wanted, Buck already knew the who, he wanted to know the why. With whatever Bonnie could remember, he would eliminate this threat to her.
***
A few nights later Buck sat in a local sports bar and watched the younger man pull out the chair turn it around and straddle the seat before he picked up his bottle of beer. Watching him now, barely old enough to buy alcohol, as a man and he felt a sense of pride. Maybe he did have a hand in this youngster’s life.
“My sister hasn’t been home in two days,” Dexter began. “What’s your intention, because if you break her heart I’ll be forced to hurt you.”
Buck laughed. “You think all that brawn you got hauling concrete scares me?”
“I figured the power tools would do it.” The smile disappeared from his face. “I’m serious.”
Buck dug in his pocket and placed a tan jeweler’s box in the middle of the table. He’d been carrying that around for a while now. “I want her in my life until death do us part.”
Dexter opened the case and let out a low whistle. “You loved her way back then.”
“What do you know about that?”
The younger man shrugged, closed and handed the ring back. “It wasn’t hard to spot. She got all goo-goo eyed whenever you walked in the room or someone said your name. You helped keep us together and I can never thank you enough for that.” He paused. “When our parents left, Bonnie didn’t even bat an eye. She just did what she’s always done. Take care of me, made sure we stayed together. I mean it Buck, you hurt my sister and I’ll be forced to maim you and bury your body in the foundation of a building.”
Buck grinned. “So noted.”
Dexter glanced around. “Is she supposed to meet you here?”
“No. I’ll meet her later. And you don’t have a problem with me dating your sister?”
He eyed the other man over the top of his bottle. “She’s an adult. It’s not like I could stop either of you.”
Buck nodded, satisfied with the answer. “There is something that concerns me though.”
“Yeah?”
“She’s remembering bits and pieces of the attack.”
“She shows me what she writes down and it meshes with the tape I’ve seen.”
“But there are things the tape can’t tell us. Impressions that we can only get from Bonnie.” Buck scrubbed the heel of his hand over his face. “I think someone hurt her to get to me.”
Dexter gaped. “You two haven’t seen or spoken to each other in years.”
“I always made sure she could contact me if she needed anything, even while I was in prison. We hadn’t spoken until I called on the night of her attack.” He swigged his beer. “I don’t even know where to begin looking. Actually that’s not true, I may need to take a trip to the old neighborhood.”
“Is that wise?”
“I need to find the guy who attacked Bonnie. She needs closure on that. And if someone did hurt her to get back at me, they’ve made a grave error.”
They fell silent a moment. He’d put out feelers, but no one had seen the man in question. Buck focused on the baseball game blaring in one corner, then darted his attention to the basketball playoffs in the other. Neither of the favored teams were doing well.
“What about that one guy?”
“What guy?” He signaled the waitress for another round.
“The one you shoved in your trunk.”
Buck chuckled. “You remember that?”
He nodded. “I watched from the window while Bonnie was in the bathroom. Whatever happened to him?”
The waitress came and say two more bottles in front of them, then disappeared. Buck remembered that night very clearly and he’d made a decision to be everything he could at that time to a teenage girl.
He wrapped a hand around the cold bottle, the condensation wetting his palm. “I’m not sure, but I’ll find out.”
***
Bonnie smiled at the bouquet of roses sitting on her desk. Once a week, Buck made sure to send her flowers. And since he’d been out of town the last couple of
***
A few nights later Buck sat in a local sports bar and watched the younger man pull out the chair turn it around and straddle the seat before he picked up his bottle of beer. Watching him now, barely old enough to buy alcohol, as a man and he felt a sense of pride. Maybe he did have a hand in this youngster’s life.
“My sister hasn’t been home in two days,” Dexter began. “What’s your intention, because if you break her heart I’ll be forced to hurt you.”
Buck laughed. “You think all that brawn you got hauling concrete scares me?”
“I figured the power tools would do it.” The smile disappeared from his face. “I’m serious.”
Buck dug in his pocket and placed a tan jeweler’s box in the middle of the table. He’d been carrying that around for a while now. “I want her in my life until death do us part.”
Dexter opened the case and let out a low whistle. “You loved her way back then.”
“What do you know about that?”
The younger man shrugged, closed and handed the ring back. “It wasn’t hard to spot. She got all goo-goo eyed whenever you walked in the room or someone said your name. You helped keep us together and I can never thank you enough for that.” He paused. “When our parents left, Bonnie didn’t even bat an eye. She just did what she’s always done. Take care of me, made sure we stayed together. I mean it Buck, you hurt my sister and I’ll be forced to maim you and bury your body in the foundation of a building.”
Buck grinned. “So noted.”
Dexter glanced around. “Is she supposed to meet you here?”
“No. I’ll meet her later. And you don’t have a problem with me dating your sister?”
He eyed the other man over the top of his bottle. “She’s an adult. It’s not like I could stop either of you.”
Buck nodded, satisfied with the answer. “There is something that concerns me though.”
“Yeah?”
“She’s remembering bits and pieces of the attack.”
“She shows me what she writes down and it meshes with the tape I’ve seen.”
“But there are things the tape can’t tell us. Impressions that we can only get from Bonnie.” Buck scrubbed the heel of his hand over his face. “I think someone hurt her to get to me.”
Dexter gaped. “You two haven’t seen or spoken to each other in years.”
“I always made sure she could contact me if she needed anything, even while I was in prison. We hadn’t spoken until I called on the night of her attack.” He swigged his beer. “I don’t even know where to begin looking. Actually that’s not true, I may need to take a trip to the old neighborhood.”
“Is that wise?”
“I need to find the guy who attacked Bonnie. She needs closure on that. And if someone did hurt her to get back at me, they’ve made a grave error.”
They fell silent a moment. He’d put out feelers, but no one had seen the man in question. Buck focused on the baseball game blaring in one corner, then darted his attention to the basketball playoffs in the other. Neither of the favored teams were doing well.
“What about that one guy?”
“What guy?” He signaled the waitress for another round.
“The one you shoved in your trunk.”
Buck chuckled. “You remember that?”
He nodded. “I watched from the window while Bonnie was in the bathroom. Whatever happened to him?”
The waitress came and say two more bottles in front of them, then disappeared. Buck remembered that night very clearly and he’d made a decision to be everything he could at that time to a teenage girl.
He wrapped a hand around the cold bottle, the condensation wetting his palm. “I’m not sure, but I’ll find out.”
***
Bonnie smiled at the bouquet of roses sitting on her desk. Once a week, Buck made sure to send her flowers. And since he’d been out of town the last couple of
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