“Wow, I saw some scary shit in Iraq, but that face? Ranks up there. Why you mad?”

“Why you surprised? You don’t think Tate’s good enough?”

He laughed. “Yeah, because I’m so high falutin’ and stuff. I’m from the same part of town you are. I meant she was in my class at school. Tate is younger and she never hung around in that crowd. It’s not a matter of good enough. It’s a matter of who you know. That’s just reality.” Though he liked how protective she was of Tate, he was sorry to see how defensive she was. He understood it. Once he’d been away from Petal and had come back, he’d seen the stark differences between sides of town here that he hadn’t really had to contend with out in the rest of the world.

“I apologize. It’s a hot button. Tate went through hell at first. The stuff people said to her. She’s pretty much a mother to me. What happened to her when she should have been all about falling in love with her man, it makes me so mad.”

He liked a person who could own it when they did wrong.

“It’s okay. It’s good you spoke up for her.”

“The Chases have been so amazing. They’ve just sort of enfolded all of us Murphys into their family. Polly Chase treats William’s and Tim’s kids like grandchildren, like she does Tate and Matt’s kids. Makes a difference when their biological grandmother is a drunken loser.”

He took her hand to squeeze it briefly. “You have a fine family, just not that part.”

“Okay so why are you back?”

“Family stuff. I’ve been gone for years, it was time for me to come back. My parents are getting older.” No need to destroy a perfectly lovely lunch with any talk about his dad.

They ate until he remembered exactly why he’d missed this place. Fresh, great food. Neighbors all around who stopped from time to time to welcome him back to town. Beth helpfully told everyone that he’d taken over the Conway Auto Repair and needed the business. He wasn’t proud, that was how you got yourself new customers. And he couldn’t deny how much he liked watching her in action.

“You have a lot of energy.” They walked back toward her salon and his shop.

“You’ll turn my head with all your compliments, Joe Harris.”

He laughed. “It’s a compliment. I promise. You know everyone and everyone seems to like you. You have a way with people.”

“Ha. Not all people. Some people I want to hit with a shovel.”

“In my experience, Beth Murphy, some people need to be hit with a shovel. Do you need me to take care of any shovel smacking on your behalf?”

They paused near the pretty, flower-lined walk leading to the door of the salon. “You’d hit someone in the face with a shovel for me? Wow, you totally dig me.”

True. But he shouldn’t.

“It’s a service I offer to all little sisters of friends.”

Before he realized it, she’d tiptoed up and given him a quick kiss on his lips. She stepped back, a smirk on those pretty lips. “I should warn you up front, I aim to demolish that line of defense.”

“Now why would you go and do that?”

“Notice you’re not arguing.” She turned and walked away, waving over her shoulder. “See you later. Thanks for lunch. Oh and cake. But remember, mum’s the word on that or Tate will do me bodily harm.”

He stared at her, a stupid grin on his face, until she’d gone inside.

Chapter Three

Joe rolled over with a groan to answer his phone. Buck grunted from the foot of the bed where he was most assuredly not supposed to be sleeping. A quick look at the clock told him it was just after midnight.

“Hello?”

“I’m sorry to wake you.”

It was his mother, worry in her voice. He sat, more alert at her tone. “What is it?”

“It’s your dad. He got all worked up. I was getting rid of things. You know what the garage looks like. I’m afraid it’s a fire hazard. He got angry and then he left.”

“Did he hurt you?”

“No. No. He just, he left in his pajama bottoms. He’s been gone two hours. I’m worried but I don’t want to leave in case he comes back here.”

Joe scrubbed his face with his free hand. “Okay. I’ll get out and start looking as soon as I can. Hold tight.”

He pulled on jeans and a shirt, stepped into his boots near the door and hurried out. He might have to deal with cops, so he was sure to run a comb through his hair before he grabbed his wallet. He’d take his truck in case he found his dad and needed to give him a ride home.

Buck followed along and waited with a bark for Joe to pick him up. “Lazy bones.” Buck snorted and then licked Joe’s face.

The deteriorating situation with his father’s mental health is what brought him back to Petal at long last. His mother couldn’t handle it on her own anymore. He had a sister, but she lived in Maine and had a family to take care of. Joe knew he had her support when and if he needed it, but it was his time to be there and get things done.

Petal was small enough that he’d be able to do a drive of the main part of town in about ten minutes. But his parents lived on the outskirts of town and the neighborhood—though it was better now than it had been twenty years ago—wasn’t the best, so he wanted to start there and work his way outward.

After about half an hour, he spotted a man sitting on the swings at the park. Joe took a chance and pulled to the curb.