by Judi Lynn
“That would be nice. Are you looking for something close to the brewery?” His mom hated to drive, had worked as a nurse in a hospital close to home so she didn’t have to drive across town, but loved being a passenger. On rides she was a scenery watcher.
Joel shrugged. “Mill Pond’s small enough, we could settle anywhere. We just haven’t found anything suitable.” He waved around the small space. “This is all there is to show you here. Ready to go to Ralph’s Diner for lunch?”
They all piled into his dark green, oversize pickup, and he pointed out the different tourist shops on their drive to Ralph’s.
His mom rode shotgun and Adele sat in the back with Joel’s dad. His mom pointed to the different shops. “This town’s so quaint. I love the awnings and flower boxes.” She spent hours gardening. She had extensive flowerbeds, and every year she canned and froze a year’s worth of vegetables and fruits. She’d love Miriam’s English garden. Joel would have to drive past her cottage so Mom could see it.
Ralph’s Diner was doing a good lunch business, but it wasn’t as crowded as most weekdays. When they walked in, Ralph looked up and waved at them. Jules motioned them to a four-top. “Be with you in a minute.” People nodded and smiled as they made their way to their table.
“People are nice here,” Dad commented.
Adele smiled at the room in general. “Everyone likes me.”
“Why wouldn’t they? What’s not to like?” His dad gave her a hug.
After they ordered, Mom leaned forward and winked at Adele. “Grandpa and I are going to Michigan to visit my brother for the first week of June. We were hoping your dad would drive you to our house and let you come with us.”
Adele’s jaw dropped. She turned to Joel. “Can I?”
“We’ve missed seeing her,” his mom added. “We’d like to spend some time with her.”
Joel’s uncle owned ten acres and raised a few cattle. He had lots of dogs and cats that roamed in and out of the barn. Adele loved visiting there. Joel would be extra busy then, trying to finish things up at the brewery. He shrugged. “How can I say no?”
Adele squeaked her pleasure, and for the rest of the meal, the talk turned to Uncle Russell and his farm. As they talked, it occurred to Joel that Miriam would be finished teaching seniors by June. He’d have a week of free nights. Maybe he could invite her to suppers more often. Maybe . . . but he tamped down that thought. He’d better not get ahead of himself.
When they finished eating, he said, “Come on. Let me give you the grand tour of Mill Pond.”
First, he drove them toward the national forest. On their way, they passed Mill Pond High and Art’s Grocery, then they turned toward Tyne and Daphne’s log cabin.
“They invited us to their house for supper,” Adele explained.
Joel followed the highway to Harley’s winery and then circled the lake all the way to Ian’s resort. When they passed Miriam’s house, he pointed out her perennial flowerbeds and, as he’d suspected, his mother oohed and aahed over them.
“Miriam has two cats,” Adele told them. “They like me.”
It was a straight shot from there past Miriam’s parents’ house.
“Miriam invited us there for their Sunday get-together,” Adele said.
“Sounds like the town’s greeted you with open arms. Most small towns are cliquish. I was a little worried about that,” his dad said.
“Mill Pond is special. People help one another.” When Joel pulled to the side door of the brewery, he turned to his parents with pride. “Well, this is it.”
Joel’s dad liked the side patio with its umbrellaed tables. “Reminds me of our root beer stand back home. A good place to grab a dog and something cold.”
Joel led them inside and they gushed over what he’d accomplished. They were that kind of parents, always supportive.
His dad scratched his head at the cement floors. “Who’d have thought you could make concrete look this polished and nice?”
His mom liked his office with the cozy nook for Adele. “You’ll feel better having her with you.”
Once he’d explained how he hoped the business would work, he led them back outside and pointed to the woods in the distance. He’d had a foundation poured close to the tree line. “I mean to put a trailer there, in case Miles ever needs a place to stay.”
His dad’s lips thinned. “Your brother’s not your responsibility. You have enough to take care of.”
Joel knew he meant Adele, but he shook his head. “I don’t want him to move back in with you guys. It’s time you two start having some fun.”
His mom turned her head and swiped at her eyes. “We do have fun. I have my gardens and your dad likes his job.”
Joel’s dad refilled vending machines, driving from one place to another to keep them stocked. At sixty, he’d worked for the company long enough to have a decent pension if he retired, but he wanted to wait until he was sixty-five and could apply for Medicare. In the evenings he puttered in the garage on an old muscle car that was his pride and joy. When Joel and Miles had lived at home, they’d spent lots of evenings out there, handing him tools and yakking. His mom had worked Monday through Wednesdays, twelve-hour shifts, as a nurse until she was fifty-five. They had friends galore, and they’d been there for Miles every time he crashed. His brother hadn’t been an alcoholic when he joined the army, but he’d hit the bottle hard when he came home.
His dad ran his hand through his hair. It was thick and wavy, a source of pride for him. “Worths don’t go bald,” he’d told Joel often. He let out a long breath of air. “Your brother’s to the point that he either wants to get better or he doesn’t. He might not be able to kick his habit.”
“I know. I’m just offering him a place to stay, and maybe a job.”
“A job?” His dad sounded worried.
“Custodial work, like he’s doing now. Nothing fancy. If he doesn’t show up for work, I’ll have to hire someone else.”
His dad’s shoulders relaxed. That seemed to mollify him a little.
His mom looked at where the trailer would be, the setting. “It’s beautiful here.”
Joel nodded. “I think Miles will like it. My hope is that he keeps the job he has, but if something happens . . .” They all knew what that would be. Miles would drink himself into a stupor, lose three or four days and not show up for work. “Well, then he can come here.”
“It might work,” his dad said. “No guarantees.”
“There are no guarantees with Miles.” His mom said it softly, as though she hated saying the words.
Joel wouldn’t push it. He’d thrown it out there and he’d let them adjust to the idea. He cleared his throat. “Well, you’ve seen the works. What do you think of Mill Pond?”
“I think you’ve found someplace special.” His mom slipped her arm through Adele’s. “And you live close enough that we can come and grab our granddaughter every once in a while to keep track of her. I think it’s perfect.”
“I was thinking about taking you to Chase’s for supper,” Joel said. “It’s a bar, but he makes great burgers, and he has an outdoor patio where kids can eat.”
Adele stuck out her bottom lip.
“What is it, hon?” his mom asked.
“One of my favorite TV shows is on tonight.”
Joel was about to tell her to tape the show, she could watch it later, but his mom grinned. “Good, you and I can grab something to eat and stay in to chat. We’ll have some girl time together.”
“Once she turns on the TV . . .”
His mom cut him off. “I know. We’ll watch the show together.”
He knew better than to argue with his mom. She was the kindest person in the world, but when it came to Adele, she wouldn’t bend. If she wanted to stay in and watch TV with her, that’s what she’d do. He gave his daughter a look she ignored. He’d talk to her later, but it wouldn’t make a lot of difference. By the time this happened again, she’d forget anything he’d told her.
&nb
sp; His dad lay his hand on Joel’s shoulder. “It’s you and me, kid. Let’s drop the girls off and go for burgers and beer.”
Joel gave in gracefully. He stopped at Art’s Grocery and let his mom buy fancy cheeses and meats to make toasted sandwiches. Then he dropped them at his apartment and he and his dad headed to Chase’s.
Because Adele wasn’t with them, they went inside to eat. Miriam and Daphne were sitting at a table and waved them over. Joel introduced his dad and that was all it took. His dad loved to yak. He turned on the charm, and from then on, Joel never got a word in. When their food came, he happily munched and listened to the ebb and flow of conversation.
Miriam asked what Joel had been like as a kid.
“Kindhearted. Always busy. The kid couldn’t sit still.”
“A good student?”
His dad laughed. “He did well enough.”
She cocked an eyebrow in Joel’s direction. “Not studious.”
He shrugged and locked gazes with her. “I was no A student, but I’ve always been good with my hands.” When she blushed, he smirked.
Miriam turned her attention back to his dad. “When did you start working for the vending company?”
“Right out of high school. You could do that back then, get a good job with a high school diploma. And you had security, a job for life.” He shook his head. “Things have changed.”
“So, what sells out first in your machines?” Daphne asked. “Candy? Cakes?”
“Chips, for sure,” his dad said.
“I love chips.” Miriam reached for Joel’s last fry. “Any kind of potatoes really.”
Daphne glanced at their empty plates. “Tyne loves to ask what you’d have for your last meal, if you could have anything. You?” She looked at Joel’s dad.
“A standing rib roast—the whole thing.”
Daphne laughed. “Miriam?”
“Easy. You said a meal, right? A bacon cheeseburger with fries and a banana split for dessert.”
Daphne turned to Joel.
“Cabbage rolls with a baked potato and apple pie.”
His dad smiled and shook his head. “Your mom makes that every year for your birthday.”
“She says it’s perfect for January, brings us good luck.”
Miriam studied him, serious. “You’re a Capricorn?”
“Yup, the sign of the goat.”
“The sea goat,” she corrected. “And hard work. I’m going to learn to make cabbage rolls for you.”
Daphne looked surprised. So did Joel. “It’s a pain in the rear to make. That’s why Mom only makes it once a year.”
“I’ll only make it once a year, too, but I’m going to ask Tyne to show me how.”
When his dad raised an eyebrow, Daphne said, “Tyne’s my husband, a chef.”
“I’ll tell you what.” His dad pointed a finger at Miriam. “My wife guards that recipe, but if you’re serious, I’ll have her give it to you since you’re making it for our boy.”
She blinked. “You’d do that?”
“Damn straight.”
Chase came with their checks and Joel picked up the tabs and paid them. Then they all stood to leave.
“Thanks for the supper,” the girls told Joel. They separated in the parking lot, and when Joel and his dad started back to his apartment, his dad gave him a thumbs-up. “I like her.”
“Which one?”
“Your Miriam. She’s solid.”
Joel shook his head. “She’s not mine. We’re just friends.”
“For now.” His dad smiled. “Whatever recipe that girl wants, she can have.”
Once they reached the apartment, his parents didn’t linger long.
“We have a long drive home, but this was nice. We’ll do it again,” his mom said. “And in a couple of weeks you’ll bring us Adele and we’ll take off for vacation.”
If they’d take Adele for a week or two every once in a while, it would be nice.
There might be advantages to not living close to his parents, Joel decided. He loved his daughter, but he rarely had free time. Now, he would.
Chapter 14
Miriam went to her family’s Sunday meal, as usual, but after they ate and finished dessert, when her nephews started to sign people up for Wiffle ball, she had to decline. “Too many papers to grade, damn it. I worked on them all day yesterday.”
“That’s not what I heard.” Her sister, Sue-Ellen, who was sitting across from her, smirked. Her auburn hair was pulled into a frizzy topknot today, with tiny strands breaking free to curl around her face. “Sally Coleridge was at Chase’s bar last night with her husband and saw you having supper with Daphne and that nice man you brought here one Sunday.”
“Joel.” Miriam looked around the table, ready to defend herself. “He brought his dad to Chase’s and we invited them to sit with us. His parents drove down from Fort Wayne to see how his brewery was coming along.”
Sue-Ellen’s smirk grew wider and she winked at her mom at the end of the table. “Well, Miriam should know about that. News is, Joel took her to his place and grilled steaks for her there.”
Miriam rolled her eyes. There were no secrets in Mill Pond. “He’s lonely. He wants a friend.”
Sue-Ellen’s husband, Neil, broke in. “You gotta give the guy credit. Most men his age want someone ten years younger hanging on their arm.”
Miriam wrinkled her nose. “I don’t get it. What would they have in common?”
Her dad grunted. “I don’t think the guys are worried about deep conversations.”
“Well, they should be.” Her mom pushed to her feet, ready to clear the dessert plates. “Sex is great and all, but it won’t hold you together when things get tough. Raising kids, paying the mortgage, getting too tired . . . they all take their toll. Then you have to have something more to glue you together.” She pointed to Sue-Ellen’s boys. “Remember that, you two.”
Toby, the fifteen-year-old, snickered. “People don’t have to have babies these days. I had sex education this year.”
“Good, then hopefully they taught you the emotions that go along with getting it on.”
Toby frowned. “They taught us about the diseases.”
Neil wagged a finger at him. “You come home with one of those, and so help me, I’ll Super Glue your thing to your thigh.”
“Dad!” Toby looked horrified.
Sue-Ellen cut in. “Some people just say no and don’t have to worry about sex. Some people wait until they’re married. And some people decide never to have rug rats.” She nodded at Clair, sitting next to her husband, Max. “Then you can honeymoon for as long as you want.”
A flush colored Clair’s face. “I went off the Pill ten months ago. If something happens, fine. If not, that’s fine, too.”
Sue-Ellen blinked. “Our baby sister might have a baby?”
Max put a hand over Clair’s. “We’re not going to work at it, but if Clair gets pregnant, we’d sure be happy.”
“Kids are game changers,” Neil warned. “No sleep, no sex.”
“Sex isn’t everything,” Mom repeated, her tone sharp.
Miriam got that. But boy, would she love to have a few wild and wanton rolls in the sack before she got too old and dried up.
Her mother raised an eyebrow at her. Could she read her thoughts? “You.” She pointed to the door. “Get out of here and finish grading your papers. And if you see your nice Joel, tell him we said hi.”
“Will do.” Miriam stood, anxious to flee this conversation.
“As for the rest of you,” Mom motioned toward the kitchen, “we have dishes to clean.”
The boys started whining. “Will we play Wiffle ball when we’re done?”
Miriam’s dad intervened. “We’ll pick teams after we finish up in here.”
Everyone stood to take their places in the Sunday assembly line and Miriam got out while the getting was good. On the drive home her thoughts turned to Joel. Her family sure liked him, and so did she. What would he be like
in bed? Lost in her musings, she almost didn’t notice the car pulled to the side of the road. She glanced at it just when the passenger door flew open and Maya scrambled out of it. She slammed the door behind her. Tears streaked her face and T. J.’s car peeled away.
What the hell?
Miriam decided to pull on to the next turnoff to go back to check on her. Before she reached her, though, a pickup slowed and stopped by the girl. Its door opened, and Nick Hillegard walked over to her. He leaned forward, trying to help her, but Maya couldn’t stop crying. He didn’t know what to do. When he saw Miriam’s car coming, he stepped into the road to wave her down.
“She’s sad,” he said. “She just keeps crying.”
“I’ll try to talk to her. Thanks for stopping, Nick.”
He looked relieved, got back in his truck, and pulled away.
Miriam turned to Maya. “Need a ride? I can take you to the resort.”
Wordlessly, Maya climbed into the old Mercedes. She only had five more days of school and then she could completely avoid T.J. if she wanted to. Seniors got out a week early. “You okay?” Miriam asked.
She knew better than to pry. When a kid wants to talk, she will. When she doesn’t, it’s a waste of time.
Maya’s hands curled into fists. In a terse voice, she spurted, “I had sex with T. J. It was the pits. It hurt and it was over in ten minutes. When I wasn’t happy, he was ready to take me home. He’s going to hang out with his friends the rest of the day.”
Miriam cringed. “T. J. didn’t do anything to make the experience good for you?”
“I don’t think he knows how to.” She wiped at her eyes. “When I told him that, he got mad at me.”
“You told him?” Miriam didn’t think most girls would complain about T. J. rolling around with them in the backseat of his car, whether he was any good or not. Miriam’s worry bubbled to the surface. “Condom?” she asked.
“No, Hazel took me to get the Shot. That made T. J. happy. No worries for him.”
Thank God for Paula’s mother. At least Maya wouldn’t get pregnant. Miriam tried to comfort her. “Guys and girls don’t think of sex the same way. Guys just want it. Girls read something into it.”
