Page 106 of Small Town, Big Storm

“I’ll fight you for it, kid,” Shep teases, ruffling her hair and scooping up Holly, settling her on his shoulders.“Let’s hit it,” he says.

I send a look his way, making it very clear that we’ll be having words later.

He just nods tersely in return.

Then we’re moving through the playground, by the herd of fucking geese.I shoot a look at them, but Gerald—maybe sensing the seriousness of the situation (or, more likely, being too fucking lazy to cause trouble without ice cream around)—doesn’t make so much as a honk as we walk by.

That doesn’t mean the rest of Cedar Hollow is quiet, though.

Worried exclamations follow us as we walk, concern and well wishes trailing us.

Daisy retrieves Poppy’s keys and rushes over to Sully’s to bring her car around.Clem appears with a bottle of water and ibuprofen.Clover and Blossom show up within minutes, promising to keep Holly busy with something called flower crowns while Riley crafts a makeshift splint out of a pillow and flower stakes to make Poppy more comfortable.Even Gertie says she’ll help Cassie in the bar tonight.

Maybe the old crone isn’t so bad after all.

Especially when she pats Shep’s bottom and orders him to behave.

It’s the first time anyone has ever left my teammate speechless.

But that doesn’t mean he’ll listen, I know, as Holly—suitably soothed by a hug from Poppy (and the promise of flower crowns)—is carried away by Shep, Clover and Blossom beside them.Blossom is smiling, Clover is scowling, and Shep is…determined.

And I wonder what Cedar Hollow will think aboutthat.

But I don’t have long to ponder it because Daisy parks Poppy’s car next to the curb and then I’m loading Pop into the passenger’s seat and buckling her in, carefully driving her over to the nearest hospital.

Poppy sighs softly, shakes her head.

“Hopefully the pain medicine will kick in soon,” I say.

“It’s not that.”

“Then what?”I ask.“I’m already going to kick Shep’s ass, so you don’t have to worry about that part.”

She giggles then winces as we hit a bump.

“Sorry, Poppyseed.”I touch her cheek.“And I’m sorry for distracting you and putting you in the path of the dumbfuck.”

“I liked the distraction.”She rests her good hand on my thigh, squeezes lightly.“And it was just an accident, so don’t beat up Shep—or yourself—on my account.”

“He has it coming,” I mutter.

And maybe I do too.

A huffed-out laugh.

“But that’s not what you were sighing about, was it?”

“No,” she says, turning to me with pain-tinged green eyes but also with all that determined strength and steadfast capability.“I was thinking that, sooner or later, somehow I justknewyou’d end up carrying me through Cedar Hollow.”A sigh.“And that everyone would be talking about the show for weeks.”

I let that linger for a moment, test how it makes me feel.

And I decide…

I don’t really care.

Not so long as Poppy is okay and Holly isn’t scared and?—

“Well, all I can say is that we’d better make the front page of the Cedar Hollow Gazette.”