Page 112 of Small Town, Big Storm

She laughs.

And I know that for all of Clover’s stubbornness, she’s about to fall victim to the charm that is Shep.

I wait until they walk out of the parking lot and turn onto Main Street, then head back inside.

Cassie’s managed to send off the regulars, so while she cashes out, I start gathering empties.

Then it’s wiping tables and mopping the floor and snagging the spare set of keys before I walk Cassie to her apartment a few blocks down.

By the time I return to Sully’s it’s nearly three.

Maybe I should go back home, make sure I’m around to help Rain with the repairs in the morning considering that I skipped out on today.

Maybe I should give Holly and Poppy space to settle back into normalcy.

But I don’t double check everything’s locked up and walk the couple of blocks to the house I grew up in.

Instead, I slip inside, secure the door, and turn out the lights.

Then I punch in Holly’s birthday on the keypad, let myself upstairs.

I repeat the code-punching on the apartment’s doorknob, wait for the lock towhiropen before I push inside.

A quick pit-stop to check on Holly.

She’s sleeping, her breaths even and steady, the stuffed Gerald tucked tightly under her arm.

“Fucking geese,” I mutter under my breath as I slip out of the bed.

Another moment ofshouldas I pause in the hallway.

Ishouldhead for the family room,shouldsleep on the couch.

Instead, I walk down the hall to Poppy’s room, telling myself that I’m just going to check in on her, make sure she’s good.

But when I peek in and see that she’s sleeping, I don’t turn around.

Instead, I linger.

And then I walk across the worn floorboards, not stopping until I’m beside the bed.

More lingering, and I know that if she woke now, I’d scare the shit out of her, standing here, staring down at her like a creep.

Exhaling, I turn, start to force my feet forward.

But before I can take so much as a step, she shifts on the bed.I rotate back, see that she’s frowning, her head rocking slowly from side to side.

I reach for her, intending to check for a fever, but then her face smooths and her lips part.“Storm,” she breathes.

For a second, I think she’s awake.

But then she burrows into her pillow, her eyes staying firmly closed.

Asleep.

And dreaming of me.

Me.