Page 14 of Securing Samantha
“I’ve got the team,” Whiskey argued.
Leo grunted. “What good does it do you if you don’t take advantage?”
Whiskey remained quiet until they pulled up to Claire’s temporary office.
“Taco’s picking you up,” Leo called out as Whiskey walked up the stairs.
His feet felt like lead as he climbed each one. He dreaded sitting across from Samantha as she complained he didn’t try. He opened the door to the office to find Claire at the filing cabinet.
“Hello, Whiskey. Samantha won’t be joining us today. I guess LJ came down with the flu.” Claire stuffed the file back into the drawer and sat down at her desk. “I tried calling your phone. You never answered.”
Whiskey pulled out the phone and saw the missed calls. A text from Samantha appeared.
I won’t be coming to the appointment today. I’ve notified Claire.
He frowned. She made no mention of LJ having the flu. Did she need anything for the boy? Did he need a doctor? What about fluids? He recalled popsicles worked great for keeping kids hydrated.
“You appear concerned, do you want to share those thoughts?” Claire asked.
He sighed. He felt tired of the endless questioning about his thoughts and feelings. How did they think this possibly helped him?
“I think I’ll go home today. We’ll reschedule as soon as Samantha feels up to it.” He stood and walked out of the office.
Knowing his visits lasted sixty minutes and he only used five, he decided to walk through the town. The smell from the bakery lured him in the direction of the older building. He passed the supermarket wondering if Samantha needed anything for LJ. He took out his phone to send her a text and his finger hovered over her name.
Maybe Leo made a point. He walked by another store and glanced inside. A mish mash of merchandise displayed in the window. He spied the remote-controlled helo. Taking out the wallet Leo gave him, he counted how much cash he carried. He entered the store and luckily found it void of customers but two and they stood at the register waiting to check out. He ducked into the last aisle and browsed the items on the shelf. He soon went back and grabbed a basket. He placed a bottle of cold and flu medication, a couple of cans of chicken noodle soup shaped like superheroes and he finally found the toy he searched for. He walked up to the counter, paid for the items and proudly held the bag in his arms. He stopped as he passed a restaurant and then Samantha’s temporary store came into view.
A young woman sat on a stool, placing stickers on some merchandise. Knowing his wife most likely stayed home with their sick son, he found himself opening the door and walking in. The clerk raised her head and shot him a smile.
“Hi, I’m Becky. If you need help with anything let me know.”
He nodded his head and began to browse the teas. He picked up each jar holding a sample of the tea and the name labeled on each one. He came to a stop when he opened a jar, and the scent tickled his nose. It contained bits of lavender in it and something else. He pulled back the jar and read the label. His heart skipped a beat when he read the name. Whiskey and Sunshine. She named a blend after them.
“You picked our most popular one. She sells out of it. I stocked it this morning. You lucked out,” the clerk offered.
“What does it have in it?” he asked. He picked up the biggest bag and took it to the counter.
“I don’t know. When people ask she says love and sunshine, whatever that means.” She rang up the sale and handed him the bag.
Whiskey walked out of the store and spotted Taco’s truck.
“I wondered if you decided to check out the town. Claire called and said your appointment ended. I didn’t know if you needed a ride, and I came over early to make a grocery run.”
“The bakery smelled good, and I picked up a few things. Do we have time to stop in?” Whiskey asked.
“Dude, I don’t know a single soul who’d turned down a chance for Bryanna’s cookies.” Taco walked beside him and held the door open.
He walked into the bakery. His eyes glazed over as he took in the glass display with a selection of pies, a couple of cakes, croissants, scones, and homemade bread. Cupcakes, brownies, and cookies lined the next one.
Taco made his selection and waited for Whiskey. Bryanna patiently waited while he picked his selections. Motioning to Taco, he pulled him to the side. “LJ’s sick. What do you think he can eat when he feels better?”
Bryanna interrupted him. “LJ’s a fan of cookies. I add his favorite cartoon character on them.”
Whiskey nodded and swiped at his scraggily beard. “Do you know what his mom likes?”
“Oh, Samantha’s a fan of my chocolate mousse cake. I sell it by the slice in the back,” Bryanna offered.
“Can you give me two slices, a piece in each box?” he asked.