Page 33 of Refuge for Flora

Mrs.Murphy leaned back and stared at him through squinted eyes. “You sweet on her?”

“I don’t know if you’d call it?”

“Yeah, yeah. Dress it up however you want, but you’re sweet on her. I can see it. And that’s okay. She could do a lot worse.”

Barrett chuckled. “Thanks, I think.”

“Yore welcome. You know I don’t cotton to most of the folks ‘round here. They’s too uppity and snooty these days. But you, boy, you’ve always been kind and decent. Yore folks is kind and decent too. Nice people. So if’n you like Flora, I reckon that’s good for her.”

“Thank you. I don’t want her to know I talked to you, but I felt like you had a right to know.”

“I ‘preciate that. I do. Thanks for shootin’ straight with me.” The door opened and Mrs.Murphy glanced up. “What did you do?”

“I made you some corn dog nuggets, and I’ve got mustard here for them, and some chips, and a drink. Oh, and napkins,” Flora said as she set the tray down on the little table between the two lawn chairs.

“Need me to help you take the tags off all that stuff you bought?” Barrett asked.

“That would be nice, but don’t you have to go to work at some point today?”

Barrett looked down at his watch. “Oh, shit. Yeah, I told my captain I’d come in around four, and it’s almost three thirty now.”

“So where do you have to go to work?”

“That’s just it. ‘Coming in’ kinda means getting in my work truck.” He grinned at her and watched as a big smile stretched across her face. Something about getting her to smile that way made little sparks run down his spine, and he loved it. “But yeah, I’ve gotta change into my uniform and get some stuff together, so I guess I should get going. I’ll probably see you in the next few days.”

“Okay. Well, thanks for taking me to lunch and to get the car. And shopping. And the presents. I appreciate it.”

“You’re quite welcome. It was fun, and I hope we get a chance to do it again sometime soon. So I’ll see ya. Bye, Mrs.Murphy.”

“Bye, son. You have a good evening and thanks for the conversation.”

He knew exactly what she was talking about. “Yeah. Good talking to you. Take care.”

“Oh, I will. You can bet I will.” She winked at him as he got into his truck, and he felt a tiny glimmer of relief.

He was leaving Flora with someone he was sure would fight to the bitter end to protect the two of them. He wasn’t sure if Flora knew how to shoot a shotgun, but he damn sure knew Mrs.Murphy did. And that made him feel better.

But only a little.

* * *

He was barely outof sight when Mrs.Murphy looked at her and grinned. “That young feller is sweet on you.”

“Me? Nah. He’s not?”

“Oh, yeah. He shore ‘nuff is. He ain’t gonna come right out and say it, but he is. And he’s a looker too.”

“Yeah. He’s pretty cute.” Flora sat down in the lawn chair where Barrett had been sitting and sighed. “But I think you’re wrong. He wouldn’t want me.”

“Oh, I’m right and I know I’m right, ‘cause I asked him.”

“Mrs.Murphy! You didn’t!” Well, there went any hope she had of ever snagging BarrettQuarles.

“I did. And you could do a lot worse, young lady. Barrett’s a good guy. His parents are good folks. They’s hardworking and honest. Barrett never meets a stranger. Everybody who knows him calls him friend. Hell, he’s been comin’ down here to mow my grass foryears, and he ain’t never complained. Don’t ask for nothin’, not even a glass of water. Don’t ask for money for gas for the mower either, just brings gas and puts it in. And I didn’t ask him. He just stopped here one day and said, ‘Mrs.Murphy, looks like yore grass needs cuttin’. That mower of yourn work? I’ll be ‘round tomorrow to cut it. Nah, you don’t gotta pay me nothin’. I’m yore neighbor.’ And he’s been mowin’ it ever since.”

“That’s really nice of him.”

“Yeah, it is. Ain’t too many men like him anymore. After what happened, I figured he’d just quit comin’ ‘round, too embarrassed and all, but he just?”

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