The Town that Built Us by Jesse J. Thoma

Author:Jesse J. Thoma [Thoma, Jesse J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2023-07-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Bonnie angled her truck into Branch Tucker’s driveway. Before she came to a stop she saw him using his cane to whack at one of his motion sensor lights mounted high on his garage. She slammed her truck into park and ran to Branch.

“What are you doing? That cane doesn’t do you any good waving around in the air.” Bonnie removed it from his hand, put it back in its proper orientation, and returned it to him.

“Bah.” Branch waved his hand at her dismissively. “I was tap dancing before your grandfather was out of diapers.”

Bonnie laughed. “I don’t know how old you think I am. Or you are for that matter. What were you trying to do, aside from get an expensive ride to the hospital in an ambulance?”

“Don’t start on me, youngster. If I want to wave my cane around and get that motion sensor facing the right direction again, I’ll do as I please. Besides, it’s your fault. You were late.” Branch was scowling and shaking his cane in her direction, but his eyes were crinkled in the way they did when he laughed heartily.

“You can take it out of my tip.” Bonnie clapped him lightly on the shoulder. “Do you have my list so I can get started?”

Branch looked nervous. He spun his cane in his hands and didn’t look Bonnie in the eye.

“Everything okay, Branch?” Bonnie tried to make eye contact, but Branch looked away.

“Things are fine. I was wondering if you, well, you see I wanted you to do something different for me today. It’s going to sound silly to a young buck like yourself, but I had friends that would come over and we’d play board games. I don’t enjoy them much anymore. Most of those friends are gone now, but I do still enjoy puzzles.” Branch leaned on his cane and furrowed his brow. He looked lost in the past.

“What can I do to help?” Bonnie tried again to catch Branch’s eye.

This time he looked at her. “I’m almost done with my latest and I was hoping you’d be able to spare a bit of your time to help me finish up. I’ve saved the hardest part for the end and my eyesight isn’t what it used to be. Besides, those last few pieces are the most enjoyable and it’s never as much fun doing them by yourself.” The hope in Branch’s eyes gave away how much the request meant to him even though he was doing a good job of keeping his tone neutral. “If you have the time of course.”

Bonnie mentally ran through her schedule for the day. She didn’t have much planned out. She’d taken care of the shingles on Nadine’s shed already, and she was waiting on supplies for a couple of other projects. She usually blocked off large chunks of time when she visited Branch since she never knew how extensive the work he needed was going to be. “I’d be happy to stay and work on your puzzle.

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