just the thought of him. “Like I told the police last night, I’d be dead if it wasn’t for Kieran.”
“Kieran? Which one is that?”
“Is that the one from the diner?”
It was too much, all these people saying his name and talking about him, that made the heat rise to my cheeks.
“Yes,” I said. “That’s him.”
“Well,” one of the older shop owners said as he poured himself another cup of coffee. “I’d keep my guard up if I was you.”
“Why?”
“Because,” Alex snapped from his spot in the crowd. “Carnies and gypsies just seemed to bring trouble with them.”
It was late afternoon before people began to leave the store. I was left with a mess of foam cups and no actual sales.
“This is as bad as having a party,” I said as I scooped the mess into the trash.
Alec added his own collection of cups to the garbage, but said nothing. He refused to even look at me as he gathered more.
“Why are you so quiet?” I snapped as I tied up one bag and put another one into the can. “Are you mad about something?”
Alec shrugged, keeping his back to me. “I’ve just got a lot going on.”
I stopped and looked at him, feeling guilty. I had been so distracted with my own mess that I hadn’t paid attention to what was happening to the people around me. My grandmother would be so disappointed; she always prided herself on how she never failed to take time for others.
“Like what?” I asked, not sure if he would even tell me.
“Nothing,” he grumbled. “Just forget about it.”
I picked up a few more cups, working my way over to him.
“Come on Alec,” I said. “We used to be friends.”
Something in my tone must’ve convinced him because he stopped picking up trash and actually looked at me for the first time.
“One of my uncles is visiting from Ireland with his sons,” he said flatly.
“Which one?” I asked as if that would clarify something.
Alec went back to picking up trash, “It’s my dad’s oldest brother, Timothy. He went to live in Ireland years ago. Now he’s brought himself and his two sons back for a visit.”
“I didn’t know you had any family outside the country.”
Throwing the last of the trash away, Alec shook his head. “Neither did I until they showed up at Grandpa's last night. Everyone says that I met Timothy once when I was little, but I honestly don’t remember.”
I tied up the bag again, “So, what’s he like?”
Alec shrugged and looked away, "I don't know. “I lifted the bag out of the can, glancing at him over my shoulder. "What do you mean you don’t know?”
“I haven’t really had a chance to talk him that much,” Alec explained.
“Well, then you should be at home visiting with him,” I declared. “Why don’t you go ahead and go home for the rest of today? Actually, why don’t you go ahead and take tomorrow off too?”
“I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can't?”
“I just can’t, okay?”
“Why not?”
“I can’t,” Alex said with of curative glance in my direction. “Not after what happened.”
I threw my hands up in the air, “That was not your fault; it was my fault for falling asleep with the door unlocked.”
“But still...”
“But still nothing," I snapped. "You should go.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course, I'm sure.”
Alec gathered his things quickly, as if he was afraid I would change my mind. But paused when he reached the door, “Hey Harmony?”
“Yes?”
He glanced back and gave me the first genuine smile of the day.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said and then went out the door.
I tried not to think about being alone in the store again. I didn’t want to be afraid, but I just watched the door as if I expected someone to burst in and hold me at knifepoint again.
It wasn’t rational, but it didn’t matter. I couldn’t even bring myself to turn my back on the door long enough to grab the broom and dust pan.
Seriously? So this is how it’s going to be now?
I jumped
“Kieran? Which one is that?”
“Is that the one from the diner?”
It was too much, all these people saying his name and talking about him, that made the heat rise to my cheeks.
“Yes,” I said. “That’s him.”
“Well,” one of the older shop owners said as he poured himself another cup of coffee. “I’d keep my guard up if I was you.”
“Why?”
“Because,” Alex snapped from his spot in the crowd. “Carnies and gypsies just seemed to bring trouble with them.”
It was late afternoon before people began to leave the store. I was left with a mess of foam cups and no actual sales.
“This is as bad as having a party,” I said as I scooped the mess into the trash.
Alec added his own collection of cups to the garbage, but said nothing. He refused to even look at me as he gathered more.
“Why are you so quiet?” I snapped as I tied up one bag and put another one into the can. “Are you mad about something?”
Alec shrugged, keeping his back to me. “I’ve just got a lot going on.”
I stopped and looked at him, feeling guilty. I had been so distracted with my own mess that I hadn’t paid attention to what was happening to the people around me. My grandmother would be so disappointed; she always prided herself on how she never failed to take time for others.
“Like what?” I asked, not sure if he would even tell me.
“Nothing,” he grumbled. “Just forget about it.”
I picked up a few more cups, working my way over to him.
“Come on Alec,” I said. “We used to be friends.”
Something in my tone must’ve convinced him because he stopped picking up trash and actually looked at me for the first time.
“One of my uncles is visiting from Ireland with his sons,” he said flatly.
“Which one?” I asked as if that would clarify something.
Alec went back to picking up trash, “It’s my dad’s oldest brother, Timothy. He went to live in Ireland years ago. Now he’s brought himself and his two sons back for a visit.”
“I didn’t know you had any family outside the country.”
Throwing the last of the trash away, Alec shook his head. “Neither did I until they showed up at Grandpa's last night. Everyone says that I met Timothy once when I was little, but I honestly don’t remember.”
I tied up the bag again, “So, what’s he like?”
Alec shrugged and looked away, "I don't know. “I lifted the bag out of the can, glancing at him over my shoulder. "What do you mean you don’t know?”
“I haven’t really had a chance to talk him that much,” Alec explained.
“Well, then you should be at home visiting with him,” I declared. “Why don’t you go ahead and go home for the rest of today? Actually, why don’t you go ahead and take tomorrow off too?”
“I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can't?”
“I just can’t, okay?”
“Why not?”
“I can’t,” Alex said with of curative glance in my direction. “Not after what happened.”
I threw my hands up in the air, “That was not your fault; it was my fault for falling asleep with the door unlocked.”
“But still...”
“But still nothing," I snapped. "You should go.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course, I'm sure.”
Alec gathered his things quickly, as if he was afraid I would change my mind. But paused when he reached the door, “Hey Harmony?”
“Yes?”
He glanced back and gave me the first genuine smile of the day.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said and then went out the door.
I tried not to think about being alone in the store again. I didn’t want to be afraid, but I just watched the door as if I expected someone to burst in and hold me at knifepoint again.
It wasn’t rational, but it didn’t matter. I couldn’t even bring myself to turn my back on the door long enough to grab the broom and dust pan.
Seriously? So this is how it’s going to be now?
I jumped
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