Page 22 of Forgotten Path
The boy nodded. “Sure can. But it’ll cost ya’.”
He laughed, and the young entrepreneur gave him a stern look.
“Oh, you’re serious.”
He was confident he could navigate the two blocks of storefronts without guidance, but he took a closer look at the boy. The toes of his sneakers were worn. His big toe peeked out of a hole in the right shoe, and the fabric on the left was paper thin. His t-shirt was clean but frayed, and he was rail thin. Bodhi didn’t know much about kids, but he knew they went through phases when they were all arms and legs and phases when they filled out. He sensed that this particular boy was thin for another reason.
As he flipped open his wallet to take out another ten, he asked casually, “Aren’t you a little young to have an after-school job?”
The kid plucked the money from Bodhi’s hand as if he feared it might vanish if he waited another second and tucked it into the pocket of his shorts before answering.
“It’s not that kind of job. After the paper mill closed down, my brother started charging tourists to park here. He used to work there, so it’s okay,” he hastened to explain. “Anyway, I took over the business when Mikey left to join the Navy. He said if I stick with it, maybe I can save enough to get out of here, too.”
Bodhi studied the somber boy. By rights, he should have been swinging from a tree, executing dangerous jumps on his bike, or curled up in a bean bag chair with a video game controller or the latest book in his favorite series. But here he was, hustling and grinding in the heat to fund his escape from what Bodhi suspected was the only home he’d ever known.
“Don’t you like it here?”
“What’s to like,” he scoffed. “Do you want to know the shortcut or not?”
“Please.”
He turned and pointed toward a rocky outcropping near the water’s edge. The tip of his tongue poked out between his lips as he gave the directions. “There’s a trail that starts near that park bench. It winds through the marina and then curves away from the water and up the hill to the street. Stay on it, and, boom, you’ll come out right in front of Steffi’s!”
“Steffi owns the Juice Joint?”
“Yep.”
“Thanks. Hey, I didn’t catch your name.”
His brow furrowed while he considered this request, but then he shrugged as if dismissing the prospect of stranger danger. “Theo.”
Bodhi stuck out his hand. “I’m Bodhi. Pleased to meet you, Theo.”
Theo gave Bodhi’s outstretched palm a quizzical look, shrugged again, and pumped Bodhi’s hand energetically.
“Don’t worry about your Jeep, Bodhi. I’ll take good care of it.”
“Thanks, Theo.”
He set off for the path the boy had identified and strode through the park at a quick pace. As a rule, he didn’t hurry. He preferred to move through the world deliberately and with close attention. Today was proving to be the exception to that rule.
Ever since he’d jolted awake with the realization that Joel wasn’t the last person to drive the Jeep, he’d been propelled forward by a strong, almost overwhelming, sense of urgency. He’d driven at a higher speed and with fewer stops than was his custom. Now, he was practically jogging along the path. The frenetic energy coursing through his body was unfamiliar and uncomfortable, but he trusted that it was necessary.
He climbed the short hill and came out onto the street directly in front of the Juice Joint, as Theo had promised he would. He paused to slow his breathing and his racing thoughts. Despite his internal tumult, he wanted to enter the juice bar without adding his disruptive energy to the space.
Once he felt steady and calm, he pushed open the glass door and stepped into the shop’s cool interior.
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
She shouldn’t be doing this. Intellectually, Brianna knew this was a bad idea. And even if she hadn’t, her body was sending up a series of unmistakable red flags. Her mouth was desert-dry. Her heart fluttered in her chest, and her hands shook—or would have if she hadn’t been white-knuckling the steering wheel.
Despite her misgivings, she careened through the strip mall situated across from Oyster Point’s park. It was a nice one—the shopping center, not the park. The park was little more than an uninspired patch of grass that didn’t take advantage of its location on the water. The shopping center, in contrast, was relatively new construction and had chosen its tenants with tourists rather than locals in mind. With the exception of the liquor store, residents rarely frequented the establishments located there. Those places were too expensive and fussy—as she’d overheard someone at the Piggly Wiggly explaining the apparent boycott of the restaurants and the bourbon bar.
She zipped behind the buildings and bumped down the gravel road that led to the old paper mill. She shook her head when she spotted Theo Beauregard at his table. But she dug into her purse before buzzing down her window.
“Theo, does your mom know you’re out here?”
He squinted at her. “If you know my mom, you know she don’t care.”
