Page 33 of Burn For Me

Dora walked toward the truck and trailed her fingers along the hood, a forlorn expression haunting her light grey eyes.

“Thank you,” Dora said, turning toward me. “This makes me so happy.” She patted the truck like a lover. “Rupert took me on our first date in this truck.”

“How would you like to get out for a little while,” I asked, stuffing the rag in the back pocket of the coveralls I was wearing.

“Oh, I don’t know.” She stared at the truck, her hand laying on her chest over her heart.

There was something about Dora that made me want to help her as much as she was unwittingly helping me. She was like the loving family member I’d never known.

“I was planning on going to the farmer’s market and picking some fresh oranges and lemons,” I said, undoing the button on the coveralls and letting them pool on the floor. “I could use the company, and I’m not very good at choosing the best fruit.”

Picking up the coveralls, I walked over to the wall and placed them on the hook. It had taken a solid two days of hard work to get the shed back into workable condition and a couple more to get the truck running, but it had been worth every minute.

“Oh, it’s easy.” Dora smiled. “Are you trying to trick me into going with you?”

I smirked. “I don’t know. Is it working?”

Dora laughed and nodded.

“Alright, I’ll meet you around front. I just need to get my purse.” She shuffled out of the shed faster than I thought the woman could move, a smile plastered onto her frail-looking face.

Hopping in the truck, I let it roll out of the shed, then quickly jumped out to close the large wooden doors before pulling the truck around front. Dora was just locking the door, so I took the opportunity to pull on a hoodie. Placing the baseball cap on and pulling the hood into place, I jumped back into the truck at the same time Dora got in. She looked over at me and simply stared.

“What?” I thought she might be having another one of her episodes. It really was kinda creepy when she saw shit I couldn’t. It was one thing to see shit others couldn’t, but it was a whole different ballgame when the shoe was on the other foot.

“Why do you go out like that,” Dora asked.

“What do you mean?”

She reached out and tugged on the hood I had in place. “Why are you wearing this? It’s like a hundred degrees outside.”

“The heat doesn’t bother me, and this way, I don’t scare all the little children,” I teased, but Dora didn’t laugh.

“Derek, you’ve never needed to hide your face.”

“What?” My heart sped up as I searched her eyes.

“You don’t recognize me, but I recognize you,” she admitted. “You and your brother Asher lived with the Giltberts for three years before…well before.” Dora didn’t say the words, but I realized she knew I’d been locked up. My hand tightened on the steering wheel.

“You know who I am.” I looked out the side window, trying to decide what to do with this information.

“And what you did, to the asylum. I’m assuming that was you?” My eyes swung back to hers, and she shrugged. “If I’d had to live there, I’d probably burn it down too.”

“I don’t understand. You should be horrified or scared to be near me. You should be worried I’ll kill you next or calling the police.”

One of her perfectly penciled eyebrows shot up.

“If I’d wanted to call the cops, I would’ve done it the first day you were on the Giltberts property. There is no way they hired you to do repairs when they are dead in their bed upstairs.” My mouth fell open. I couldn’t remember a time I’d been more shocked than in this moment.

“Derek, I’ve always thought you got the shit end of the crap stick. If the Giltberts couldn’t keep the two of you, Rupert and I had already decided we’d take you two boys in. But then you were taken, and your brother was shipped off to wherever by social services. I didn’t think I’d see you again.”

She turned her head and looked out the front windshield.

“This is my opportunity to help you now. I mean, look at me. I’m a lonely old widow with no one left in my life. The way I see it, we’re both lone rafts drifting in a big old sea that wants to swallow us up. I, for one, am happy that you came back.”

“But, Dora…”

“No buts. Why are you throwing up arguments? A moment ago, you were fine with me being oblivious to who you are, so why is this different? I want to help you, Derek. I’ve always wanted to, and now the good Lord is helping make that right.”