Keep Me Safe

Chapter Twenty-One

Groggily opening her eyes, Agnes was more than surprised to see her father standing a foot in front of her, hands on his hips and a frown on his lips. "I have been looking for your ass all night, Agnes Mae Miller."

Papa never used her full name unless she was really in trouble. This couldn't be good.

With a groan, she tried to stretch her arms. However, she quickly realized that they were pinned under Lottie, who was still curled up and sleeping on her lap. She blushed and quickly pulled her arms free.

"I'm really sorry," she said to him, wincing. There wasn't much else she could say.

He sighed and shook his head, the few strands of hair he had left shaking vigorously. Deep bags surrounded his bloodshot eyes, and all of his visible skin was covered in cuts and scrapes. "We chased those assholes off and then went to look for y'all in the woods. When I said get Floyd to safety, I did not mean drag him all the way to James'. I was on the verge of calling for a full-on manhunt when James found me in town this morning."

She perked up when she heard her brother's name, and the events of last night rushed back into her weary mind. "How's Floyd doing?" No one seemed to be panicking, so everything had to be alright.

"James fixed him up fine. The wound wasn't too deep, just bled a lot. Floyd was just being dramatic when he kept passing out on y'all. But right now we're not talking about Floyd; we're talking about you tried to worry your mother and I to death."

Agnes didn't want to face his fatherly wrath alone, so she gently shook Lottie's shoulders. "Hey, sleepyhead, Papa's here to yell at us."

"Go away," Lottie grumbled, burying her face further into Agnes' chest. She balled her filthy shirts into her fists and grumbled something under her breath.

"It's not her I want to yell at. She did nothing wrong." That damn look of disappoint was starting to creep onto his wrinkled face, and his foot had already begun tapping.

Agnes rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to worry y'all. It was just, when James found us, we thought Floyd was on the brink of death and just wanted to get him somewhere where he would be safe. And besides, what about me? I was scared shitless having to leave y'all in a hail of bullets. I fell asleep not knowing whether you were alive or dead." 

"Yeah, you got a point there." Papa's hardened face softened ever so slightly and his tense shoulders relaxed. "I'm just glad y'all are safe. James did a good job patching him up, even if the shot wasn't too deep." He looked over his shoulder and down the long road, where a car had just appeared in the distance. "Ah, that should be Smith and the sheriff. I came over here as soon as I talked to James, but they still had some stuff to do. Give me a second." He stepped off the porch and began walking to greet them.

With him gone, Agnes was free to look down at Lottie, whose head was just under chin. Along her part, speckled amongst her tree-bark hair, were tiny little specks of dandruff. Since Lottie was taller than her, this was the first time she had ever noticed the flecks. She liked them; they made her seem more human and flawed.

The sound of slamming car doors filled the still morning air. Agnes watched as Smith and Williams walked at a pace just slower than a jog; William's fat rolls were jiggling under his too-tight shirt and his face was beet red. Papa was following behind, talking rapidly. They all wore deep frowns on their faces.

They briefly stopped on the porch, long enough for the doctor to give Agnes and Lottie a once-over. "Are either of you injured?"

"I'm not, and I don't think she is either. Just some sore muscles and a few cuts and scrapes. We'll live."