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Keeping Her Warm

Alexa Riley

Dedicated to patience, love, and hope…

ouldn’t be here without it

1

Cole

I take a long pull ofit back into the cup holder The warht off some of the bitter winter chill I reach for my radio and clip it on to rabbing the tin of cookies I picked up at Maggie’s coffee shop on otten a coffee while I was there, too, instead of drinking the shit Ianything in the kitchen Probably becauseup I never had a need to try Then when I got in the army they fed us I’d never had to cook until now and what I do in the kitchen should not be called cooking Burning, maybe

I roll htness out of it I should have stretched it out this htness will soon turn into a dull throb that will agitateit off I head intofor years now She er in the army

It was always her and ht she was a little too young to be living here, but once I got a chance to visit on leave one o I could tell this was the place for her

I stop at the front desk, and Chuck, the man orks it, looks up at me He hops frouy and he still carries a lot of his baby face on hiht facial hair His blond hair and blue eyes only er

“Sheriff,” he says, standing straight I give him a half-smile to put him at ease Chuck is always like this, well, at least when I’m around He has put in a job request at the station a few times

“Chuck” I nod at hi I always ask when I co is on the up and up and there aren't any problems

“Everything is great, sir” He stalls for a moment and I can tell he wants to say more as he shifts fro really, we just got this odd note” He digs into a drawer and hands me the crumpled piece of paper I take it from him and look down at it

Sorry, I took some bread and peanut butter One day I hope to repay you

I study the note for a moment The penirl wrote it