Page 36 of Back to Me
I was just finishing up when Gabriella came in. “Morning, Gabby.”
“Morning, Austin.” She moved to put her things in her locker in her room and came back as I took a seat at my desk. She sat opposite me.
“I have something that I need to ask you.”
“Which is?”
“Did Grady tell you anything about me?”
“Only that you were his ex-girlfriend.”
“That’s all?”
“Yep. He said that whatever is in your past, is your story to tell, not his. If I wanted to know then to ask you and respect it if you said you didn’t want to tell me. So, I decided that I would let you come and talk to me. If you didn’t, then you aren’t ready, or I don’t need to know. Though my brother Beau did make the connection of who you were.” She raised a brow. “Chief Bryant’s daughter, our dad’s best friend. I’m sorry that I didn’t recognize you.”
“It’s fine, I have changed a lot since we knew each other back in school and in your defense, we were in different years and didn’t have a lot to do with each other.” She was quiet for a few minutes before raising her brow at me. “He really didn’t tell you anything?”
“Nope, is there something that I need to know?”
“No, not really. I just didn’t think this town was good at keeping secrets.” I snorted.
“It’s not usually. You got lucky if they aren’t talking about you.”
“Do you go out with them a lot?”
“Not as much lately. Well not when my ex was around anyway. She would cause too much shit with all the guys so I tried to keep her away from them as much as I could.”
“She sounds like a real gem.”
“My family would agree with you there.”
“What would you say?”
“That I don’t speak ill of the dead.” She raised her brow at me and opened her mouth, shutting it again. It was like she wanted to ask questions but didn’t at the same time. “She was killed a little while ago.”
“Do you know who did it?”
“We do but we couldn’t prove it, so he was let off.” I wasn’t about to tell the chief’s daughter that we know he was killed not long after he was released. She didn’t need to know that. Before we could continue the conversation, the bell to the front door rang, signaling someone coming into the shop.
“Do you have another client?” I shook my head.
“Not for a few hours. All yours if you want it unless you have one.”
“No, I don’t. I’ll see what they are after.” She pushed herself up out of the chair and went to see who was at the front of the shop. Before I’d even had a chance to start on my next task, she was back in the doorway. “Customer for you.”
Before I could respond, she was gone and back into her booth, the door closing behind her. I shook my head with a sigh and stood up. Moving around my desk, I went to the front to see who would cause that kind of reaction from her and chuckled when I got there.
“I should have known you would be standing here.” Grady stood with his hands in the air.
“I just came to see about a tattoo, man.” He reached out and shook my hand before crossing his arms over his chest.
“What are you after?”
“I want a half sleeve from my elbow to my wrist. On my inner forearm, I am looking at a Day of the Dead inspired piece with a clock and a crow.” Moving to the counter where I kept my pad and pen, I started making notes.
“Okay and the top part?”
“A compass with the quote, ‘Not all who wander are lost.’”
