Three Little Things

by Kay Correll

  Tally greeted them with a warm smile. “Welcome.” She hugged Lillian. “I don’t see you very often.” She turned to Ruby. “And you and Ben haven’t been here in a while either.”

  “Ben’s been really busy,” Ruby said.

  “I’m always at the inn. But Ruby and I decided to grab a meal together and I wanted a change of scenery.” Lillian was glad she and Tally could be friends, even if their dining rooms competed with each other. Tally was such a constant on the island. It seemed like everyone knew they could come to her for advice or a shoulder to lean on. Tally was a descendant of the original Belle family who had settled on the island years ago. All that island history all wrapped up in her family.

  “Come. Sit at a table by the beach. You can watch the sunset.” She led them over to their table and handed them menus.

  Though, Lillian knew what she was having. Blackened grouper. It was her favorite dish here. Along with a side of hushpuppies.

  They settled into their seats, ordered wine, and looked at their menus.

  “It has been a while since I’ve been here. Ben and I used to go out to eat at least once a week. But he’s been busy with the marina and Charlotte. She’s such a nice girl.”

  Lillian looked at Ruby. Hadn’t she heard about Ben and Charlotte breaking up? Charlotte had told Robin, who told Sara, who’d told her. Of course.

  Now she was uncertain on whether to tell Ruby the news or not.

  “What is it?” Ruby asked.

  “What?”

  “You’re frowning. It can’t possibly be the wonderful choices of food here.”

  “I just—” She set her menu down. “Well, I heard from Sara that Charlotte and Ben are taking a break from seeing each other.”

  Ruby’s eyes widened. “They are? Ben didn’t say a thing.”

  “I guess he’s been busy and cancelling a lot of their dates. And last night he showed up two hours late for a dinner she’d made for him.”

  Ruby frowned. “That boy needs to figure out how to sort out his priorities. He works so hard at the marina, but he can’t put his work before the people he cares about. He sure didn’t learn that from his father. Barry worked long hours, but his family always came first. I think he’s trying to prove something to himself, to me, to his memory of his father. Prove what a success he can make the business and grow it. But none of that matters if work is your whole life.”

  “I’m sure he’ll work it out.”

  “Maybe. But he’s a stubborn one, that son of mine.” She let out a long sigh. “But I guess I need to let him work it out himself.”

  “Some helpful advice never hurt anyone.” Lillian smiled. “Maybe you should talk to him.”

  “Oh, I’ll talk to him. It’s just whether he’ll listen or not. So far he hasn’t really listened to me about my seeing David.”

  “He’s having a hard time with that?”

  “He is. But I’m not letting that stop me. David asked me out again for tomorrow night, and when he called today to firm up the details, I told him I’d cook for him. I love having someone to cook for.”

  “I rarely cook anymore. I just grab food at the inn.” She sat and looked out at the sun, slipping below the horizon. Another day, almost done. They seemed to pass so quickly these days. “You know, I should plan a dinner and cook for Sara and I. Haven’t done that in forever. I could make all her favorite things. I do so love having her living back at The Nest with me. It was so empty when she was gone.”

  “Tell me about it. I rattled around in my big old house after Barry died. The nights were the worst.” Ruby shrugged. “But now I have Mischief. I adore that silly pup. It’s so nice to have someone—even a dog—to chat to. And he curls up on my bed at night. Don’t know what I ever did without him.”

  They ordered their meals and enjoyed watching the sunset while chatting about knitting, the weather, and the Festival of Lights and their cookie baking plans.

  As they finished up the meal, Ruby leaned back in her chair. “That was wonderful. I enjoyed the food and the conversation.”

  “So did I. Sometimes it’s just nice to have a woman friend to talk to. I think that’s why I’m enjoying The Yarn Society so much. That, and taking a break from running the inn.”

  “You’ve had the responsibility of running that inn for so long.” Ruby’s forehead creased. “I don’t think I ever heard how you ended up owning the inn.”

  “My family used to come to the island for vacations when I was young. I came back here one year for a quick vacation and fell in love with the inn. Found out it was for sale. I’d inherited some money from my aunt and uncle, so… I bought it.” She laughed. “Probably was a rash decision. What did I know about running an inn? But it’s a decision I’ve never regretted. It’s brought me such joy. Gave me a wonderful place to raise Sara when she came to live with me after her parents died.”

  “You took on so much responsibility so young.”

  She shrugged. “I guess so. But I loved every minute of it. Can’t imagine not raising Sara. She’s such an important part of my life. I do miss my sister, though. And it’s sad for a child to lose her parents so young. But life throws you curves sometimes. You have to make the best of it and learn to carve out a new life.”

  “I hear you on that.” Ruby’s eyes held a faraway look, then cleared and she smiled. “Life goes on, doesn’t it?”

  “It does. We’re only given this one life, and what we choose to do with it… well, even enjoying the simple moments, like this one, with a good friend. That’s the important part of life. Just seems to take a while for people to learn that, doesn’t it?”

  Ben sat nursing his beer along with his hurt feelings at the Lucky Duck. He still couldn’t believe that Charlotte had wanted them to take a break. But Jay had promised to meet him as soon as he could. He needed a friendly shoulder tonight.

  Willie walked down the length of the bar, a glass in one hand, drying it with a towel. He held it up to the light, inspected it, and dropped it into a rack of clean glasses. “So, you doing okay? Want another beer?”

  “Nah, I’m still fine.” He stared down at his half-empty glass. Or should he be looking at it as half-full? Charlotte would say it was half-full. But right now, it sure looked half-empty to him.

  “You look kind of down in the dumps.” Willie stopped in front of him and looked at the bar before grabbing a wet cloth and wiping it down.

  “Charlotte and I are having some trouble.” More than trouble. It figured the first night that he’d finished up early at the marina was the first night of their “break.”

  “Ashley and I have our ups and downs. I think I’m not an easy man to date.” Willie shrugged. “And women are hard creatures to figure out.”

  Jay slipped into the seat beside him. “Why do you say that? I don’t think they’re that mysterious. They just want to feel appreciated and that they’re important to you.”

  “Wise words, my friend,” Willie agreed.

  “So, what was the emergency?” Jay looked at him.

  “Charlotte said we needed to take a break.”

  “So I heard.”

  Ben rolled his eyes. “Of course you heard. She would have told Robin, who would have told you.”

  “Exactly.” Jay turned to Willie. “I’ll have a beer, too. And my friend, Ben here, is paying. Because I’m going to give him some much needed awesome advice.”

  “You are?’ He looked at Jay.

  “I am. First off… do you know how many times you’ve cancelled on Charlotte recently?” Jay pinned him with a think-about-it look.

  “Not many.” He paused and did think about it. “Okay, some. Okay, probably quite a few times. I’ve been—”

  “I know, I know. You’re busy. Ben, we’re all busy. But you have to decide where to put your time and energy. You can’t expect Charlotte to sit around waiting for you.”

  Willie brought over Jay’s beer. “Jay’s right. You need to make a woman feel like she’s an important part of your
life. Listen to her. Spend time with her. Anyway, that’s my advice. And I’m a bartender, we’re known for giving good advice.” He grinned and left to go wait on a new customer.

  “You can’t take her for granted.” Jay took a sip of his beer and looked at him over the top of the glass.

  “I don’t take her for granted. I just…” He sighed. “You’re right. I should have put more effort into our relationship. Things were going along so well, and then the marina got busy with all the snowbirds heading down here for some nice Florida sunshine. So many boats needing repairs.”

  “Excuses, my friend. Excuses.” Jay shook his head. “Now, the important thing is, what are you going to do to change things?”

  “What can I do? She wants to take a break.” He shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his beer.

  “Start by showing her that you’re thinking of her. Send her flowers, or even better, send her a present that says you know what she likes. That you’ve been listening to her.”

  “And then what?” He eyed his friend.

  “I don’t know… write her a letter? Tell her how you feel?”

  “She knows how I feel. I’m nuts about her.”

  “Do you tell her you love her? You do love her, don’t you?”

  “I’ve told her I love her.” He frowned. “Well, I know I’ve said it a few times.”

  Jay shook his head. “Man, you are a train wreck when it comes to relationships. You need to step up your game.”

  He stared into his almost empty beer glass. No way anyone would call it half-full now. Empty. Like his life without Charlotte was. Guilt swept through him when he realized just how many times he’d shown up late or canceled completely for dates with Charlotte. He just hoped he hadn’t messed things up for good. “You’re right. I’m going to have to prove to her that I care. I’m going to have to change some things in my life. Prioritize.”

  “That’s a good plan.” Jay nodded. “Now, not to change the subject but I’ve got some news for you…”

  “What’s that?”

  “David Quinn just came into the tavern.” Jay tipped his head in the direction of the door.

  Ben swirled the barstool to look at the entryway. Sure enough, there was that David guy. Could his day get any worse? Though, if David was here, it meant he wasn’t with his mother. That much was good.

  David saw him and waved.

  Ugh, now what was he going to do? He lifted a hand in a tiny wave back, but not in a come-on-over manner.

  And yet, the man came straight over.

  “Evening.”

  “David.” He nodded at the man.

  Jay kicked his leg. Ben glared at him and mouthed the word “ouch.” Jay then reached out his hand to David. “Hi, I’m Jay. Don’t think I’ve met you yet. I’m the chef at Charming Inn where you’re staying.”

  “Ah, you’re the one that makes such magic with the food there.”

  “You shouldn’t talk to him like that. He already thinks he’s the greatest cook on the planet.” Ben held up his empty glass so Willie would see it. Willie nodded.

  “So, want to join us? We’re just having a few beers,” Jay offered.

  Ben felt like returning the kick his friend had just given him. What was he doing inviting this man to drink with them? And he sure wasn’t going to discuss his problems with Charlotte in front of David. He wanted to just talk to his friend and wallow in self-pity. A man should be able to do that sometimes, shouldn’t he?

  “Don’t mind if I do. I was just out for a little walk and remembered Ruby had recommended this place.” He slid onto the stool on the other side of Jay.

  Good, that would give him a one-person buffer.

  David ordered a beer, and Willie brought it over along with Ben’s. He took a sip of his for fortification.

  “So, what do you think of our island?” Jay asked in an amenable tone.

  Why was he making nice to the enemy? Okay, so maybe David wasn’t the enemy, exactly. But he still wasn’t thrilled with the guy.

  “It’s a nice little town. I love all the shops along Main and Oak Street. I’ve been walking on the beach every day. It’s nice to be able to get out and walk. It’s been bitterly cold back home. I was already tired of shoveling snow.”

  “Lots of people head down this way to escape the winter up north. Gets almost crowded on our little island. Lots of traffic. Luckily we can walk almost anywhere we want to go.” Jay chatted to David like they were the best of friends. “Haven’t lifted a snow shovel in years and I sure don’t miss it.”

  David turned to him. “So I guess it gets busy at the marina with all the tourists and snowbirds, too?”

  “Pretty much.”

  Jay rolled his eyes at him. “He’s been very busy working. But a person needs balance in their life, right?”

  David looked serious all of a sudden. “A person does need balance. If you put work first all the time, you will eventually pay the price. A person’s success in life isn’t really measured by how far they went in their career. Or it shouldn’t be. The important part in life is family and friends, what you contribute to the world, making it a better place.”

  “Sounds like you’re speaking from experience,” Ben looked at David, some of his irritation at the man melting away at his sincere tone.

  A rueful expression crossed David’s face. “Unfortunately, I am. Learned my lesson a little too late.”

  “But you’re retired, so you get to just enjoy your days now, right?”

  “I am retired. That was quite the adjustment. But I’m learning as I go along. Trying to just appreciate the little things in life.” David lifted his beer and smiled. “Like this ice-cold beer.”

  He had to grudgingly admit that David wasn’t as much of a bad guy as he thought. They switched to talking about sports, and David regaled them with stories of the Kansas City Royals winning the World Series in 2015, though he admitted he secretly was really a St. Louis Cardinals fan—but one certainly didn’t admit that across the state in Kansas City.

  It was hard to hate a man who loved baseball. Though his choice in teams was… peculiar. But then again, a man had a right to choose his favorite sports team.

  “I think I’m going to head out. Got a full day tomorrow.” Jay took the last sip of his beer, pushed away from the bar, and laughed. “But don’t worry… I’ll throw some fun in there, too. Gotta get that balance.”

  Jay left and Ben sat with the empty seat between him and David still buffering them. David turned to him. “So, are we okay with me dating your mother?”

  Way to get right to the point. He normally admired that trait in a person. He sighed. He was getting used to the idea of his mom seeing someone. And it might as well be David. He did seem like a nice enough guy. And he was leaving soon. He’d be a good testing of the waters for his mom. He looked back at David considering his reply. “Yep, we’re good.”

  Pretty good.

  Chapter 15

  Ruby spent the day in the kitchen, happy to finally have someone to cook for. She made a special roast that she hadn’t made in years. She baked homemade bread and the smell of it baking in the oven made her smile. There was just something about fresh baked bread.

  She made an apple pie and a pecan pie, not sure which David might like best… and she loved both of them. She rewarded herself with a tiny sliver of each pie about mid-afternoon. She’d add a fresh salad and some steamed green beans with almond slivers. She hoped he liked everything.

  Today, for some reason, she didn’t feel nervous about seeing David. Which suited her just fine, because that whole nervous thing just didn’t sit well with her. Young girls got nervous about dates like that. Not a mature woman who had lived a very full life.

  She straightened the front room and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and stared for a bit. Her reflection sometimes startled her. She expected a much younger version of herself to be staring back at her. With a light touch, she traced her f
inger over the slight wrinkles along the outer corners of her eyes and the few by the corners of her mouth. Surely those were laugh lines, right?

  Then she reached up and ran her fingers through her hair… that somehow had streaks of gray in it already.

  She saw touches of her mother in her face now, which somewhat pleased her and disturbed her at the same time. She looked so like her mother… like her mother when she’d been older. How did that happen?

  Her mother had been a charming, wonderful, caring woman. She still missed her and thought about her often, though she’d been gone for many years. She’d died before Barry.

  She remembered the night Barry died, that she’d wanted her mother so badly. To be there for her. To hold her. To comfort her. To tell her everything would be all right. But, alas, she’d had to get through it alone.

  And things had gotten better. The stabbing pain that was every thought about Barry had eased somewhat. She hadn’t quite adjusted to not being a couple and not having him here to talk to each evening. But she was getting by.

  A brief feeling of guilt rushed through her just thinking about having another man here in the home she’d shared with Barry. It had been okay the first time because Charlotte and Ben had been here.

  But now she’d be alone with him here. Cooking him a meal.

  She looked in the mirror again, asking that woman for advice. Asking if everything was going to be okay. If she was doing the right thing.

  But her reflection refused to answer.

  Charlotte answered the door and the delivery man handed her a package. She frowned. She hadn’t ordered anything. She looked at the return label. It was from her favorite art supply store. She thanked the delivery man and went back inside.

  In the kitchen, she grabbed a knife and opened the box. She exclaimed in delight when she saw the contents. The two sable brushes she’d been debating on getting along with an assortment of blue shades of paint. Ones she’d been thinking about getting.