Dreaming August by Terri-Lynne Defino Read Free Book Online Page B

farmstand.
    “Afternoon, Savannah.” Dan touched his brow like the country gentleman he was. “Got any of those striped tomatoes yet?”
    “Not yet. But I do have some gold Brandywines.”
    “Sweet?”
    “Like sugar.”
    “Great, thanks. I’ll take two. Basil?”
    “Always.”
    “Now if you have some of that soft farm cheese, I’m set for dinner.”
    “Of course I do. It’s in the fridge.”
    Savannah led Dan into the store. Benny took slow, even breaths in a failed attempt to ease her heart rate. She counted to ten then made a dash for her scooter. Savannah would understand. If she knew. Which she didn’t. Benny kicked the starter.
    “No. No-no-no! Not now!” She kicked again. No hair-dryer-engine bzzzz . Dan’s deep voice rumbled in her belly, got louder. Closer. Benny gave it all she had. The engine sputtered to life. She twisted the throttle and spun gravel out of the parking lot.
    Sorry, Savvy. She threw the thought over her shoulder, but did not look back to see if they were both watching her zip away like a crazy person. Tears dried almost instantly, and Benny realized she hadn’t grabbed her helmet. Fear welled up worse than any nausea she’d felt these past months. How did she forget her helmet? Her damned helmet.
    The engine sputtered. The scooter slowed, bucked, and turned off. Benny coasted to the side of the road, put her head in her arms and sobbed. In the darkness behind her lids, the nightmare image of Henny’s broken body formed. She held onto that ghastly image until she could no longer do so without screaming.
    Benny wiped her eyes, sniffed. She unscrewed the gas cap, gave the scooter a shake. No swoosh. No gas. She almost laughed, but feared it would start her crying again. She moved the scooter farther to the side and lowered the kickstand. A vehicle pulled over. She knew who it was without looking.
    “Hey, Dan.”
    “Need some help?”
    “Out of gas. You wouldn’t have any in the truck, would you?”
    “Sorry, no. But I got some planks back there. I can get the scooter in the bed and drive you home.”
    The jaw-watering sensation that had nothing to do with her pregnancy and everything to do with the sickening feeling she would vomit any second kept her silent. She only nodded and got into the truck. He wouldn’t have let her help him anyway.
    Sunshine came through the window. Shielding her eyes, Benny lowered the visor. The mirror there reflected Dan in the truck bed. His shirt stretched taut across his broad back. Sunlight caught out the blond of his younger days, now turned a shade or two darker. He squinted against the sunlight as he struggled the scooter into the truck bed, brow furrowed. Taller than most men she knew, he was one of the few in town she didn’t tower over. Benny had liked that about him, during the week of happiness she stole from him. She liked too much about him, and that was the problem in a nutshell.
    “I only had one webbing strap,” he said as he got into the truck, “but it should be fine for the short ride to your place.”
    “Thanks.”
    He glanced up from fastening his seatbelt. “You okay? You look like you’re going to be sick.”
    “You have that effect on me.” She tried to laugh, but it came out as a bark.
    “I figured as much, the way you been acting since Valentine’s Day.” But he smiled when he said it, and Benny felt a little better. He turned in his seat. “Listen, Benny, it didn’t work out. I won’t say it didn’t break my ornery old heart a bit, but I been alone a long time. Probably always will be. We were friends a long time before we were anything else. Can’t we be again?”
    Benny’s shoulders slumped. Her head told her to tell him. Now was the perfect time. Her throat and tongue and mouth had other ideas. Again, she nodded. He waited then, letting go a deep and exasperated breath, Dan turned over the engine and pulled back onto the road.
    The drive into town was silent, and only when they passed the cemetery did