Hometown Burning by C.K. Crigger

Author:C.K. Crigger [Crigger, C.K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781647341534
Publisher: City Lights Press
Published: 2019-12-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Gabe stood on the porch long enough to watch the detective’s taillights disappear into the night. He came inside then, where Frankie, hardly aware of her actions, had gone into the kitchen and gotten a glass from the cupboard. Gabe followed, leaning on the counter while she, without being asked, got a cold beer out of the fridge for him, and poured ice water for herself.

Just great, she thought, dwelling on Armbuster’s news. Something else for her to worry about in case Blake decided to blame her for his latest peccadillo.

She wished she dared have a shot of tequila. A nice, big shot, or maybe a double, or even a triple. This would be the perfect time for a drink. Wash away the taste of the detectives’ pointed innuendo about her and Gabe, along with their barely concealed suspicion of her.

Hard telling what the booze would do to her, though, mixed with her meds for pain and anxiety. Another month, she promised herself. She’d be off them both by then, come hell or high water. Sometimes she thought the VA doctor’s prescriptions were what made the PTSD recur. She’d cut down to just the two, now, and the blackouts came less frequently than when she’d been taking so many. Cause and effect, only which way did it go?

Meanwhile, she felt the weight of Gabe’s sympathetic gaze. “Where are you hurt, Frankie?”

His question took her by surprise. Another surprise was the anger she felt. Anger not just toward the detectives, but at Gabe and the whole sheriff’s department.

“What makes you think I’m hurt?” She forced herself to stand up straight.

He took a couple swallows of beer and shook his head. “For one thing, I can see the pain on your face. For another, Lew and Karl both made a point of telling me you were injured getting the old lady out of the house.” He grinned. “You’ll probably end up with another medal. It may not compare with the Bronze Star and Purple Heart you’ve already got, but it’s the best we can do.”

The air went out of her like a balloon with a slow leak. “People don’t need medals just for doing their jobs. I don’t want another damn medal.” Gabe was the only person in town who’d seen the medals she’d been awarded in Afghanistan. One of the few who even knew she had them. As for her attitude? Well, the rest of her platoon died in action and she got the medal. The concept disgusted her. She couldn’t bear to touch even the Purple Heart. The plate in her head and part of a prosthetic foot were everyday reminders.

“I know you don’t.” Gabe set his bottle on the counter before placing both hands on her shoulders, holding on when she winced away. “But Frankie, you must know you did everything you possibly could. You got your team leader out of the truck and you killed the men responsible for the ambush.” He’d heard that much, and no more.

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