Finds You Well

Six: The Storm

Aspen

The Grand Re-Opening of The Tell-Tale Bookstore was a complete success. The lunch with Xavier had been enlightening. He took real shine to my sister placing her on his shoulders on our way to the bookstore. Iris called him by his real name, a gesture that transformed his face. His smile made my heart beat in double-time. Sindri nudges me with his elbow, a knowing smirk on his face. I smack him upside the head. We had one lunch outing; it did not mean we were about to go steady.

Xavier volunteers to close up shop and I don't object. I take Iris and Lennon out to my car and get everyone loaded inside. I say my farewells to Sindri, he promises to call me when he is safe and sound in Pennsylvania. He reassures me that I will have an update about my academic situation soon. I don't want to get my hopes up. I can't, the memories still haunt me, and I can't seem to shake them.

Lennon whines from the backseat. He rests his muzzle on my arm staring up at me with his big puppy dog eyes. He has been a literal godsend lately. I pull into the driveway parking next to Papa Rouge's truck. We walk around back finding him at the grill with a Long Island Ice Tea in his hand. He turns, setting the glass on the picnic table.

"There she is, how did your first day go Penny?" Papa Rouge asks.

"It went really well." I take a seat. My feet are beginning to protest. I'm not used to being on them all day and it shows.

"I made the Grumpy Man smile!" Iris says proudly, placing her hands on her hips just like Sindri.

"Did you now?" He kneels down. "That's my girl, Rouge's are natural-born charmers."

"I charmed the grumpiness right out of him, didn't I sissy?" She glances at me over her shoulder.

"Yes, you did." I smile absentmindedly fidgeting with my necklace. The same necklace Xavier held in his hands just a handful of hours ago.

I learned something about him today, something that put his behavior into perspective. He lost his wife. According to Iris, she had been taken away from him by a bad man. She told him the story of our Uncle Rufus, a man I met once when I had been her age. When he died, Papa Rouge quit the force, and started his career in training German Shepherds. I asked him once, why he quit. His answer slumbered in the back of my mind, until now when it came to the surface.

"The night your uncle died; Penny I saw what true evil looked like. I saw it staring back at me and the sight of it chilled my blood and stopped my heart. The man who took your uncle away from us, he was the Devil, and Rufus made me promise to walk away before he claimed my soul."

"Sissy?" Iris waves her hand in front of my face. "Daddy asked if you're hungry."

"Iris, your sister is exhausted." Papa Rouge ruffles her hair. "I think it may be for the best if she gets some shut eye."

"Okay..." She pouts, kissing my cheek. "Good night, I love you."

"I love you too." I kiss her forehead. "Thank you, daddy."

"You're welcome, sweetheart." He kisses my forehead. "I'm proud of you, Penny."

I bite my lip, forcing the tears back down. No matter what I did, Papa Rouge would always be proud of me. I walk down the path to the guest house, taking my phone out of my pocket. Sindri created a Facebook page for the bookstore and posted pictures from today. I scroll through them coming to rest on the one of Xavier and I standing in front of the bookstore.

Sindri asked him to place his arm around my shoulders. I put up a peace sign and given the camera the "signature Rouge smirk". Xavier's eyes were brighter. There was a carefree smile on his face. I feel my heart beating in double time again. I wonder what it would be like to have his arms wrapped around me. To feel his fingers tangled in my hair, his lips on mine. I blush heavily, shoving my phone back into my pocket.