Page 112 of Searching for Bristol
Rocky kept his eye out for the one person he’d personally invited…and he hoped like hell would show up.
Bristol was holding court from her spot on the couch because she couldn’t exactly get up and walk around, but no one seemed to mind. People had brought food and drinks, and everyone was smiling and laughing. This was what Rocky loved about Fallport. The community.
“I take it she likes the house,” Ethan said, coming up behind his brother.
“Yeah. Thank fuck,” Rocky said. Then he added, “And you should know, you and Lilly are getting married here.”
Ethan laughed. “We are?”
“Yup.”
“Cool. Reception in the barn?”
“Uh-huh. It’ll be a dress rehearsal forourwedding around Christmas.”
“Then you’d better get to work, because Lilly and I aren’t pushing our date past Halloween,” Ethan said.
“Whatever. You won’t have to,” Rocky said, giving his brother a shove with his shoulder. “It’ll be done.”
Ethan turned then, pulling Rocky into a hard embrace. “Happy for you, bro. So glad things worked out.”
Rocky closed his eyes and thumped Ethan on the back. “Love you, man.”
“Love you too.”
They broke it up and smiled at each other.
The door opened then, and Rocky turned to see who’d arrived. He beamed at seeing the two men in the doorway. “Excuse me,” he told Ethan, and went to greet them.
He shook both men’s hands. “Bristol is gonna want to have a word with you,” he told Davis.
The man looked as if he’d made an attempt to clean up for the visit. His hair was combed and his shirt and pants didn’t look as dirty as usual. But he didn’t exactly look thrilled to be there.
The second Bristol saw who was with him when Rocky approached her spot on the couch, her eyes filled with tears. She put her face in her hand as she tried to hold onto her composure.
When she looked back up, Rocky could see tears on her cheeks. “Davis,” she whispered.
“Bristol,” Davis said.
“Please, come here,” she requested. Davis shuffled over, and she gestured to the empty spot next her. “Sit?”
“I’m…I’m not really dressed for that.”
“Whatever.Sit.” This time it wasn’t a question.
Davis sat.
Bristol leaned over, being careful not to jostle her leg, and hugged the homeless man. Davis sat stiff in her embrace, but he did bring one hand up to awkwardly pat her back.
She pulled back, but didn’t let go of his arms. “Thank you.”
Davis shrugged.
“No, seriously…thank you. Rocky told me you were the first person to go to Simon to tell him what you saw. And you were absolutely right, it was very weird that he didn’t want you looking through his trash. There were some beads, business cards he’d made on his computer back in Kingsport, and probably other things in there that totally would’ve given away the fact that I was in his apartment.”
Davis shrugged again, but Rocky saw him sit up a little straighter.
“As far as I’m concerned, you’re the eyes and ears of this town,” Bristol went on. “You see everything. I hate that you’re sleeping on the streets though. Won’t you at least consider letting me…us, your friends…give you at least a tiny home? We can put it near the square. Maybe behind the diner, in the corner of the parking lot. Sandra and I talked about it a while ago, and she agreed.”
