She was getting a frozen gel pack from the freezer when she heard him leave, but it didn’t deter her. She went back to the living room to ice her ankle. The sooner she got back on her feet, the happier she would be.

Chapter 5

Deputy Ralph was hunkered down beside a car at the south end of Main Street helping Peanut Butterman change a flat tire. Despite their raincoats, they were both soaked by the time the tire was changed. Peanut tossed the flat in the trunk and turned and shook Ralph’s hand.

“I sure do thank you for stopping to help.”

The deputy turned slightly against the rain blowing in his face.

“No problem. It’s just an all-around nasty day to have a tire go flat. I was happy to help. You take care,” he said, and got back in the cruiser, made a U-turn in the street and drove back uptown.

Peanut drove straight to the station at the other end of town to drop off the tire to get fixed, and called Ruby on the way, smiling to himself when she answered. Just the sound of her voice made everything right in his world—even a flat in a downpour.

“Hello, honey. Have you started home from the courthouse in Savannah, yet?” Ruby asked.

“I’m already back in Blessings, but I had a flat just inside the City Limits. Deputy Ralph stopped to help me, or I’d still be messing with it. I’m about to drop it off to get fixed, and then I’m going home to change into some dry clothes before I head back to the office. Do you want me to pick up lunch for you and the girls?”

“Oh, that would be awesome. We’ve already had power flickering here at the shop, so nobody is willing to take the time to go get lunch. We’re trying to finish up on our clients without leaving them with wet heads. I’ll find out what the girls want and call you back, okay?”

“Everything you do is okay with me,” Peanut said. “Love you.”

“I love you, too,” Ruby said, and then sighed as she hung up.

Vesta looked at Vera and giggled. “I wonder who Ruby was talking to just now.”

Ruby looked over at her and grinned. “You just hush. Peanut offered to get lunch and drop it off here for us, so figure out what you want. I told him I’d call him right back.”

When the twins focus shifted to food of any kind, all joking was set aside.

Vesta thought for a moment, before offering a suggestion.

“What if we all order something from Broyles Dairy Freeze. That way he won’t have to get in and out of the car a bunch of times. He can just go through the drive-through, and if he’ll bring it to the back door and honk, we can go out to get it.”

“That is so sweet of you,” Ruby said. “He just had a flat coming into town and said he was going home to change into dry clothes first. He’ll appreciate your thoughtfulness.”