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“Hey, Mr. Calloway.”
Leonard and Lucy Calloway took their passion for square dancing to the next level. The store was called Calloway’s because it always had been, but they gave each aisle in their store a square-dancing term. There were pictures of famous dancers hanging on the walls right beside beverages and candies.
Wandering down the first aisle, she grabbed her favorite brand of peanut butter.
“I like chocolate. Get me some, dickwad.” The voice came from the aisle across from the one she stood in.
“Go away, Jack.”
“You want me to make you, shithead?”
Birdie stood on her toes to see who was talking. A large boy with two others at his back was standing before a smaller boy, clearly intimidating him.
“I’ll buy you the chocolate. Just leave me alone,” the smaller boy said. His voice wobbled, which told Birdie he was fighting back tears.
“Aww, is little Bobby getting upset?” the older boy taunted him. Birdie’s blood simmered.
She’d had her fair share of teasing in school because her lunch was healthy and her clothes recycled, but her siblings and the Dukes had stood up for her.
“I’ll meet you outside, and you better have our chocolate, Bobby.”
The bigger boys exited, and Birdie saw the little boy rush down the aisle to the chocolate display. She got her things and headed to the counter. After paying, she went outside.
The bullies were standing beside their bikes, next to hers. Birdie took off her backpack and loaded her groceries into it. She’d just put it back on when the little boy came out.
“You better have my things,” the bully said, clearly not caring who heard him.
The little guy looked terrified. Before she could react, Sawyer Duke arrived.
Chapter8
Stepping off the road and onto the sidewalk, Sawyer looked intimidating with dark glasses hiding his eyes. He shot her a look before wandering closer in that loose-limbed gait he had. He wore jeans and a gray T-shirt. With the beard and glasses, he was just a little meanand a lot hot. Sawyer also had that permanent scowl in place.
“Hey there, Bobby. How’re things?” he said.
“G-good,” Bobby said. His head then tilted back as he stared up at Sawyer.
“You remember me, don’t you? Ally’s uncle. She was telling me today that you’re her best friend.”
Bobby was small and scruffy, with blond hair that stood off his head in all directions. His knees were dirty, and his backpack seemed too large for his small frame.
“Ally said you two look out for each other,” Sawyer said, focusing on Bobby.
The boy nodded and then swallowed loudly.
“Hey,” Sawyer turned to the three boys who were watching and took off his glasses. The first one still had a smug look on his face that had Birdie wanting to slap him.
“You boys friends of Bobby and my niece too?”
His voice was a low gravelly growl, which was also the way he always talked, but Birdie’s guess was the boys didn’t know that.
“After what I just heard in Calloway’s, I’m sure they aren’t friends.” Birdie joined the conversation. She stepped to Bobby’s right while Sawyer took the left.
“Really? What did you hear?” Sawyer asked.
“They weren’t being very nice to him. Threatening, in fact,” Birdie said.
“I sure hope you’re wrong about that, Birdie, because Ally told me Bobby’s a good friend to her.”
