Chapter 4 – It’s all About the Fair-2
473 Words
I woke up at 5:30 AM to a house on the brink of complete chaos. The kids were home and, for the time being, nestled in their beds upstairs. Soon, they’d be flitting about packing this and that and loading it all in my camper as Kris cracked a figurative whip over them and did more than a little yelling. Fair move in day is upon us!
I poked my head into my den to look in on Dana. She’d finally been given the okay by her orthopedic doctor to start bearing weight on her injured left leg but stairs were still out for her. Given our current living arrangements, with my sister and her kids, it was probably best that she had a room of her own, downstairs, anyway.
Touching her shoulder as she lay half reclined on a pile of pillows on her bed produced an instant eye-opening effect. I jumped back, startled. “You were playing possum!”
“Naw. Just relaxing.” She smiled, “You and Kris told me today would be a busy day.”
“It’s going to be a busy week, period.”
“It’s a shame that you have to work and run back and forth all week.”
“I’d have to work anyway. The Sheriff always works the fair. Just about everyone in the county comes through at some point. It just stinks that I also have a case to work besides.”
Dana raised an eyebrow in question.
“The coroner reported late yesterday afternoon that JD took several blows to the head that contributed to his death. Someone out there is guilty of manslaughter, at a minimum.”
“Are you going to tell the kids?”
“Not yet; probably not till after the fair. I haven’t told Kris either.”
“Someday you’re going to have to fill me in on the whole Kris/JD story.”
“It’s a long one so it will have to wait.”
“That’s okay.” She sat up and ran a hand through her long hair. “For now, what can I do to help out...to help them get ready today?”
“Seriously? Dana, right now, while you’re still healing, your best bet is to stay out of the way. Let Kris and the kids handle it. Mom and dad have their camper loaded and all of the barn stuff and show stuff got loaded Saturday. Mom will come down and help Kris with this camper today and I’ll be back here to head up the haul to the fairgrounds before you know it.
“Aye, aye boss!”
“Very cute...not!” I looked behind me to the door I’d left standing open. No one was around and there wasn’t a sound to be heard in the house yet. I leaned over my fiancé and hovered face to face there, our lips not quite touching. Her eyes sparkled. “I love you Dana Marie Rossi!” I dipped my head and claimed her lips in a semi-searing kiss before she could respond.
When her eyes fluttered closed, I pulled back quickly, exited the room and, laughing as she yelled “Hey!” and tossed a pillow at the den door, I hightailed it out of the house.
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I-70 Road Repaving Site, 8:05 AM
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- Writer
