by Lynn Cahoon
“Call me next week and we’ll fit in a lunch so I can hear about your trip.” I watched as she pulled a twenty from her purse and threw it on the table. For the second day in a row, I was being left at the diner by my meal companion. If I cared, I might be getting a complex. As it was, I had a book that I wanted to read burning a hole into my pocket.
Carrie stopped by the table. “You want to trade that salad in for some real food?”
“I’m good.” I glanced around the still busy diner. “Lille in?”
“Not today. She’s doing something with a friend. You’re safe. Do you want me to bring you a milkshake? I saw you eyeing Amy’s.” Carrie picked up Amy’s empty dishes and paused, waiting for my answer. She looked inside the metal shake glass they always gave with the part of the shake that didn’t fit into the glass. “There’s still some in here.”
I was tempted. Who would know if I drank Amy’s leftovers or even ordered a second shake? It had been a crazy week. Finally, I stopped the internal war. “No. I would like some more iced tea though.”
“Willpower. It’s not a typical trait of yours.” Carrie winked. “I’m proud of you.”
As I watched her walk away, I figured it was too late to change my mind without looking like a fool. I pulled out the book I’d stuck in my tote after my shift and started reading. When I’d finished the book, I put it back into my tote and pulled out money to pay the check.
Carrie came by and started cleaning off the table. “You timed that just right. I am just about to get off shift. It’s beach time.”
“Have fun. I’m wandering over to the winery to talk to Darla.” I’d tried to call her this morning when the shop was slow, but all I’d gotten was the message machine. And she hadn’t called me back. “If the mountain won’t come…”
“You don’t know the rest of the quote, do you?” Carrie paused with her tray filled with dishes.
“I thought I did, but no.” I shrugged. “All I meant was if Darla doesn’t want to talk to me, I’ll show up on her doorstep.”
“It’s a loose translation but I guess it will work. I hope you find what you’re looking for, Jill.”
I didn’t respond until I was outside in the warm sunshine of the parking lot. “That makes two of us.”
The walk to the winery took me past the coffee shop as well as the police station. I’d love to go in and talk to Esmeralda about neighborhood boundaries, but I just didn’t have the heart to give her crap about spilling the beans about Greg’s mom.
Sometimes being part of a community really was a pain. Especially when you had to consider other people’s feelings before you spoke. Never speak in anger, the voice in my head said. Had that been one of my aunt’s sayings when I was growing up? I had to admit, I had been angry during college. The world wasn’t a fair place. And people needed to learn that quickly before they are hurt by the unfairness.
Darla and Matt were sitting outside at one of the tables when I walked up. Darla had out a notebook and a calendar. Matt looked up from their discussion and smiled my way. “Hey, if it isn’t the book lady.”
“Hello, music man.” I nodded to an empty chair. “Mind if I sit?”
“Here, take my chair. I’ve got some work to finish up before the band gets here in a couple of hours. The stage is feeling a little loose. I’d hate to lose my drummer because of a weak stage board.” Matt focused his gaze on Darla. “I’ll talk to you later.”
As he walked into the main bar area of the winery, Darla sighed. “That man could melt butter in his mouth without even trying.”
“He’s definitely nice to look at. And he seems really nice.” I watched as Darla’s cheeks pinked a little. “You two dating?”
She ignored my question. “So what brings you out here on a Thursday afternoon?”
“Okay, so we’ll play it this way.” I leaned back, taking in the sun that warmed my face. “Sasha wants to do a book festival. Bring in some local authors, maybe a bigger name to draw in people, have tents with speakers around City Hall park where we set up Santa’s workshop each year.”
“I love the idea. When does she want to do it?” Darla flipped over some pages in her paper calendar. “It’s probably going to take a few months to set this up, right? So June’s out. July we have our 4th celebration. August is too hot. What about September? Kids are in school. We could do three different event booths. One for kids, one for fiction, and one for non-fiction.”
I smiled. One of the other reasons I had wanted to get Darla involved was I knew she would not just want to help, but she’d take over the planning. And I hated event planning. “Why don’t you and Sasha set up a proposal? I’ll bring in Aunt Jackie to figure out budgets and authors once it’s more settled, and then we can bring it to the Business-to-Business meeting next month.”
Darla stood and hugged me. “Thank you. I needed a project. Matt is going home for a couple of weeks and…”
I saw the moment she’d realized what she’d said. She backed off and sat back down, not making eye contact.
“Anyway, I needed a diversion.” She glanced at her watch. “Sorry, I’ve got to go help set up for tonight. You and Greg come in soon now. It’s been a while since we’ve seen you two out together socially.”
I stood, understanding the discussion was over. But I’d gotten what I needed out of the visit, so it didn’t matter to me. “See you soon, Darla. I’ll tell Sasha to expect your call.”
As I walked back into town, I thought about Matt and Darla as a couple. I thought they might just work. Although Matt probably had groupies who fell all over him after a set. The guy had some pipes. When I walked past Antiques by Thomas, Kyle was sitting outside on a bench, his head resting on his hands.
“Hey Kyle. How’s it going today?”
He jumped, startled by my presence or my words, I couldn’t tell. “Jill, I didn’t hear you. You scared me.”
The response was not like Kyle, but we all had bad days. “Well, don’t let me keep you. I’m heading home again after being at the winery.”
He followed me a few steps. “Jill, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” I didn’t want to point out the fact that he’d just asked a question. Now this was number two. “What’s going on?”
He leaned against a street sign. “Tell me you still have that card? I know you said you put it in the mail, but could it have fallen out?”
“Why do you want the card?” I watched his face. Gone was the too happy Kyle. This one looked scared to death.
He sank back down on the bench. “She’s not coming. She wrote me a very nice letter asking me to stay out of her life and that she just wanted to live. Not have a kid hanging around.”
“One, you’re not a kid and two, how does she even know what she wants? She doesn’t know you.” My heart sank as I took in Kyle’s devastated face. The betrayal of having his mom promise, then break that promise, time and time again had taken its toll. He’d been better off not knowing where the woman was or even if she was alive.
“You don’t understand. This is just what she does. I’m the one that fell for the game. You’d think after all these years, I’d know better. That I wouldn’t still be that little boy, waiting and watching at the window only to be disappointed time and time again.” He glanced back at the shop. “I’m taking a day off and going to the beach to walk. Josh can handle Thursday traffic by himself.”
I put a hand on his shoulder. “Want some company?”
He shook his head and wiped the back of his hand over his eyes. I was sure he was taking care of the tears that had come unbidden to his eyes as we’d been talking. The boy was strong, but this had pierced his heart. And the knife had known just where to hit.
“Thank you but I’d rather be alone. Sometimes it’s hard to explain my family and people get upset at what she did. I’d rather not hear about how she should be acting. It�
��s not in the cards for me.” He stood and slowly walked back into the shop where he’d have to talk to Josh.
I made my way home, a heavy heart making my steps slower than usual. And once I was home, I curled up on the couch with Emma and watched movies. I didn’t have the strength to do anything else. I knew it was Kyle’s pain, but the echoes of losing my own mother were surfacing as a result.
I found myself still on the couch when the light of Friday morning seeped through the windows and woke me from a dream. My phone alarm was blaring and Emma was staring in my face, willing me to wake up and let her outside.
I hit the ground running, letting Emma out and then starting the coffee. I ran upstairs, took a quick shower, and was down drinking coffee before my dog was back on the porch waiting for me. She had a morning routine of what Aunt Jackie called walking the fence line. My grandfather had a farm in northern California and she said he’d done the same routine. Looking for holes in the fence where an enterprising calf could get out, or a determined coyote could get inside. Of course, the only animal in my yard was Emma. I figured she was just looking for rabbits that liked to tease her by playing in what the dog considered her territory.
By the time I’d let her back in, said my goodbyes, and filled a travel mug with coffee, I had about ten minutes to get to the coffee shop before my first commuter arrived for their quick in and out visit. Over the week, I had ten to twenty regulars in the morning. No one was chatty when they arrived, which suited me fine. Several customers came on multiple days, filling up travel mugs and grabbing a treat for the drive into the city. I’d been one of them before leaving the law practice and sinking all my savings into the shop. I liked my life and my work wardrobe a lot better now. I’d take flip flops over high heels anytime.
When the rush ended, I glanced at my aunt’s list of chores she’d left last night when she closed. I decided to tackle the boxes of new books first. We had a stack in the back room and I opened one and brought it to the front where I added the books to our inventory sheet and found a place on the shelves. I set several aside, as they’d been special orders from customers. I’d have Sasha call them after noon and let them know their books had arrived.
Sasha showed up early, just as I’d opened the box that held her book club books. She took them from me after I’d keyed them into the inventory system and made a quick stack by the cash register. “I’d told the kids they’d be here today. I’m so glad because I know I’ll have about half of the group if not more showing up after school to buy. They are really excited about this month’s choice.”
Her chatter reminded me I’d told her I’d read the book for my impressions. I checked in my tote and it was still there. Sasha narrowed her eyes at me. I could feel the guilt spreading across my face. “What?”
“You haven’t read it yet, have you? You can read two books a day. I figured you’d be done the same day I gave it to you. What’s going on?”
I poured us coffee and nodded to the couch. “Grab something to eat. I need to tell you something.”
Sitting on the couch, I waited for Sasha to join me. She brought over two brownies and after taking hers, she pushed the plate toward me. “If you’re going to fire me, I’m having one more of Sadie’s brownies.”
“Why would I fire you?” I laughed and picked up a brownie. The girl did know how to lift my spirits.
“I don’t know. But you look really serious. And you never look serious. Is this about Greg?” She considered me over her coffee cup.
“I shouldn’t have told you about Kyle and his mom. And you can’t tell him I told you because now she’s not coming and he’s a wreck.” I blurted out the words, hoping if I said them fast, they wouldn’t bring me back into the funk I’d felt yesterday.
“Oh, no. Poor Kyle.” Sasha set the cup down. “He’s too nice of a guy. He treats his girlfriend like a queen. He puts up with Josh. He deserves a happy life.”
“Well, maybe it will be happier now that his mother has totally cut the cord. She doesn’t even want him to contact her.” I rolled my shoulders. “I wish I could tell her what a jerk she’s being.”
“Me too.” Sasha curled her legs up underneath her. “Grans and I may not have had much, but we always had each other. Family’s important. I’m seeing that more and more as Olivia grows. She needs a mom to take care of her.”
“At least Kyle had his grandmother.” I shook my head. “A lot of kids don’t get the fairy tale childhood. I wanted to be in a family like the Brady Bunch or Partridge Family.”
“Who?” Sasha looked totally baffled.
“Nevermind, before your time.” I chuckled. Watching reruns of those seventies shows had been a favorite pastime of mine, before I’d found reading. Then I didn’t even turn on the television for years.
“What was his mother’s name again? Maybe I can find out more about her in the library. A criminal justice major was showing me a way to get into lists of California prisoners. It doesn’t say much, just where they are housed and if released, when. Knowing when she got out might explain her flip flopping behavior.”
I repeated the name Kyle had given me. He was going to really hate me if he heard all the gossip I’d told Sasha.
She shook her head, reading my mind. “Kyle’s family. We protect family, even if it means breaking a confidence. Besides, if there’s nothing there, then he’ll never know. I won’t tell.”
I didn’t mention to her that she didn’t have to rat me out. I was thinking about doing it all on my own. But for some reason, I wanted to know what was going on with this woman that she’d mess with Kyle’s head and heart. “Let me know what you find out. I’m heading home since I’m pulling a double tomorrow.”
“That’s right. Toby’s on vacation. Where did he go again?” Sasha abruptly stood and took her cup and the empty plate to the coffee bar.
“He and a buddy went backpacking in Yosemite. I’m thinking they’re sitting by a campfire and drinking right now.” I took my own cup to the sink. “My idea of camping is to find a cheap motel on the way to wherever I’m going. I’m not a tent girl.”
“Me either.” Sasha grinned. “But I did go to a lodge in Yellowstone when I was a girl. Some church camp where we rode a school bus there and back. It was a blast.”
“Well, from what he told me, Toby probably won’t see a building until he gets back to the parking lot where he left his truck. He’s in the primitive section of the forest.” I moved toward the door. I was starving, but I’d promised myself I’d make lunch at home today. “Doesn’t sound like fun to me. See you tomorrow.”
Sasha didn’t respond but when I paused at the door, I saw she was looking at the staff photos that Aunt Jackie had put over the coffee bar with our names on a wooden plaque underneath. There was no doubt who Sasha was looking at. The girl had it bad for our barista/deputy. I just wondered if even she knew how bad.
CHAPTER 4
By the time Greg and I took off Thursday morning for our long weekend, I was more than ready to go. My aunt had been in a grumpy mood. I’d considered asking her about lunch with Greg and his family, several times, but when I approached the subject, she looked like she was going to bite my head off. I invited her and Harrold the easy way. I sent her an email to her work address. She probably would open it after we were on the road, which was all right by me.
Greg had stocked the truck with a small cooler and a tote of my favorite treats. I dug inside and pulled out a bag. “Twizzlers. My favorite.”
He grinned and held out a hand. “Give me a few.”
My phone went off but instead of answering it, I turned it off. “Hold on a second, let me put this away.”
“You’re not keeping your phone on?” He snuck a peek at me as I handed him the red licorice. “What about your aunt and the shop?”
“They can deal with anything work related that comes up. And if it’s an emergency, she has your num
ber. I’m relaxing this weekend and not worrying about work or South Cove.” I pulled on a baseball cap. “I grabbed this from the pile you have at the house.”
“I was wondering where that one went.” He reached up and adjusted the brim. “It looks good on you. You should be a Mariners fan.”
“A fishing team?” I watched the landscape out the window. On the way home, I’d get the seaside view. Right now, it was all cliffs and rocks.
“A baseball team from Seattle. I swear, you would think that some of the hours you spend watching sports with me that a little would seep into your system.”
“You forget, I read while you watch. I’m lost in another world. One that typically doesn’t have sporting events.” I paused as I turned to watch him. “Well, unless the event is to the death and it’s set in the future. Or an alternate universe. You realize that sports just deal with the natural male aggression from when you all were in the fight or flight mode.”
“Is that so?” He put an arm up on the seat, driving with one hand. “So the hours that women spend shopping for clothes is just a societal holdback from when you all were more focused on home and pleasing your mate?”
“Ouch. Maybe we should just listen to some music for a while. I’ve been grumpy all week. Me, Aunt Jackie, even Toby was out of sorts when he came back from vacation. What’s up with that?”
“He says it’s because he didn’t catch any fish. But I think there’s something more going on with our boy. I just hope he figures it out soon. I like him to be the normal happy go lucky guy we both hired.”
“I didn’t.”
Greg watched as I fiddled with his radio, turning it to the country station. “You didn’t what?”
“I didn’t hire Toby. Aunt Jackie did. During a time when I didn’t realize she was moving in and taking over managing the store. I’d asked her for temporary help, not to become a permanent staff member.” I squeezed my eyes shut. “I told myself I wasn’t going to be a grump this weekend.”
