Page 13 of Diners, Damsels & Wolves

“I hate to bring this up again, but last night—”

She stiffened, edging closer to the edge of her seat. Breath came heavy and fast. Her legs coiled, she readied to flee. She couldn’t handle this right now; on a good day, her composure was held together with nothing more than tape.

“Wait, I found something on the ground after you left.” Rummaging in his pocket, he pulled out a long, delicate chain.

Her eyes welled up. It was her father’s necklace. “I thought I’d lost it,” she murmured. “Thank you.”

“The clasp was broken. I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of fixing it for you.” He placed it on the table in front of her. “It’s a beautiful carving, did someone make it for you?”

“My father,” she said.

“I’d like to meet such a talented man.”

“So would I.” The words came out before she could stop them. She had no reason to be telling strangers about her life.

“I’m sorry.” His brows pulled together. “Is that why this is so important to you?”

“Yes. It’s the only thing that’s left of them both.”

“I see.” His voice was low. “In that case, I’m very happy I found it and was able to return it to you.”

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. It was the right thing to do. Both times,” he said.

Clearing her throat, she tucked the necklace into her pocket and stood up. Tears pricked her eyes. She had to get out of there before she started bawling. “Did you need anything else?”

“No, thank you, I can come up to the counter and pay.”

She rang him up without speaking more than necessary, keeping her eyes down. It wasn’t until his back was turned to her that she looked up to watch him go.

Sylvia was by her side in a heartbeat. “Tell me everything,” she demanded.

“There isn’t anything to tell. He found my necklace in the parking lot and came to return it,” Clarissa said.

“A knight in shining armor returning a token to his lady,” Sylvia said.

“Okay, you clearly need to get out more.”

“I get out more than you do.”

“Little League games and parent-teacher conferences don’t count,” Clarissa said.

“Do too.” Sylvia stuck her tongue out and ran her next order.

* * *

Parking the car in the dirt drive, Clarissa rubbed her eyes. Donna had let her go an hour early. She didn’t know how Jeff and Eugene did it, staying up all night like that.

As she unlocked the door to the double-wide, her exhaustion left her in a panic. Rachel wasn’t there.

Television, off. Recliner, empty. Kitchen table, empty.

“Aunty!” Her voice shook.

This was it. Her worst fears of Rachel going off the deep end while she was at work had been realized. She needed to call a home nurse. She’d skip as many meals as she needed to pay for it, that is, if she found Rachel.

“Aunty!” Screaming, she tore through the trailer without bothering to take her shoes off. Only an emergency like this would drive the dirt on her soles from her mind.