Free Never a Hero by Marie Sexton Page A

ceiling.
    “Paul’s been busy,” Nick said, turning on the light. Instead of the normal white incandescence, we were suddenly bathed in orange. The countertop was covered with cotton cobwebs.
    Somewhere in the back, a dog began to bark. “I have a few of them here overnight. Give me a minute to check on them and calm that one down.”
    As soon as he was gone, the door opened and a horde of kids came in. A princess, a Jedi knight, and a toddling ladybug whose costume was as wide as it was tall. She could barely walk on her own. “Trick or treat!” Through the door, I could see two women standing by the curb, waiting for them.
    The kids all stared at me, bags held out in front of them. I searched behind the counter and came up with a bowl of SweeTarts. I tucked it under my arm and began handing out candy with my right hand.
    “What happened to your arm?” the princess asked.
    The Jedi elbowed her. “Don’t be rude.”
    I blushed, feeling my tongue turn heavy. I didn’t dare speak. I was relieved when they went back out the door.
    “Wow, they’re starting early this year,” Nick said, emerging from the back. He’d changed clothes. He still wore jeans, but now he sported a baggy striped convict shirt and a black mask over his eyes.
    “Nice costume.”
    “Don’t laugh. I have one for you, too.”
    It was a T-shirt with the Superman logo, a red mask, and a cape. “Are you serious?”
    “Be glad I didn’t buy you the blue Spandex pants.” He looked pointedly toward my groin and winked at me. “Kind of regretting that decision now, to be honest.”
    My cheeks began to burn, but it was a pleasant kind of embarrassment. I went into the bathroom to change so he wouldn’t see me fumbling with my shirt. It wasn’t lost on me that he’d given me the hero costume. When I emerged, the bowl of SweeTarts had disappeared and been replaced by a bowl full of Halloween pencils, tops, whistles, and glow sticks. “I think they’d rather have the candy,” I said to Nick.
    “I refuse to hand that shit out. It’s not good for them.” In the back of the building, the dog began to bark again. This time, a second dog joined her. He sighed. “Listen, do you mind handling things on your own for a bit? This will go better if I take them on a quick walk.”
    “Sure.” I sounded more confident than I felt. I hoped every group of kids didn’t ask about my arm, but it was only five minutes later when the subject came up again.
    “What happened?” a Power Ranger asked me.
    I faltered, not knowing what to say, until June popped into my mind. “It was ea-eaten by a bear,” I stuttered.
    His eyes went wide. “Wow! That’s awesome!”
    I couldn’t help but smile, pleased with my response. “No kidding.”
    After that, I quit worrying about it so much.
    Nick wandered in and out, sometimes helping, but he seemed to be inclined to spend most of his time in the back with the animals entrusted to his care.
    “Are they all sick?” I asked.
    “No, not really. Most of the ones here tonight are from the Humane Society. I do their spays and neuters for free.” He shrugged. “But right now, they mostly want attention.”
    Which was why he was in the back when I had my first childless visitor. He was wearing a ruffled shirt, a pirate hat, and a plastic hook on his right hand. “Hey!” he said. “You must be Owen. I’ve heard all about you. I’m Paul. I work for Nick.”
    He stuck his right hand out, then laughed when he realized it was still covered with the plastic hook. He reached to take it off, and as he did, his eyes landed on my left arm.
    The smile fell from his face in a second flat. He went pale. “Oh God,” he said, looking pointedly back at my face. “Umm . . . wow. I’m sorry?”
    It was said like a question, as if he wasn’t sure whether I wanted to be apologized to or not. I wasn’t sure either. “I guess Nick didn’t actually tell you all about me, did he?” I asked, trying for a lighthearted