Snakes Among Sweet Flowers by Jason Huffman-Black

the woman, but she didn’t seem to care one way or the other.
    “He worked hard all his life,” she continued as she unloaded her buggy onto the conveyor belt, “and now that he’s retired, he’s just too sick to do all the things we dreamed of doing. Even the little things like shopping for groceries.”
    Cam nodded absently and chewed. He hoped the woman got the message that he wasn’t in the mood to chat, but she still seemed oblivious.
    “Are you new in town? I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Ida Evans, and that is Charles. We’ve lived here all our lives.”
    He considered not answering, but then a miraculous thing happened. Mrs. Ida Evans became the most interesting person in the world when she pulled her wallet from her purse and opened it wide, displaying an impressive stack of cash as she counted out the amount owed to the cashier.
    Cam spoke up after quickly swallowing his mouthful of Cap’n Crunch. “Camden Sanders, and I’m new to town, ma’am. Bought the garage and fillin’ station over on Sullivan a few weeks back. Started working on cars, living in the old house out behind it.” He wiped his hand on his pant leg, then offered it to her. “Do you need help out to the car? I hate to see you and Mr. Evans having to do all that by yourself.”
    She reached back, shook his hand, and then patted Cam’s arm. “You are a sweet boy. That would be right nice of you.”
    Cam smiled and turned to the clerk. “Can you ring these things up while I take their bags out?”
    The clerk nodded, but Cam’s attention was on Mrs. Evans as she haphazardly placed her wallet in her purse, where it wobbled as if it would fall out at any moment. Cam helped Mr. Evans off the bench and together they walked out to a big boat of a car parked in the handicapped space in front of the store. He had to wonder how either of the old couple could see over the steering wheel, but at least they lived in a small town where everyone knew to get out of their way.
    After Cam planted Mr. Evans in the passenger seat and popped the trunk, he loaded the groceries as Mrs. Evans watched with a smile. When he was done, she shook his hand and tucked a dollar bill into his fist. “Bless you for helping.”
    Cam’s return smile was syrupy sweet, and he took her arm, leading her around to the driver’s side door. As she leaned to get in the huge land yacht, her wallet finally made the plunge from her purse and Cam placed his size-ten foot over it as he closed the door and watched her drive away, waving to the pair and chuckling to himself at the dollar in his hand.
    Obviously, from the wads of cash in the woman’s wallet, the pair was loaded. She probably wouldn’t miss it at all, Cam told himself as he scooped up the wallet and shoved it into the back of his pants before strolling back into the store.
     
     
    WHEN CAM pulled up in front of the old farmhouse, he caught sight of Tom lazing in the shade of the porch. He immediately felt guilty about the pet carrier in the back of the truck and decided to leave it for last when unloading.
    He piled his arms full of grocery bags before heading up the stairs to the front door, then curled around his load to keep it steady as he fought with the key and lock. Tom’s gaze followed him each time he made a trip out to the truck and back into the house, but the big orange cat never moved from his spot, even when Cam paused to grab his empty water bowl, then brought it back filled on the next trip.
    Cam unloaded the groceries once he had them all in the kitchen, tripping over the plastic bags as he tried to find places for all of it. It wasn’t that the cabinets were full but more that he just wasn’t sure what was a reasonable spot for any of it to go. He’d bought a tiny frying pan he’d seen in one of the aisles, and decided to hang it on a nail that was already sticking out above the stove.
    Mostly he’d bought sandwich fixings and ready-made items, but he could make a mean grilled cheese or