Page 59 of Missile Tow
“Trust me. They love you.”
“Sadie sure has some strong feelings, though. That was a lot.”
“Feelings…andapparently visions as well.”
Van chuckled and grinned, proving he had thicker skin than Mrs. Hatfield could ever penetrate. “You caught that too?” he wisecracked.
“I sure did,” I replied. “Do you suppose the Christmas Eve dinner invite is rescinded?”
He turned and looked down Main Street toward Mrs. Hatfield’s house. “I actually hope it isn’t.”
“Van?”I questioned, tugging on his arm. “What are you up to?”
Without looking at me, he responded. “I enjoy a challenge.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Van
Pooch curled up under the counter, next to the safe. Chip kept a bed at the mercantile for him because he went everywhere Chip did. I’d never had a pet before and found myself getting attached to the well-behaved dog.
“Look at you and Pooch bonding,” Bertie reported, coming around the counter. “Seems to me when a person falls for an animal, he makes a good partner for its owner.”
“He’s irresistible,” I said.
Ever the wisecracker, Bertie chuckled and asked, “Pooch or Chip?”
“Both,” I stated. “I like them equally.”
“You better not tell Chip that.”
We simultaneously turned toward the glass door that led to the garage, where Chip worked on customers’ vehicles. He was bent over the open hood of Mrs. Hanson’s Plymouth.
“Well,” I began, reconsidering whether I liked Pooch or Chip best, and before checking out how awesome his ass looked in Wranglers. “I think I’ll choose Chip.”
“Wise choice, kiddo.”
Bertie began calling me kiddo almost from the day I showed up in Missile. Our friendship was immediate, and I valued her affection. Chip had mentioned he’d never seen Bertie take to a stranger so quickly.
I turned to face her, apprehension permitting fear to gain control of my thoughts. “I worry, Bertie,” I said. “About him. About us,” I explained, gesturing to the garage and Chip.
We stared at Chip for a minute before she spoke. “I’ll allow the worry,” she said, still focused on Chip. Then she turned to me. “But pleasedo notbreak his heart.”
“Not my intention,” I responded.
“If you can’t stay in Missile, I wouldn’t blame you, son. But try to make that decision soon, will ya?”
I remembered Sadie’s warning and voiced a worry. “People staying here seems to be the overriding concern of Missile’s residents.”
“That just your observation, or are you remembering crazy lady Hatfield’s rant?” she asked.
“You heard?”
She grunted her acknowledgment, shaking her head in disgust. “Nothing goes unnoticed in this town, son. Keep that in mind if you end up staying.”
There were no customers inside the store, so I turned my back to the counter and jumped up, sitting on it to ask Bertie’s opinion and see if she’d share her wisdom.
“I hate to talk behind Chip’s back, but I worry about John returning to town,” I confessed. “And I know we’ve just met, Bertie, but I hoped you might have some insight.”
Bertie leaned backward against the half wall below the cigarette display. Her face, lined deeply and with zero makeup, appeared concerned with my question. She glanced toward Chip before answering me.
