A Promise To Keep

by Christina Tetreault

  Drew picked up the menu again. “Not quite. For now can you bring me an order of the buffalo chicken tenders, a club soda with lime, and a glass of whatever is on tap.”

  He’d ordered almost the exact same thing on his last visit. A visit she remembered all too well because before then he hadn’t known she worked there. “Sure thing. Be back in a few with your drinks and some rolls.”

  Kelsey put in his appetizer order and stopped at a few other tables before she headed back toward Drew with his drinks.

  “Kelsey, I’ll see you later,” Dakota said as she passed his table. He already wore his winter jacket and was pulling on his leather gloves.

  She paused and said, “Have a nice weekend. See you when you get back from Virginia.”

  Turing away from Dakota, her gaze slammed into Drew’s. He’d put his menu aside, and all his attention was focused on her. He no longer smiled. Instead, his lips formed a definite frown. She glanced around, looking for whatever Drew found upsetting. All she saw were customers enjoying their meals and each other’s company.

  Maybe he got an upsetting call after I left him. Whatever the problem, it wasn’t any of her business, so she didn’t plan on asking him.

  “Here you go. The rolls just came out of the oven.” She set down his drinks and the basket of bread. “Have you decided on dinner, or should I come back in a few minutes?”

  “What’s his name again?” Drew asked, rather than answer her question.

  “Whose name?”

  “The dude you were just talking to. The one you danced with at O’Brien’s wedding.”

  “Dakota. He works with Mack and moved to town last summer.” She didn’t know why Drew wanted to know and didn’t really care. “So, did you decide on a meal or do you need me to come back?”

  “I’ll have the chicken potpie.” He closed his menu but didn’t hand it back to her. “You and Dakota looked rather friendly. Are you together now?”

  She’d reminded him once before that she didn’t need or want him playing the role of protective big brother. Judging by his tone, he’d forgotten, but now wasn’t the time or place to remind him. “Jessie tried to get us together, but we’re just friends. He’s actually headed down to Virginia for training. He’ll be back next weekend.” Kelsey reached out for his menu. “I’ll go put your order in. Do you need anything else?”

  Drew shook his head. “Are you around Saturday?”

  “Nope, I’m—”

  He didn’t let her finish before speaking again. “Let me guess, working, right?”

  “Wrong, Mr. I Know Everything. I’m not working at all this weekend. Saturday I’m going to Gage’s concert in Boston.”

  “Mom told me about it. If I liked his style of music, I’d consider going,” he answered. “Since you’ve got Sunday off though, let’s get together. Give me a time, and I’ll be there.”

  He wanted to get together? Something tells me Drew’s going to be visiting you a lot when he moves back. Ella’s comment weeks ago came back to haunt her. “Uh, well, I thought I’d work on correcting lab reports Sunday. Maybe we can get together some other time?” She went to take the menu, and her fingers brushed against his. Heat shot across her nerve endings, and she swallowed.

  Drew flashed her a lopsided smile, and suddenly she felt like a teenager talking to a boy she liked. “C’mon. You can’t read reports all day. You’ll need to take a break at some point.”

  “Maybe. I guess.”

  “Good. How about I come over around one o’clock on Sunday? If the Celtics are on, we can watch the game and catch up. Maybe order some takeout.”

  The woman at table three was waving in her direction. She didn’t have time to argue with Drew. “Yeah, sure whatever. But I need to get your order in and check on my other tables now.”

  Finally, he released the menu. “Right. Sorry about that.”

  “I’ll be back when your dinner is ready.” Kelsey didn’t wait for a response before making a beeline for table three. She’d worry about Drew and Sunday when the day rolled around.

  Chapter Three

  Drew’s cell phone chimed an indication he’d received a text message from Mom, the exact person he’d planned on calling today. He’d only been waiting for her to get home from work.

  When will you be ready for visitors, the message read. Your dad and I are both around tonight.

  One thing he could say about Mom, she never beat around the bush. She was always upfront no matter the subject matter.

  I have something I need to do tonight. How about tomorrow afternoon?

  Well, he didn’t need to do it tonight, but rather wanted to do it now because Kelsey was working. Since he knew she wouldn’t be with any of her friends, he hoped to have a little chat with Cat. Before he met with Kelsey on Sunday afternoon, he wanted to know what was really going on with her, because he knew she’d never share everything with him. Their conversation in the fall proved that. As her best friends, Cat and Ella were the two people most likely to know such information. Since Cat was married to Tony Bates, a guy he’d known well all through school, it made more sense to stop at their house and start his questioning. If Cat couldn’t or wouldn’t help, he’d talk to Ella.

  A smiley face appeared on the screen first. We’ll be there. Joey will be with us. We’re watching him this weekend while Cody and Khloe are away.

  He’d talked to Joey but hadn’t seen his nephew in over a month. Great. Come over whenever. Before Mom sent another message, he sent one more of his own. Do you know Tony’s address? He knew Tony lived in town, but he had no idea where.

  Tony Bates?

  What other Tony would he be asking about? Yep, I want to stop over.

  He’s on Timber Lane in the blue house next to the Pratts.

  Here was another perfect example of the benefits of living in a small town. Mom had the information he needed, and he knew the exact house she meant. Thanks. See you and Dad tomorrow.

  Drew shoved the cell phone into his back pocket and grabbed a jacket. Although a few degrees warmer than yesterday, the temperature still hovered in the low teens.

  Backing out of his driveway, he hoped Tony and Cat were home. He didn’t know their weekly routine, but it was a Friday night and they didn’t have any children. Most people he knew without kids spent their Friday nights out having fun. Of course he didn’t socialize with many married couples either. Maybe married couples spent more time at home relaxing. Either way, it’d make his life easier if they were home tonight.

  He’d played Little League with Kenny Pratt and gone to more than one birthday party at his house, so he knew exactly which home on Timber Street belonged to his parents. Back then the house to the left belonged to a dentist who liked to hand out toothbrushes and floss instead of candy on Halloween. Drew had a feeling Tony would never do that to the neighborhood kids.

  The light near the front door was already on when he pulled in next to a dark blue pickup truck, and he could see lights on inside the house. Someone was home.

  Unlike at Kelsey’s house, Tony’s front walkway had been cleared so well Drew could see the concrete. And much like at Kelsey’s house, a Valentine’s Day-inspired wreath hung on the front door, a clear indication a bachelor did not live here.

  Drew rang the bell and eyed the red, pink, and white decoration. Tony Bates married. He still found it hard to believe. Tony and his best friend Sean O’Brien had been a year ahead of him all through school. They’d all played on all the same sports teams and had shared a lot of the same friends. Tony had always been the last person he’d expected to get married. Now the dude had a floral wreath attached to his front door. Talk about things happening you never expected.

  Tony opened the door a few seconds later, pulling Drew’s eyes away from the wreath. “Drew? When I heard the bell, I thought it was Sean or Mack.”

  Although they’d been friends as kids, they hadn’t stayed in close contact after Drew left for college. Occasionally, they’d run into each other when Dr
ew came home, but over the last several years, those visits had been few and far between. The last time they’d seen each other had been in the fall.

  “Hey, Tony. Hope you don’t mind me stopping by.”

  “Nah. Come on in. Striker and Ella are already here.”

  He didn’t want to be a party crasher. “Are you sure? Sounds like you’re having a party. I can come by another night.”

  Tony gestured for him to come inside. “Just our monthly poker game. We take turns hosting. Join us. Unless you’re afraid of losing, of course.”

  Another invitation from Tony wasn’t needed. “In your dreams, Bates.” Drew walked inside, the smell of pizza immediately calling out to him.

  Behind him Tony laughed as he closed the door. “Hey, Striker, we’ve got another sacrifice for tonight’s game.”

  “New blood. Who is it? Did Dakota finally accept your invitation?” Striker, Tony’s brother-in-law, entered the room rubbing his hands together. When Striker saw Drew he stopped. “Drew? I heard you moved back. What are you doing here? Need to make those deep pockets of yours a little lighter?”

  “Actually, I plan to fill them up tonight before I leave,” Drew answered. “I hope you paid all your bills already, Striker.” He didn’t know Striker as well as Tony, but he knew him well enough to give him a hard time.

  “We’ll see about—” The ringing doorbell cut off the rest of Striker’s sentence.

  “All the food is in kitchen. Cat just took the pizzas out of the oven. Go on in and help yourself,” Tony said as he walked toward the door.

  Since he’d come to talk to Cat, Drew headed for the kitchen before Tony opened the door again.

  Extra folding chairs had been placed around the table, and a deck of playing cards along with several stacks of poker chips were in the center of it. Four large pizzas sat cooling on the counter along with chips, a bowl of what looked like homemade salsa, and a plate of chicken wings. Near the stove, Ella and Cat stood speaking, their low voices making it impossible to hear what they were saying.

  He assumed they’d heard Striker moments ago. He hadn’t exactly been quiet. “Hi Cat, Ella. Do you need any help in here?”

  Their conversation immediately stopped, and they both looked his way. “Thanks, but I think we’ve got everything. But help yourself before my brother starts eating.” Cat handed him a plate. “Tony didn’t tell me he invited you tonight.”

  While the pizzas looked and smelled amazing, he put the plate down. Food and his stomach could wait. He wanted to have this conversation before everyone else came into the kitchen. “He didn’t. I came over hoping to talk to you. If I’d known you all had a poker game tonight, I would’ve waited.”

  Cat and Ella exchanged a look. A look he couldn’t label, and honestly he wasn’t sure he wanted to.

  “You want to talk about Kelsey,” Cat said. Her words were a definite statement and not a question. She picked up a plate and added some chips and a scoop of salsa. Ella did the same, then they gave him their full attention.

  From the other room he heard first Sean and then Mack speak as Tony filled them in on the new addition to the evening’s poker game. Two women’s voices soon followed. He guessed they belonged to Mia and Jessie.

  Grilling her friends is wrong, a little voice reminded him. He ignored it. Sometimes in order to do the right thing, you had to do the wrong thing first. Keeping his promise to Ian and helping Kelsey in whatever way she needed was the right thing.

  He nodded. “I know why Kelsey originally started teaching at the middle school. But why is she still there and working at Masterson’s? When I asked her, all I got was ‘For now I need a full-time job.’ I don’t buy it.”

  “Well, most people do need to work, especially when they’re single,” Cat said.

  Like he didn’t already know that. “True, but she can’t have a mortgage on the house. It’s been in her family a long time. She doesn’t have any kids, so I’d think the job at Masterson’s and the profits from the garage would be enough while she’s at Brandeis.”

  Cat and Ella exchanged another look. Whatever message passed between them caused Ella to shrug before she spoke. “Kelsey has a lot on her plate right now.”

  “Such as?” Getting answers from a newborn baby would be easier than getting anything useful from these two.

  “It’s not our place to share her business.” Cat looked apologetic when she answered him. “You’ll have to ask her again, Drew. I’m sorry.”

  Not as sorry as me.

  Ella nodded in agreement. “But if she asks your opinion about selling Bancroft Automotive, tell her you think it’s a good idea. We both did.”

  She was thinking about selling her father’s garage? What the hell was going on with her?

  “Kelsey’s thinking about selling the garage?” Striker said as he entered the room. “You didn’t tell me that, Ella.”

  Sean and his wife followed right behind Striker. Drew had seen Mia in numerous movies but only in person once before tonight, but she definitely looked pregnant. If she wasn’t expecting, then she’d put on weight since the wedding. Whatever the case, he wasn’t going to ask.

  “Why would she sell? The place is always busy,” Sean said, adding a plate of cookies and a plastic container of brownies to the food already on the counter. “If I owned it, I wouldn’t sell.”

  “She’s only considering it. Kelsey hasn’t made any decisions,” Cat said before grabbing a plate and filling it up. She handed it to Tony and then sat down. “Let’s get started.”

  Drew got the hint. Cat and Ella were done discussing Kelsey and whatever was going on in her life. If he wanted any answers, he’d have to ask her. Although frustrated by their reluctance to give up information, he understood it. They didn’t want to betray their friend’s trust. He’d had the same type of relationship with Ian before he passed away. Unfortunately, getting anything but vague answers from Kelsey would be next to impossible.

  Once everyone filled plates and sat down, Tony reached for the cards.

  “Mia, are you in tonight or just watching?” Tony asked.

  “Watching.”

  “Jessie, what about you?” Tony shuffled the cards while he waited for her answer.

  She reached for a celery stick. When she came in she’d added a platter overflowing with fresh vegetables to the counter, as well as a plate of scallops wrapped in bacon. Compared to the other foods, the veggies seemed like an odd addition. Now she was the only one with vegetables on her plate. Actually, the only things she’d selected were raw vegetables. With so many other tasty options out tonight, he found that odd.

  “I’m going to pass tonight too, Tony.”

  With a nod, Tony dealt the cards, and the poker game got underway. As they played, the conversations around the table moved from one topic to the other. About thirty minutes into the game, Jessie stood and refilled her plate with celery, carrot sticks, and raw sliced peppers. He’d grabbed a few of the peppers too, but only so he could dip them in the homemade guacamole Cat had taken out of the refrigerator.

  “Still craving raw vegetables?” Mia asked. Unlike Jessie, Mia had filled her plate with carbs. She didn’t have a raw vegetable or piece of meat in sight.

  Jessie swiped a carrot stick through the guacamole. “Yep. It is nuts. I expected to want ice cream or pizza all the time, but I even want veggies in the morning.”

  “I wish I had the same problem,” Mia said, sounding annoyed. “I swear, since the moment the pregnancy test came back positive, all I want is carbs. Especially cookies and muffins. Maureen doesn’t help either. She brings both over every other day.” Mia referred to her mother-in-law.

  Yup, Sean’s wife was pregnant. He sincerely hoped Sean and Mia were expecting a boy. He remembered how protective Sean had been of his younger sister, Charlie. He suspected the guy would be one hundred times worse with a daughter.

  “Congratulations. Do you know what you’re having?” Drew asked.

  “A little girl,” Se
an answered. He sounded thrilled about the fact.

  Good luck to her. “Nice, your mom will have a grandson and a granddaughter. She must be excited.” Drew’s mother was always asking when she might expect more grandchildren. Since his younger brother, John, was getting married this summer, he suspected she might get another soon.

  “Jessie, when are you finding out if you’re having a girl or boy?” Cat asked.

  Considering the conversation moments ago between Jessie and Mia, he’d already assumed Jessie and Mack were expecting too. Cat’s question confirmed it for him. Unlike Mia though, Jessie didn’t look any different from the last time he’d seen her at Sean’s wedding. Maybe that was because from the sound of it, she lived on raw vegetables these days.

  “My appointment is on the twenty-eighth. Grace really wants a sister. Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me.”

  Drew had met Grace, Mack’s daughter from his first marriage, at Sean and Mia’s wedding. Oddly, in many ways she’d reminded him of Kelsey and her friends when they’d been younger. Growing up, whenever he was over at Ian’s house and Kelsey invited her friends over too, they never stopped talking. Even later when they entered high school, they never stopped. He’d never understood how they could have so much to say to each other. Grace had been the same way when she rejoined the table at the reception. He had no sisters or female cousins though, so maybe all girls were like that.

  Soon the topic of babies and food cravings changed. Instead Ella, Cat, and Jessie discussed their plans for the concert the following night. Drew tuned it out and focused on his cards. While not an expert poker player, he usually managed to hold his own. So far, he hadn’t won a single hand. Tony and Sean would never let him live it down if he lost all the money in his wallet tonight.

  “Was Kelsey working tonight?” Jessie asked, her question again pulling his attention away from his cards and toward the women’s conversation. “I wanted to let her know what time I’ll pick her up tomorrow, but she didn’t answer.”