Page 4 of Life After Levi

But being that this is a small town, I know that Bud will probably waive that fee for the family because he’s done it in the past. He and Talbot are competitors, but in this instance, Talbot is the same way as Bud. In fact, their rates are the same and they’re bowling partners down at the alley where they’re on a league.

Small towns, gotta love them, right? Sighing, I take a sip of my water, grateful that I had my insulated bag with me, so I didn’t lose my voice while talking so much. Seeing that there are currently no calls, I pull out my sandwich and take a bite. I’m able to eat the whole thing before the console lights up and work starts all over again.

“911, what’s your emergency?” I ask as a second light comes on.

Hurry up, Pauline, please hurry up,I mentally chant as several more come on while I’m dealing with the first call.

Thankfully, by the time Pauline comes rushing back into the dispatch office, I’ve handled two out of the three callers and am on the third one, dispatching the police to handle a rowdy patron down at the Possum Valley Bar and Grill. At this time of the night, the grill part is shut down, but not the bar and evidently, Mr. Lucas, a nightly patron, decided to tie one on due to the fact it would’ve been his and Mrs. Shirley’s fiftieth wedding anniversary today if she hadn’t passed away last year.

* * *

“I’m goingto need a week of sleep and a deep tissue massage,” I mumble as I slump on the couch in our breakroom. Since I already ate all my food, I grab a bag of chips and a soda to keep me going. Tonight’s been intense as hell, so I haven’t really been able to study for my next ride-along with the Maggie Valley crew.

Pulling out my index cards, I start going over them as I snack on my chips and sip my Coke. I don’t normally drink soda, but I need the caffeine hit right now, that’s for dang sure! As I work through the scenarios that I’ve jotted down, I verbally say what the procedures and processes are that I need to do in order to stabilize the patient for transport to the hospital.

“I’m so grateful to Shane for giving me his old study things,” I murmur as I toss everything in the trash and prepare to head back to work. As I make it to my desk, I hear my phone chime and see a text from Memaw.

“Pauline, you’ve got to see this,” I say as I open up the picture and hold it out to her.

“That girl of yours is hysterical! How is she not scared of them?” Pauline asks as she gazes at the picture showing Levinia holding up one of the chickens.

“She was at first, but the one she’s holding, Bonnie, was given to her when she was just a chick, so she’s raised her. Whenever Bonnie sees her, she goes absolutely nuts and follows her around, clucking and waving her wings until Levinia picks her up and carries her.”

“She’s something else, that’s for sure,” Pauline murmurs, a grin on her face. I see the console light up and head back to my own desk.

Time to get back to it, I guess, but dang, this night needs to end and soon!

ChapterThree

Damien

Pulling down the long,tree-lined driveway at Levi’s parents’ house, I feel my heart rate kicking up into overdrive. It’s the first time I’ve been here since our last leave; I wasn’t even able to come for his funeral because the team was overseas at the time. Still, my heart is now lodged in my throat as memories of previous visits threaten to overwhelm me. As I park my rental car next to a pickup truck, I take a deep breath, crack the windows, then shut off the vehicle. Time to face the music, so to speak.

Stepping onto the gravel driveway, I take in the scents that seem to be unique to this little slice of heaven. I can hear the chickens that I know his mom keeps chirping, along with a dog barking, while the smell of the trees immediately makes me sneeze. Seems I might be here during peak pollen season judging from the amount of yellow dust motes I see moving around.

“Who are you?” a little voice asks, causing me to look down toward the ground.

A little girl, with bouncing blonde ringlets is smiling up at me, and I instinctively know she’s Levi’s because his unique blue-gray eyes are staring back at me.

He has a little girl,I muse. I don’t think he knew about her because he never said a word. Considering I knew all about Emerie, his family home, and the joys of growing up in the mountains of North Carolina, I don’t think he would’ve left this little sprite out.

Clearing my throat to unclog the lump that’s taking up residence at her innocent question, I say, “I’m a… a friend of your daddy’s.”

“My daddy lives in Heaven,” she replies. “Do you know my Pappy?”

I nod and ask, “Is he here?”

“Come on, I take you to him,” she says, grabbing my hand.

I follow along, grimacing when I step unevenly and my leg twinges. It hasn’t been long since I was discharged from physical therapy, but my therapist warned me it would be a few more months before the residual achiness went away. She also said that I might experience ‘seasonal discomfort’ which I guess was her way of saying that when the weather changes, I’ll hurt.

“Pappy!” the little sprite calls out, her voice echoing throughout the property.

“Levinia, who do you have with you?” Mr. Mathers asks, staring at me as he wipes his hands with a cloth.

She shrugs. “Don’t know, Pappy.”

Mr. Mathers walks toward us and then shocks the hell out of me when he pulls me in for a hug. “Wondered how you were, Damien.”

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