Page 27 of Searching for Bristol
“We’ll prop it up when we get there. Your hands hurt?”
“No.”
“All right. But if you start feeling too tired, just let me know and we’ll leave.”
“You’ve got me extremely curious now,” Bristol said, the excitement easy to hear in her tone.
Rocky chuckled. “It’s not a big deal. It’s Fallport, after all. I don’t want you to be disappointed when you find out where we’re going.”
Bristol reached out and touched his arm. “Before I decided to go on this trip with Mike, the biggest excitement in my life was going out to get the mail,” she said with a small smile.
“Well, here’s to hoping this will rank above that,” Rocky said as he chuckled.
He pointed out the Mangree Motel and RV Park as they passed, and told her about Elsie and her son living there. Mentioned Edna, the woman who ran the place with her husband, was ornery and gruff, but had a heart of gold. He showed her where Brock worked as a mechanic. Asked if she’d seen Caboose Park, and when she said she hadn’t, promised to take her there once her leg healed up a bit more.
He pointed out as many of the quirky things about the town as he could as they drove, and when they got to the square downtown, quickly parallel parked right in front of Sunny Side Up.
“Oooh, are we going to see Sandra?” Bristol asked.
Rocky smiled. “Yeah. She’s been driving me nuts with texts, wanting to know how you were doing, and since the food in the hospital wasn’t all that great, I figured you wouldn’t mind getting a decent meal and calming her fears at the same time.”
Bristol smiled at him…but then her lip began to quiver.
“What? What’s wrong?” he asked, somewhat alarmed.
“It’s just that, if it wasn’t for her, you wouldn’t have come looking for me. And I know you didn’t really think you’d find me, but still. I owe her so much!”
Wishing the console wasn’t between them, Rocky reached out and put his hand on her nape and turned her toward him. He rested his forehead against hers. “Don’t cry,” he ordered. “If you do, Sandra will absolutely lose it.”
Bristol gave him a watery chuckle.
“I’ve already told you Sandra doesn’t take to people very easily. And she’s notoriously cranky when it comes to tourists. They’re a necessary evil for her, but she much prefers the locals. For her to take such a shine to you means you’re special.”
“I’m just me,” Bristol said softly.
“So, just keep on being you,” Rocky suggested. He took a deep breath and leaned back, but kept his hand on her. He loved touching her. Didn’t want to let go until he absolutely had to. “Deep breath, Punky. And remember, when you’ve had enough, just let me know. I’ll take you home…er…to my place to get settled in.”
She smiled, and he couldn’t read the expression on her face. “I know you told me not to thank you, but it’s really hard at times like this.”
“Stay put,” he ordered. “I’ll come around and get you.” Rocky knew he sounded a little gruff, but he was feeling off-kilter. This little spitfire of a woman had him tied up in knots. He caressed her nape with his thumb and felt her shiver, then forced himself to let go and climb out of his side of the car. He was at the passenger door in seconds. Bristol had unbuckled her seat belt and was waiting patiently for him.
“A girl could get used to this,” she quipped as he leaned over and easily picked her up.
Rocky was extremely careful not to bang her leg on the doorframe as he straightened. He turned and kicked the door shut as he strode toward the entrance to the diner. “Anytime you want me to carry you around, just let me know,” he said seriously.
“Whatever,” Bristol mumbled. “Just because I’m short doesn’t mean my legs don’t work.” She took a breath to say something else, but the door to the diner opened just then and Rocky strode inside.
As he expected, the place was packed. The small reunion between Bristol and Sandra had turned into a full-on welcome home party.
Rocky saw his search and rescue team, along with Lilly, Elsie and her son Tony, Sandra, Finley Norris—who owned The Sweet Tooth, a bakery across the square—Nissi O’Neill, the lawyer whose office was next to the diner, Whitney Crawford, the owner of Chestnut Street Manor Bed and Breakfast, and Tiana and Reina, waitresses who worked with Elsie at Zeke’s bar.
Doc Snow and his partner, Craig, were at a small table. He also saw Fallport Police Chief Simon Hill; Davis Woolford, a homeless veteran; Dorothea, Cora, Ruth, and Clara, four close friends who loved to be in on everything happening in Fallport; and to round out the crowd, Silas, Otto, and Art, who’d given up their seats outside the post office to come check out the woman everyone in town was talking about.
The small diner was filled with people wanting to meet Bristol, and witness her and Sandra’s reunion firsthand. The story about how Sandra had been the one to alert Rocky to the possibility that Bristol might be missing had spread through Fallport like wildfire.
“Rocky…I think someone’s having a party. Maybe we shouldn’t interrupt,” Bristol said, looking at him with a furrowed brow.
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Punky, the party’s for you.”
