Page 41 of Dumbstruck
Did she just say…? My heart thrums in my chest, almost painful. “Different doesn’t want to think about that right now,” I say and squeeze her hand.
Lifting her eyes to meet mine, she quirks her lips up in a tentative smile. “I know that feeling.”
How am I supposed to concentrate on a faux ghost when I’m desperate to have a conversation with this woman and hash out our chances of making something work? Even if it’s a temporary relationship, I would be all for seeing where things go. But I don’t want to spook her any more than she’s already been spooked, so I’m going to table this for now and try to remember that I’m playing a role right now. I’m not Jonah James.
I’m Martin Smith.
It was a bad idea to suggest using my middle name for this.
“Let’s let Richie handle the ghost on wheels,” I say softly, squeezing June’s hand again. “You and I have a grocery date to get to.”
Using my cane, I push myself to my feet, remembering my phone in my lap only when it clatters to the sidewalk in front of me. The screen lights up, revealing the picture of my family on my lockscreen.
“Oh, let me get that for you!” someone says, and panic shoots through me.
Right as a teenage kid reaches for the lit up phone, I step on it and wince when I hear the crunch. “Oh!” I say, feigning alarm. “Oh my, did I just put my foot in the wrong place again?”
“You’re good at that, dear,” June says, rising to stand next to me.
The poor kid who came to my aid touches my arm. “Here,” he says, nudging me back a step. When he picks up the cracked phone, half of the screen is distorted. “Oh, uh, I think it might be broken.”
No kidding. At least he can’t see me in the picture…
“Clumsy me,” I say, forcing a laugh. “That’s the third phone I’ve broken this year.”
June tucks her arm through mine, shaking her head. “I can’t take you anywhere, Martin.”
The teenager gives me a look of sympathy as he hands me the broken phone. “Sorry I wasn’t faster.”
Not only is Dexter going to kill me for breaking my phone in the middle of nowhere, but now I’ve gone and made this kid feel guilty when he was trying to help an old man. Stowing the phone in my pocket, I put my hand on the kid’s shoulder and smile. “Oh, it wasn’t your fault. Like I said, I’m the clumsy one here. Thank you.”
He smiles and turns to go, but his eyes snag on June, pulling him to a stop. Frowning, he looks at her for a long moment before nodding to us both and continuing on his way.
June lets out a soft curse.
I raise my eyebrows. “Okay, wow, I wouldn’t have expected a word like that from a gal like you.”
“I think Herman might have recognized me,” she says, her arm tightening around mine.
“Who names their kid Herman?”
She jabs her elbow into my side. “Focus! I deliver groceries to Hank every Thursday, and Herm—”
“Whoa, you do what for Hank?” She did not just say what I think she said.
June gives me an exasperated smile, and I swear her whole bearing lightens at the mention of the author’s name. “I bring him his groceries.”
Something heavy settles in my gut. “Can’t the guy get his own groceries? He’s a grown man, isn’t he? Or is he one of those guys who can’t do anything for himself?”
Groaning, she tugs me to an alley not far from where we were sitting. Hopefully the shadows will hide us from prying eyes, since I get the feeling I’m about to get a lecture for judging the author. “Do you seriously not like Hank?” she says, keeping her voice low. “You don’t even know him.”
I can’t stop my nose from wrinkling. What reasons do I have tolikethe guy? “I know he’s not good enough for Bonnie.”Or you.
“That’s absolutely not true.”
Bonnie is basically perfect, but we can get into that later. I’m more concerned about the fact that June doesn’t see my issue. “You own your own business! Why are you making deliveries for a guy who should be capable of getting his own—”
“Why are you making a big deal out of this?”
