For Pete’s Sake

Christie spun around. She hadn’t noticed Maggie O’Connell, the storeowner. She picked up a fallen clothing rack and started re-hanging the clothes that were scattered on the floor of the shop. She said to herself, “Looks like I’m going to have to reduce these prices even more.”
“What do you mean?” Christie asked.
“Pete’s been that way since he was born..Doc Prichard says his vocal cords never developed. He’s going on seventeen and hasn’t uttered a sound his entire life.”
Don’t scare her off, Maggie. Peter picked up two more boxes and handed them to Christie. You’re beautiful. How he wished he could actually say the words.
She took the boxes and their eyes met and fingers briefly touched. A tingling sensation ran up her arm and left her stunned for a moment.
Peter jerked back as if he had been shocked by electricity.
“Did you feel it too?” Christie gasped when she found her voice again.
Peter offered a shy smile, acknowledging with a single nod.
“I better go. When mom hears what happened she’s gonna have a stroke.” She laughed. “Thanks again. I mean it.” She gathered the rest of her things and crossed the street.
Peter looked at Maggie. Maggie knew that look. There was intelligence behind those beautiful blue eyes of his. She felt bad for him when she heard other kids calling him Dummy. She couldn’t understand why they were so mean. This young man wasn’t as dumb as everyone seemed to think.
“That’s Martha and Joshua Ford’s daughter,” she said. “They bought the old Hansen farm about three months ago. I guess your paths just haven’t crossed ‘til now. She’s a pretty thing. I hear she’s smart too. My friend Sally down at the school says she’s on her way to being an honor student. Sally says they come from someplace in Ohio.”
Peter walked around the wrecker but stopped in the middle of the street. He saw her get into a red Honda Prelude.Before starting the car, she pushed her long brown hair back over her shoulders, put on a ball cap, and sunglasses.
Someone bumped Peter in the back and knocked him down. As he started to get up he was shoved back down. He looked up from the pavement. Billy Hagerty, a bully who was always trying to start something, hovered over him.
“You better watch where you’re walking, Dummy,” Billy laughed. “You might get your butt run over.”
Billy swung his foot at Peter. Peter caught it with one strong hand and shot him a warning look, his grip like a vise.
“Let go my foot,” Billy ordered. He jerked his foot loose and yelled, “You just better watch out, Dummy.”
Peter didn’t need to say anything even if he could. It may have been the look on Peter’s face that made Billy turn and run away.
With some distance between them, Billy stopped, turned and yelled, “I mean it!”
Peter stood, dusting himself off as he watched Billy disappearing down the street. He turned to see the red Honda driving away…