A few extra folks in the Junction today. Maybe getting some good coffee before the weekend comes with those potential storms. Among them is Joseph, standing and looking at the chalk writing trying to decide what to get. He wears a clean t-shirt and jeans, and is otherwise not so outstanding. Though on the left side of his head, more around the hairline, there is a bandage, maybe 3 inches across either way, square shaped. Seems others are in a hurry, every time there is a little huff of someone waiting, he unfolds a hand from his elbow, where it supports his chin in thought, and waves towards the register, "Go ahead." He sort of demands, which probably makes others in line a little grumpy knowing he's taking his time thinking and being a little short himself. Though being short, or grumpy, is more just Joseph being Joseph.
Katherine steps into the coffee shop, it's almost like she lives here lately. Her hair is pulled up in pigtails, someone is feeling nostalgic it seems. She steps up behind Joseph, pulling out her wallet and peeking in it. She sings to the music playing in the background, swaying from side to side as she waits for the line to move. "Joseph!" She calls out, as he turns his head, reaching out to give him a pat on the arm. "How are you doing? How is Ashlea? Did you ge.." She blinks and squints at the bandage. "So what did you do there? Hit your head while you were working?" She wiggles her fingers at the barista, and she doesn't even have to order. Seems they know her here.
He usually doesn't perk up much, but it does hit him. Just a little, Joseph's right corner mouth turns up with a touch of a smile. Its progress for him, really. "Katherine, how's the ride?" He asks, then waves, "Come on up." So she can join him in the line at least. "I did get the lasagna, the food you've sent has been good." He finishes even if she didn't, assuming that's what she was asking about. Then he rolls eyes up to the left, "Ah, a bump. Some trucker over on Willow Bridge tried to shove me in the river. Guard rail caught me, the truck didn't agree with hitting it so much." He chin juts towards the board, "Latte … with ice? or just a black coffee?" That's it, taking his time for a simple decision, he defers to an expert.
Kate tilts her head and nods. "Fit as a fiddle, though I'll be down in a few weeks for an oil change. It's about that time." She steps closer and offers him a wide grin. "Good, she'll be bringing home some stir fry today or tommorrow, depending on how I feel when I get home." She frowns at the mention of the automobile accident, shaking her head subtly. "Hopefully it wasn't someone texting. I've almost been rear ended twice because of that nonsense." She glances up at the board, gives Joseph a brief once over, and then grins. "Try the latte. Do something different, ask him for cold brew and brown sugar. It will change your world."
"Good," he nods, saying it a couple times about the car and the stir fry even. Joseph quips, "Would be better than take out. This food she keeps bringing from you is a life saver." A grumpy gesture but good, and honest. He wobbles, than shakes his head. "Nah, not texting, he was a little intoxicated. That nonsense is why I avoid being near the University during school or on a game day." Turning as she recommends, he nods, "You heard the lady, cold brew and brown sugar." He opts for the changing of the world, today at least. "You getting busy up there, more folks coming in from out of town with this storm threat?"
Katherine folds her arms over her chest, grinning slightly as she gazes at Joseph. "I enjoy cooking, and the lil bit of extra income is helping me get stocked up." She looks slightly shocked, her mouth dropping open slightly. "Intoxicated? With cattle? That's absurd." She brushes her bangs back and jerks a chin at the barista as both drinks are set on the counter. "It is getting busy. I've got a group that will be coming up to stay with me when the storm moves in, getting people out of harms way." She gets an impish look on her face and winks. "I'll be making sandwiches and serving bottles of cold water for responders as well. I already told Ashlea and a few others, so they can spread the word." She gestures with her cup towards a table. "You're welcome to stop by as well, I know you'll likely be out and about helping out."
"It all works out," he agrees, her cooking, his appetite, Ashlea bringing food back with her. Joseph isn't complaining. "I might come up that way, probably tag along with Ashlea. She's taken a shine to your cooking. I said I'd come up with her too." He looks around, as if to drop it, completely unfolding arms and grabbing the edge of the counter. As if inspecting the veneer, picking the coating with a nail to see if it comes up; or worsening it if its already happening. Good thing cups arrive, he grabs his own cold drink. "I'll spread the word too," that hint of a grin again, he moves to follow to that table. "When it hits, I'll be near the garage most likely. See how it fairs on the south side of town. I'm betting it'll blow past." He sits opposite her.
"It'd be nice to have you both." Kate says, settling into a seat with a chuckle. "Yeah, spread the word. I have space. People might need to bunk close, but I have a generator. I have plenty of food laid up, and a fireplace. It'll be a cozy time." She takes a drink of her mocha and lets out an appreciative sigh. "Got a girl from the trailer park coming up with her dad, they get roughed up down there during some storms. I told her to spread the word as well." There is a slight cant of her head as she regards Joseph. "So what is your favorite food? I sometimes can't figure out what I want to make, and it helps to know what people like."
"See, Katherine," returns Joseph, taking a sip, deciding if he likes it. Strong with a little sweet, he likes that hint of a bite it seems, the way his head is nodding. "A change." As if to agree to her suggestion too. "You paint it that way, warm food, fireplace, you'll be packed if that word gets out. Sounds better than staying home." A solemn nod about the trailer park, imagining all too well what that could look like if the storm did get as bad as they said. "Favorite, that's a tricky one. Beef is a solid in for me on that list. Steak or Roast. Just good old food. If you're taking requests, a slow cooked roast is on my list right now. Could be the cooler weather coming." Fall. Its in the air.
Kate nods along, drinking from her cup as she considers his words. She sets down her cup and grins crookedly. "If I have the room, I welcome the insanity. More bodies mean more people making sandwiches for those people who won't get much sleep. Who will be working and helping others." She brushes a stray lock behind her ear and her face lights up. "Oh I haven't had a nice chuck roast in ages. Super simple, and fall apart fabulous if you do it right. Some red potatoes, carrots, garlic. Eight hours, low and slow, and it's just perfect." She nods and gives him a thumbs up. "Expect roast sometime soon. I'm inspired."
"Thinking a head, you sound ready for a good rush. I suppose it makes the place lively when it get's busy," Joseph sort of thinks that, but by his expression, he might prefer less people. Not the big crowd sort of fellow. He mmms as she describes it, "You're talking my language there. Eight hours is a long wait." For chuck roast, but it sounds great to him, he slowly nods. "I'll definitely expect that. I won't tell Ashlea, leave it as a surprise. Or, if she hates it, then a bad surprise I guess." Lifting his coffee to keep enjoying the new sensation, he poises it just near his mouth, "All this food, I think you're good for a discount. I'll get your vehicle winter ready this year no charge."
"You don't have to do that." Kate protests, even as she grins at Joseph. "We both gotta pay the bills. Oh, and that reminds me. Yesterday, Ashlea and Danny brought a homeless man they found near the wildfire up to the house. I talked to him this morning over breakfast, and he's amenable to working for me. He and I are gonna turn taht unused loft over my garage into a space for him." She looks pleased about it, letting out an excited huff of breath. "I bet Ashlea is going to like roast. Who doesn't like beef? It's …a staple." She taps her fingers on her cup and giggles softly. "You watch, she'll enjoy it."
"I don't have to .. I want to, no worries." Counter protested, Joseph seems adamant about it. He sort of scrunches his brow a little about the homeless man. "Sounds good, you could use the help. Just if anything squirrelly happens, you call Ashlea or me yeah?" Seems he's less trusting than others. "But converting that space would be good, if he tails it, you got space for a college boarder even, long term rental." His two scent, then he finds a hint of a chuckle in his voice, agreeing about the food. "True, then again, if you're not from around here, red meat might not be in your diet. The veggie thing." Vegetarian? Vegan? Something that isn't him. "I'm sure she will, even if she didn't, and you cooked it, she'd like it. You got some influence there."
"I'm not going to fight you over it. You'll get second helpings out of it for sure though." Katherine raises an eyebrow, feeling like she's found a way to make herself feel better about the deal. "Yeah, not having a man around the house can be an issue sometimes. He seems like a nice guy. Danny wouldn't have brought someone iffy around, not on purpose." She pulls her phone from her back pocket and wiggles it to and fro. "I got ya'll on speed dial. So if anything shady happens, I'll certainly call." She looks insulted at the very thought of vegan diets, her nose wrinkling. "Yeah, I get that. She liked the lasagna, so I think we're safe in that regard." She takes a drink of her mocha. "I hope the storm doesn't get crazy, but if it does. We'll figure it out."
Franklin arrives from the N Main and University Way.
Franklin has arrived.
Joseph nods in agreement to the offer of seconds, could further the felling of better in the deal too. "If he's good and this Danny fellow is trustworhty, I'm good." More so when she indicates she'll call, visible relief touching his features. He leans back in his chair, taking another tug at that cold brew coffee she recommending. It might be a change, to higher caffeine amounts in his system. Good for late nights in the garage. "I think it will be good in town, just hope its not too much rain down south. I have another race come up the week after, I'd hate for it to be delayed for track repairs." Suncrest he means.
It appears too old friends are talking over coffer at a table in the Junction. Comfortable topics and a good flow. Though, like most locals, there is talk of the supposed storm coming up and being ready for it, at least a little in their conversation.
Kate pulls a foot up on the chair, sipping from her cup. "Danny is almost too trustworthy to function." She deadpans, with a slight roll of her eyes. "Yeah, I agree. I don't think there will be too much insanity in town. An odd tree down, maybe, but they've been pretty good about trimming this year." She sets down her cup and raises a brow. "Mmm, I hope I can get down to watch the race. After the storms pass, I might go up on the mountain for a few days to stay with a friend. He wants a crack at getting my sister to stop acting like a jerk." She grins, rolling her eyes. "I wish him luck, but he's probably doomed."
This is a coffee joint that sells donuts, no one should be even remotely surprised that a cop comes in, even if it's an oversized one. Officer Franklin Payne is a familiar, and hard-to-miss sight around Calaveras (because of BIGNESS); as he enters, his trademarked mirrorshades are pocketed, allowing him to have a quick glance around the place — an instinctual scan to take note of who's who and who's where. Couple of old guys in the corner actually wave at the cop, and the big guy waves back, and hey, the pair that are Katherine and Joseph are also noted, an upnod flashed their way. But for now, he gets his turn at the counter. "Hey Patty. The usual double-double, and a wheat bagel please. Easy on the sugar, thanks."
There is a touch of a smirk to Joseph, more than his normal smile as it seems a smirk is easier for the man; over Danny being trustworthy, it humored him in his own way. "Yeah, that, a few trees at best. Nothing that isn't easy to pick right up from." Another slow nod, "That could be good, a few days out of town. Mind the roads after the storm, you know the routine though." Preaching to the choir, like telling a local about snow tires. Catching the nod, Joseph lifts his cup a little, "Hey boss," he offers over to the man in passing. Not saying much more so he can get himself drink and food. Important measures there. "I might talk to Ashlea about getting out for a few days here. I have to check back in next week to make sure I'm not leaking brains, but should be good." When he turned to nod, there was a noticeable bandage on his head, small'ish. Franklin might know from reports and scanners, the truck incident on Willow Bridge involved Joseph.
"Well if I'm going up the mountain, Julian is driving. The last time I went up that way? I hit a big rock and crunched my Dad's truck. I'm sure you remember, he acted like I kicked the dog." Kate jokes, looking a bit abashed about the whole thing. She smiles towards Franklin when he walks into the coffee shop, her hand raising briefly to wave in his direction. "Take her out for a bit, I'm sure everyone is going to be shagged after everything is said and done. I just hope the little bit I can do to help will actually be helpful." She takes a drink of her mocha. "If you two stay local, and you want to take her out for say… a picnic? Give me a call. You know, the way things are going I can see catering in my future."
Know? Heck, Franklin probably showed up at the accident site himself! After his order is paid for, and his food collected, the bagel is balanced precariously on top of the coffee cup as the cop weaves his way through the tables. He makes it a point to pass by the old geezers' table first, shaking each of their hands. "Dave. Timmy. You boys make sure you're stocked up for the storm?" Amidst some nods and murmurs, Frank bobs his head and says 'good', clapping one of the geezers on the shoulder before continuing on his way to - yes, Joseph and Kate's table. "I'm going to join you guys." He announces after casting a funny look at each in turn, and moves to take a seat. "You planning to take Detective Anderson out for a picnic, Joe? Might wanna delay that. She's gonna be real busy for a bit."
"Hey now, a good truck is man's best friend," Joseph teases, even dryly, in defense if the vehicle. He's a known ford man in town. "Picnic catering, sounds like cheating, but you're twisting my arm here now." Turning his head as the large (to say it mildly) man nears, "Something like that, I'll delay until after the storms, or you think I should delay a little longer than that, this something more than projecting for the storm?" The busy that is.
Kate watches Franklin as he moves around the coffee shop, and when he comes to their table, announcing is intention to join them, she scoots her chair aside to give him room. "Nice to see you." She greets, glancing at Joseph when Franklin teases him. "Aww, Frank, if you want I can make you a picnic for yourself too. I've been serving breakfast and lunch up at the B&B lately, and I've got so much leftovers it's astounding. So you stop by anytime." She points at him, her lips quirking into a grin. "So how has life been treating you? I haven't seen you around for a bit. I figured things were getting busy for you."
Frank nods to Joseph's question, while he puts down the bagel and meticulously peels open the lid of the cup. "We got a crime scene yesterday, REAL nasty piece of business. We're keeping it under wraps for now, but… blood everywhere. Body's already started to reek. Nasty." He frowns, but immediately proceeds to take a bite out of his bagel and chews like nothing is amiss. Nope, none at all. Just turning to regard Katherine. "Oh you know how it is. Random shootings. Drive-by shootings. Unsolved murders. Cows on a bridge." He says it like that's all perfectly normal. "How are you girls doing?" The tone he uses is a bit gentler, likely sensitive to their family tragedy.
Kate winces at the description of the crime scene, shuddering delicately as she drinks from her cup. "I'm very glad I'm not in your line of work or I'd look at a lot of things very differently." The gentle tone is noted, and her expression softens, a shoulder raising slightly. "Sarah is over in Pennsylvania. I don't think she's coming home unless I throw a tantrum." She twirls a curl around her finger, frowning. "Lynn? Well, I'm actually not sure what crawled into her craw, but she's been a handful. That's mostly why Julian invited us up to his place. She has a crush on him, she listens to him, always has. He's going to try to dig into the bottom of it and figure out what's going on." She slumps back against her chair, pointing at herself. "I'm just working, the more that keeps me busy, the better."
Franklin lifts the cup for a sip, coffee to wash down the mouthful of bagel. "Sounds like a version of PTSD to me. I mean, she's pretty young when the accident happened; it's hard for kids to deal with that kind of trauma. Julian'd know." Cuz, Marines and all, right? The comment about not being a cop draws a grin to the big cop's face. "And we're all glad you're not in my line of work. If you are, you may have to rename Stone's Bed & Breakfast to Bate's Motel. And I'd have to knock on your door on a weekly basis."
"Probably is, and I want to help her, but all she wants to do is fight me. So I'm backing off, looking at options." Kate rolls her eyes and snorts out a laugh at his joke. "I mean, I serve breakfast and lunch. You can knock on the door anytime to come and have a meal." She waggles her finger at him and shrugs. "Or just coffee." She gazes out the window, watching people rush by with grocery bags. "I'm sure the store is running low on bread, milk, eggs and toilet paper." She sounds amused, turning back to smile at Franklin. "I was empty for a few days, but now I have the new owner of Totally Baked hanging out until her condo is ready. Man named Cassius just left, apparently he's bought a house. It's been busy."
Franklin stops his bagel-devouring mid-bite, and arches a brow (ha!) at the mention of Cassius. Really, how many Cassiuses are there in Calaveras? "Cassius Merlyn? Professor guy? Scruffy beard?" He asks, though by the tone of his voice he's pretty sure this is the same person. "I know he bought a house nearby. So he's gone from your place for good? How long ago did he leave?" Frank is rarely on edge, but he seems just a little edgy right now.
Listening along, Joseph stays quiet for the moment, enjoying this new thing, cold brewed coffee. New to him. Though when Franklin comments about Bates Motel, and Joseph raises just a little eye brow towards Katherine. Maybe a told you so, or are you sure, sort of gesture. "I'm stocked, a little attic space in my garage, good for that." Not quite survive the apocalypse, but enough to question what he could be planning. Franklin's sudden interest is a good deterrant. "I feel out of this loop. I should get out more." Said with all the muster of, I can be grumpy and enjoy my hiding hole just fine.
Kate narrows her gaze at Franklin, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. "Yeah, that's exactly who he was." She huffs out a sigh, setting her cup down hard. "He checked out the day before yesterday, but he keeps coming around. Love at first sight. Wants to take me out on dates." She doesn't seem all that enthused about it, a grumpy look settling on her usually smiling face. "Something is off with him." She turns to Joseph and smirks, shaking her head. "You shouldn't feel out of the loop, I have lots of tourists and new folks coming to say for a while. I usually don't gossip about them though." She slants a look at Franklin, a brow raised. "However, in this case…why do you sound fussy about it?"
Franklin shoots a sidelong glance at Joseph. "Sometimes, Joe, ignorance really is bliss." He asides to the mechanic, and turns his attention back to Katherine, looking serious. So serious, that he puts down his half-finished bagel. "Everyone's got a past, Kate, and it's not my place to discuss another man's." He starts and pauses to deliver a rather serious warning. "This guy? You stay away from him." He arches a brow again, this time questioningly, as if checking to see if Kate gets the message. "You're a good kid. When his past eventually catches up to him, you don't need to get tangled up in that. Trust me on this one."
A slow nod is returned to Franklin, "It is, and I'm not complaining about it. I think Ashlea knows my care meter registers on the lower end." For the greater number of people in Calaveras. Then he gives silence to listen to all that the officer has to say even. Nodding. "See, you should get Franklin to check out that new guy. Like you said, that Danny character is too trustworthy." That's all he adds in there, going back to more sips of cold brew. Its got that hint of sweet, like he should drink more, but that strong flavor of cold brew keeps him from going too fast. Good for his caffeine intake levels at least.
Katherine simply stares at Franklin for a few moments, nodding as his face goes serious. "Stay away from him." She repeats, nodding again as she takes a deep breath. "I..yes.." She nods her agreement, fingers flexing on the table as she reaches for her cup. "I don't need any more craziness in my life. I've had my fill the last two years." She struggles with something quietly for a moment before she gazes at Franklin. "He comes over often, without invite, should I be …cautious? Is he dangerous?" She pulls her cup closer to herself, pulling the lid off to take a drink.
Franklin considers Katherine's question, and studies the woman's face for a long moment, before slowly shaking his head. "No, I don't think he's dangerous." For now, but he doesn't say that out loud. "But yes, it never hurts to be cautious. If it's alright with you, I'd like to swing by your place more often for the next little while. Just to make sure everything's fine and dandy." He smiles suddenly, as if remembering not to scare the young woman too much by looking so damn serious. Picking up his bagel to continue, he sidelongs quizzically at Joseph. "What new guy?" He looks back to Kate again. "There's another guy?"
Setting his cup down, mostly drank, Joseph holds onto the lip of it with one finger, idle hands style. His face seems to show just a hint of glad he's not so outward as others. "See, works out, a few visits and some good food." He's about to say more, but Franklin catches him and he turns a little, "Some guy willing to help out it sounds like. I don't want to raise alarm, but strangers lately. I don't even know who Danny is, but he brought the fellow around somehow?" Just the facts he has, bliss, not actually trying to find out more of the story. Yet, he's people, he's still listening to the developments of his knowledge base as it plays out between Franklin and Katherine.
Kate relaxes as Franklin says that Cassius isn't dangerous. "Well you're welcome to swing by in general, but sure, anything to stay safe." The smile prompts one of her own, almost on reflex, even if the look in her eyes is still a bit nervous. She clears her throat, glancing at Joseph as a question is posed to him, and then to her again. She nods, chuckling softly. "Ashlea and Danny, you know the guy who flies the fire planes.." She brushes her hair away from her face. "..well they found a homeless guy who was living in the woods, he was a bit scorched, and they brought him by until the storm passed so they could get him some aid. His name is Stephen Lloyd." She picks up her cup. "I've offered him a job, he's going to help me with stuff on the grounds. It's a lot of work to cut all that grass and keep up with the trees. He and I and a few others are going to do some general renovations on the loft over the garage so he has a place to stay." She's a little trusting, but to be fair it hasn't bit her on the ass yet.
Franklin listens to the explanations, first from Joseph and then from Katherine, and then heaves a sigh while he finishes the bagel. "I'm sure if Detective Anderson was there, she would've checked the guy out. But… housing a hobo for a few days is one thing; you sure you wanna let him move in permanently and work for you? I'm usually the first guy to say, help out your fellow Man, but… it's a drifter. Vagrant. Hobo. Do you even know Stephen Lloyd is his real name? It's just him, you and your sister in the house." The coffee cup is lifted for another sip. "We should get him properly ID'd first."
His cup finished, Joseph remains mostly silent. "Wouldn't hurt," he says, moving to stand. Directed at the ID comment, he lifts his cup one more time as if to shake out a drop of that coffee. "I better get back to the shop here. You two take care. If I know Ashlea, we may stop by before this storm at some point, maybe tomorrow Katherine." A wave and nod, the nod more to Franklin. "Stay safe out there, not that you need the reminder." Just a parting thing to say to someone in blue maybe. "I think I like this change." He holds up the empty cup before he moves to dispose of it, one last wave and out the door for Joseph.
Katherine folds her hands on the table, the worried look returning. "He seems like a good man who had a run of bad luck. If you want to check him out, Frank, I won't say no. I want to be safe." She tilts her head back and forth before she adds. "I run a B&B. I get strangers in the house all the time. During tourist season, it gets insane. He won't be in the main house, once we're done with the loft in the garage, he'd be in an outbuilding." She bites on her bottom lip, her brow furrowed. "Some people get a run of lousy luck, and nobody steps up to give them a chance, and it becomes a cycle. If he ends up being bad news, he's gone. No second chances, but I'd really like to give him a chance." She gazes at Joseph, smiling. "Feel free to stop, get some food while things are going on. I'll have enough food and drink for all responders." She waves as he moves off.
Joseph has left.
Franklin leans back and just holds up one big hand as a cool-guy farewell to Joe. He then reaches for a napkin to wipe down any remnants of the bagel on his lips. "I know you're used to strangers in and out of your house, but most of them pay by credit card, no?" Again with the brow-quirk, this time a bit wryly. "I'm not saying this Lloyd is a bad guy… or a junkie, or a kidnapper, or a rapist, or a serial killer, but let's make sure he isn't any one of those things. If he's desperate enough, even a good man down on his luck can do some crazy shit." Beat. "Why don't I swing by tomorrow and have a talk with this Lloyd guy? Maybe I can grab him by the ankles and give him a good shake, see what falls out."
"Grab him by the…" Katherine laughs aloud and shrugs. "You can come by and talk to Stephen, yes. Just don't spook him. He seems pretty shy and bashful." She leans in, giving Franklin the gimlet eye. "Now, Joseph is gone, tell me what is going on with Cassius. He's trying to hook up with me, and he's been far too kind about it. I don't trust him, because he's run a few lines that any girl would side eye, but I need you to level with me." She pauses, her fingers drumming on the table. "Please?"
Franklin gives Kate another look, then with a shake of his head, he reaches out to clap the young woman on the shoulder. "Kate. I've known you since you were in high school, and I've seen how you tried to take care of your family after the accident. You said it yourself, you don't need any more craziness in your life." He leans down and locks his gaze meaningfully on hers. "There are things I can't just tell you. Some information is sensitive, and a man is entitled to his privacy. Now if you honestly feel you like the guy, well, it's your decision to make, but I feel that you should at least know to be careful about it." Beat. "Like I said, this guy has a past. A complicated past. You gotta ask yourself, are you okay with someone with a very complicated past. Between you and me, I wouldn't recommend you asking him about it either."
Kate eyes Franklin, nodding her head. "I..he came on really hard. I'm not okay with that. I feel like he was gaming me." She blinks at him, her brow furrowed. "So I don't ask him about his past. That's fine." She looks frustrated, running a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry, Frank. I'm just… this is very overwhelming." She rests her hands on the table. "Come by, talk to Stephen. Let me get that out of the way too."
Franklin gives her shoulder another reassuring pat, before withdrawing his big hand. "If you ask him, either he lies to you, which is not good… or he tells you the truth, which might be worse. Best not to ask." He nods sagely. "Yeah, I'll come by to talk to this Lloyd guy. I hope he has ID on him; otherwise I'm going to take him down to the station for an ID check." Beat. "You said there's a baker staying with you too, over this weekend at least?"
"A baker, and then how of the city might be showing up during the storm." Katherine takes a deep breath, giving Franklin a wavering smile. "The new reporter, by the name of Jessica is going to come by. I've sent out the word that any responders out working during the storm are welcome to stop by to get sandwiches, drinks. I'm making them tonight. Maddie, from down at Johnny Slim's might be by, if her trailer looks like it might not weather the storm. Julian Walker, he'll be stopping in to stay, instead of driving back up the mountain. I'll be safe." She frowns, letting out a slow sigh. "Now you have me scared. I was annoyed because he didn't understand me needing space. Now I'm afraid." She turns to squint at Franklin. "Talk to Ashlea first, please. I don't want you scaring him if it's unnecessary."
"It's just a precaution." Frank assures her. "Besides, trust me, there is no 'unnecessary scaring'. It is necessary." The big cop deadpans. It's a deadpan, right? "But it sounds like you've got plenty of people to keep you safe through the storm. I better go see Maddie after this, see if anyone down at the park needs anything. The crazy bat of a manager there is not great at maintaining stuff." He shakes his head and sighs. "This is gonna be one hell of a weekend."
"Frank.." Kate seems to consider her words extra carefully before she speaks again. "..I don't know if you've noticed, but people are afraid of you. You're big and to people who don't know you, kind of scary." She doesn't look afraid of the big cop, at least. "Stop by whenever you need to. Do whatever you need to do. I trust you." She chuckles softly and gazes towards the counter. "It is going to be kind of crazy this weekend. Make sure you stop up to get food and water when you need to. Okay?"
Franklin bobs his head to the invitation offered, but the revelation that people are afraid of him brings another questioning look to his face. "But like you said, that's only people who don't know me. Which is a good thing, being a cop. I'll tell you who is definitely not afraid of me: Luci. She's going to be eleven in a couple of months, and I tell you, she's not just unafraid, she's starting to not listen to her old man. I think I'll have to take lessons from you soon, about how you deal with your sisters."
Kate grins at Franklin, but the grin turns into a soft chuckle. "Hey, if anyone can wrap you around their pinky, it's going to be your little girl." She licks her lips, making an effort to not grin. "You think eleven is bad, teenager is around the corner, and you won't have to just worry about her not listening, you'll have to worry about boys. It's a good thing you have that desert eagle, because you're going to need to put the fear of god into those boys." She winces, setting her gaze on Frank. "I don't nkow if you want to take lessons from me. I'm struggling with Lynn, really bad. Sarah ..she was always very good at taking care of herself. I am trying hard just to make sure Lynn goes to school nowadays." She makes a funny face. "Seems like just yesterday that we were all in our teens, getting into trouble."
"Like I said, dealing with trauma isn't easy for anyone. It's especially bad for kids." Frank reiterates. The cup is once again lifted for another sip. "They always get over it and grow out of it, the tricky part is making sure they don't go down the wrong path while working their way through it." He pauses to eye Kate thoughtfully. "You know there are boot camps for troubled teenagers, right? Not here in Calaveras, but there is a program in Denver, push comes to shove."
"I do hope we don't have to go that route." Katherine murmurs softly, nodding at Frank. "I'm glad that I ran into you. Now I know I'm not crazy about the bad feeling I was having at the pit of my stomach." She glances away for a moment and chuckles. "So stop being a stranger, come around more, bring Luci with you." She points at him, her eyes narrowing. "We have girls nights every so often, painting our nails and watching girly movies. She is more than welcome to join us. Okay?"
Franklin shakes his head at Kate. "Always trust your instincts. I can't tell you how many times that's saved my life." He then breaks into a chuckle at the invitation. "Thanks for the invite, but I'll wait till she's older before I let her paint her nails and talk about boys and try on lingerie and do whatever it is you girls do." He trails off to glance at the clock. "Break time's over. I gotta get going. So I'll drop by tomorrow and talk to your hobo guest." Frank slides out of his chair, and picks up his unfinished coffee.
"Homeless." Kate gets to her feet, squinting at Franklin. "Hobo isn't a nice word." She snorts out a laugh, strapping her purse over her body. "We have teenagers over, I mean, the last movie was a Princess Diary 2." She wiggles her fingers at Franklin as she moves to follow him out. "I'll see you tomorrow, come with your nice guy face. At least until he gives you a reason for the bad cop face."
Franklin stands, and in response to Kate's parting comment, in fact gives her a scary-looking bad-cop face. But it vanishes quickly, to be replaced by a grin before the big guy takes his leave.