car and get my own.

Walker is sitting in his pickup, window open as he stares down at his phone. I know I have two choices. Ignore or be a big girl and walk over to him and say hello.

Because I’m a grown up, I choose option two.

“Didn’t feel like sticking around, huh?” I ask as I step over to him.

He startles and fumbles around with his phone and I can’t stop the giggle from bubbling up out of my throat. “You scared the crap out of me,” he grumbles.

“No kidding? Couldn’t tell by the way you almost threw your phone out the window,” I tease.

“So, you stayed around, huh?”

“At least for today. Apparently my stomach can’t resist Miss Polly.”

“She gets a lot of people to bend at her will for that very same reason.”

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