Bone Deep by Bonnie Dee

seen it before, although Sarah came in at least once a month. The elderly woman was a queen ruling her small kingdom. Rule-breakers were unacceptable in her world and she accepted overdue fines with a disapproving air that made one feel like a petty criminal.
    She handed Sarah her library card then stamped each book, stopping to check damage to the binding on the Round Table legends. She tsked mightily as she taped the spine.
    Agnes pushed the stack of books across the counter . “I suppose you’ve heard about this circus person running loose.” Her nostrils flared in indignation. “These traveling carnivals shouldn’t be allowed to exist . It’s a wonder someone doesn’t die on those ramshackle rides.” She peered at Sarah. “Your house is right near where the carnival was set up, isn’t it? You be sure and take extra care, young lady.”
    “Yes, ma’am.” Everybody seemed far too concerned with her welfare today.
    S he put her books in the car and headed to McNulty’s Hardware. It seemed everyone in town was gossiping about Tom. It shouldn’t have surprised her. There wasn’t a lot of excitement here. People would be remembering “the fall that crazy man escaped from the circus” for years to come , which didn’t bode well for Tom.
    Sarah had been too overwhelmed by the surprising advent of this stranger in her life to really th ink about the long term consequences. She couldn’t hide him forever , and it didn’t appear the townspeople would be receptive to letting him stay in the community. If anyone knew he was living in her house—that would be disastrous for her reputation.
    She pushed open the door of the hardware store , ringing the bell over the door. Andrew Harper looked up from stocking a shelf and beamed at the sight of her.
    “Sarah, hello!” He came over and half offered his hand to shake before dropping it to his side.
    “Hi, Andrew. How’s” —f or the life of her she couldn’t remember anything he ’ d told her about himself the other night — “the hardware business?”
    “Busy. Everybody’s getting things ready for winter. I’ve sold a lot of caulk and weather stripping.”
    “That’s good.” She looked past him toward the paint aisle as awkward silence fell between them.
    He cleared his throat. “Is there, uh, anything I can get for you?”
    “Yes. I need a gallon of paint. Flat w hite while do . I’m repainting my picket fence.”
    “Oh, I see.” He led her through the store. “Do you need any brushes or turpentine?”
    “Some turpentine, I guess.”
    They walked to the paint aisle . “ Have you heard the news about that tattooed man ?”
    She picked a brush from one of the hooks in the pegboard. “Yes.”
    Andrew hefted a gallon of paint and a can of turpentine off the shelf and carried th em to the checkout counter where he rang them up. “It’s so strange to think we actually saw him up close and now he’s God knows where. Kind of sad, though, isn’t it? I mean, it sounds like the guy’s lost more than anything . L ike a little kid. We should probably have search parties out looking for him or something.”
    “I guess so.” Sarah paid for the supplies and started to lift the box.
    “Let me get that for you.” Andrew hurried around the counter. He carried the box out to her car and stowed it in the trunk between bags of groceries. He closed the lid and turned to lean against the car.
    “I had a real nice time the other night.” He folded his arms and scuffed his shoe on the pavement. “I wondered if you might like to go out again some time ... with me. There’s a dance over in Chadwick on Friday. Grace and Mike are going. Maybe we could double again.”
    “Oh! I don’t know. I might be...”
    He must know her schedule wasn’t busy. She was a widow living alone on a farm. Her social life wasn’t exactly buzzing.
    “I’ll have to think about it.” She didn’t want to have to find a polite way to say no. She didn’t want to have to make