Chapter 12

6 1 0

by janello33

by janello33

Rachel couldn't stop thinking about Sean since seeing him at the hospital. Sitting beside him in the waiting room she had suddenly become self conscious of her hair, her lack of make up and the silly pattern on her scrubs. Her mind was racing with memories, questions and hypotheticals. It wasn't until she saw the blue and red flashing lights behind her that she realized that she had also literally been racing down the highway toward her hometown.

"Damn it," she sighed pulling as far over onto the shoulder as she could. She gripped her steering wheel with the grip of an iron vice like she had committed a terrible crime. Rachel was a rule follower and seldom got into trouble. She was working really hard to not tear up as the officer approached her vehicle.

"License and registration please." Rachel was digging in her purse for her wallet when the police officer leaned forward to see what was in Rachel's front seat. "I see you buckled up your crock pot?" He seemed unsure but amused. "It's an electric mixer," she corrected him handing him her license. "It wobbles," she grabbed the edge of the bowl to demonstrate. "I thought buckling it up would make it stop rattling," she shrugged. "Did it work," he asked. "No," she smiled, "it's driving me bonkers actually."

He half laughed, "You stay put. I'll be right back." He held up her license and registration to indicate he was going to go run her name through the system. There would be nothing to look up but her stomach turned anyway. She could never be a criminal because the stress of it would giver her IBS.

Rachel almost jumped out of her skin when the officer appeared at her window again. She hadn't realized she had had her eyes closed the entire time he was gone. "Just a verbal warning today," he said as he handed her ID and registration back to her. "You know if that crock pot mixer thing is under ten years if age it should probably be in the back seat," he said. Rachel unable to recognize the joke, panicked and began to unbuckle her seatbelt to rectify the situation as she apologized.

"No no," I'm just, "sorry I'm just joking. You can put your seatbelt back on." Rachel's cheeks flamed red as she realized how stupid she was for not picking up on the joke and forced out a weak laugh. "So are you like a chef or something travelling with your own cooking supplies?" This didn't seem like police business, but she was not one to challenge authority. "No I'm a nurse. I just use this to make cookies but the bowl is wobbly. My dad said he'd take a look at it for me."

"Maybe I should have charged you for a dozen cookies," he smiled. She was finally able to smile. Rachel could now tell that he was joking. This officer was just teasing her and she started to calm down. Feeling more at ease she was able to respond, "I don't want to brag, but I make pretty decent gingersnaps." One of his eyebrows raised above his sunglasses, "crispy or soft." "Soft," of course. He sighed placing a hand over his heart, "My favourite!"

This was actually starting to be kind of fun. Rachel almost giggled. He wasn't just teasing her she thought, he is downright flirting with me. "Well, Rachel, speed racer cookie queen, if I ever catch you out here tearing up the highway again, you're gonna owe me some cookies." He looked straight at her. "I'll be good I swear," she hoped she sounded as flirtatious as he did. "I kind of hope you won't though," he patted the the roof of her car twice and she thought he winked at her from behind his sunglasses by the movement she saw in his cheek.

As Rachel pulled up to her parents' house her dad was just emerging from the garage. "Rachel! What a surprise?" He stood and waited for her while she pulled the mixer from her passenger seat. "Hey dad, mom knew I was coming. She said you'd take a look at this," she said holding out the mixer. Bill had already spent the better part of the day in the garage and had run out of things to do. At this opportunity he took the mixer from his daughter and headed back inside. "Call me when supper's ready," and closed the door.

Rachel walked into the house to find her mom at the kitchen table playing solitaire. "Check the potatoes will ya," she said as she moved a red eight onto a black nine. Rachel looked in the pot, "Still there," she said as she poked one with a fork. "They still need some time," she said as she took at a seat at the table. "Can you tell me anything from yesterday?" A vacant spot opened up and she was able to move a king into it. "We'll be was pronounced dead at the scene. They'll do an autopsy," she shrugged not knowing what kind of information her mom could possibly want.

"An autopsy," Teresa peeled three cards off the pile, "that'll delay the funeral. See there's things I need to know." Rachel watched her mom place all three cards. "I suppose," she got up again to bother the potatoes with the fork. "Did you go and find Dottie like I asked," her mom asked. "Ya actually I had a pretty good chat with Sean before Dottie and Darren got there," she let that hang there for a few seconds before continuing. "Dottie was a wreck of course. The boys were holding it together, but I don't know how. Shock probably." The water in the pot was starting to get that potato foam on it.

Rachel knew both boys would be at the farm with their mom. "Are you taking food out to Dottie's," Rachel kept her eyes on the spuds tumbling under the roiling water, "cause I'll drive you out if you want." "There and back already," she was moving more cards around in the table, "got my lasagne made the day of and delivered today." "Were the boys there?" She hoped she sounded casual even though she was disappointed she missed a chance to see Sean again. Teresa who needed to know everything all the time didn't think anything of it, "Yes Darren his wife and the kids and Sean." Rachel's ears picked up as the just Sean and no additions.

"Well if dad can get my mixer fixed maybe we should make some cookies to take out for the kids." Teresa smiled, "That's a real good idea Rachel: I'm sure they'd appreciate that." Rachel swirled the potatoes around with a wooden spoon smiling to herself hoping that Sean liked gingersnaps.