Free Pieces of it All by Tracy Krimmer

off. "I never get tired of the compliments." She placed the mitts on the counter and wiped her forehead. "How was your date? Or non-date? Did you figure out what to call it?"
    Beth pulled a stool out from the breakfast bar. "Can volunteer work be a date? Then, yeah, a date."
    She set a cookie on a napkin in front of Beth. "Did you have fun?"
    "Yes. He's sweet. I like him."
    "Good." She took a cookie herself. "Are you seeing him again?" She bit into the cookie and grinned.
    Cookies straight out of the oven reached high up on Beth's scale of favorite things. The softness was perfect. Her mom's cookies never crumbled in her hand, but they weren't hard enough to crunch. She sunk her teeth into the first bite and enjoyed the sugar rush. "I wanted to talk to you about that. He wants me to go to his house tomorrow."
    "Oh?" Her mom stood straight up and set her palms on the counter.
    "Yeah. He asked if he could make me breakfast." She was always honest with her parents. She wasn't going to stop now.
    Her mom held her hand under her mouth as she nervously bit into a Snickerdoodle. "Doesn't he believe in eating at a restaurant? Denny's is twenty minutes from here."
    Beth rolled her eyes. "Mom, I thought you didn't worry about me."
    She took a place at the counter. "Look. I do worry about you. You're smart and trustworthy so I don't as much as I'm sure other moms do. You're also a wonderful judge of character. This Harvey guy is probably very nice."
    "But..."
    "That's right. There is a but. He may be a friendly guy, but you don't know him at all." With her closed mouth full of cookie, she mumbled, "And he is still a guy."
    "Not every boy is only after sex." Her mom chuckled, mocking her. Probably more than half her graduating class was having regular sex. Her parents were lucky she wasn't. Yet. "I can't learn more about him until we spend time together."
    She put her hand on top of Beth's. "In due time. I don't think going to this guy's house alone is a good idea."
    She couldn't back out. Harvey expected her in the morning, and she didn't want to let him down. He liked her as much as she liked him. Too many times she missed out on potential relationships. Sex wasn't in her breakfast plans. Sure, some time before she left for school she wanted to lose her virginity. She didn't want to go to college unexperienced, but tomorrow wasn't the day. Even though they shared a kiss, an amazing one, she needed more growth in the relationship. The thought of his hands all over her body turned her on to the extreme, however, she desired to discover more about him.
    "Fine. What if Lucy comes with?"
    Her mom moved her hand to her chest, letting out a laugh. "Two girls at this guy's house? Are you trying to live out a fantasy for him?"
    "Gross." Beth stuck her tongue out, erasing the image from her mind. "I get it. I'll see if he can meet at Denny's."
    Beth accepted a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Nine
     
     
    So many things to be grateful for - a fresh start, a new job, and meeting Beth. Much to Harvey's surprise, Nelson didn't get upset with him over Ricky's destruction in the store. The vandalism came as no surprise. Ricky and his crowd screwed with anyone and everyone. Luck sided with him as Nelson had no idea Harvey used to hang with the same group of people.
    Another evening at the bar for his father. Harvey wished deep down in the small pieces of his heart that cared (the teeniest bit) his father would quit drinking, too, but, he was glad to be by himself. He didn't have the energy to argue tonight. Stress exited his body as his phone vibrated and a text from Beth popped up. My mom is freaking about me going to your house alone. Okay to meet at Denny's?
    The text didn't surprise him. The first time he met Beth he overheard her discussing sex with her friends. The two of them being alone in the house together could lead to things she may not be ready for. He got the impression she wanted to do more than kiss, but he