Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
The next morning, Brad and I had a leisurely rising, basking in the pleasure of our togetherness.
After showering and dressing, we ate cold slices of leftover pizza for breakfast, which he admitted had been his supper the night before, then left the house together.
He headed to work, while I went to the apartment to change and pack for my weekend at the shore.
“Send me a text when you arrive in Stone Harbor,” he said.
“I will. Call me tonight when you settle in for the night.”
He winked. “Phone sex?”
I laughed. “Maybe.”
I watched him depart, wishing he could have made time to spend the weekend with me.
We had so much more to talk about, but I’d promised Rita Bennett that I would check in on her.
Since I rented the apartment above her, that was easy.
Besides, I really liked her wit and wisdom, in addition to her friendship.
I kept just about all of my summer clothes there, but packed a few fall outfits and a lightweight jacket for the chillier days.
After uploading my Harrisburg photos to “the cloud,” I gathered my laptop and bags to put in the car.
Other than taking Rita shopping, I intended to write my article and blog while there.
With her on my mind, I pressed her number in my contacts. She answered with a cheerful, “Good morning, Jodie. I’m up and about, and I thank you for checking on me.”
“I’m glad to hear that, and I’m getting ready to leave for the sunny shore.”
“What time will you get here?”
I glanced at the kitchen clock. “Let’s say noon. Would you like me to stop and pick up sandwiches?”
“I’d love a tuna hoagie if you’d split it with me.”
“That’s a deal,” I said. “Plan on having lunch with me.”
As I disconnected, then packed the car, I thought about how difficult it must have been for Rita when everyone her age had died.
She’d even lost her daughter and son-in-law.
Her grandson, Wyatt Crenshaw, tried to help after she broke her hip, at least until he met Heather next door. Now, Rita barely saw him.
I did a last-minute check to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything, placed a pick-up order with the sandwich shop in Stone Harbor, then headed out.
I hoped to avoid traffic going into New Jersey, but that was an impossibility since every major road went through or past Philadelphia in order to access one of the bridges across the Delaware River. There were bottlenecks everywhere.
Once I got onto the Garden State Parkway, I called Angela. “Is this a good time to talk?” I asked.
“I’m mucking stalls,” she replied with a chuckle. “Wish you were here to help.”
I laughed. “Tell Ranger I send my love.” He was the horse she used to teach me how to sit in a saddle. I suppose I could admit to actual riding, but I hadn’t practiced since my initial lessons.
“Tell me about your Harrisburg trip,” she said.
It seemed so long ago, though it was only the previous day.
Other intervening things had kept me occupied, and the memory interrupted my thoughts.
“It was good. I mean, it’s probably more fun to go with a friend, but I spent the whole day there, took plenty of pictures, and learned a lot about our state government. ”
“I’m proud of you,” she stated. “Would you travel alone again?”
“It depends. I guess I could if I had to, but I’m not the loner I was a year ago. I now have people in my life who would make any destination I choose to visit so much more enjoyable. Do you know what I mean?”
“Definitely, and I’m glad you realize that. Once our boys head to college, I’ll have more freedom to join you wherever you might want to go.”
“That would be fun. On another note, your brother is tied up with his business this weekend, so you might want to have him over for poker night tomorrow.”
“Are you kidding? He’s not going to the shore?”
“No, he’s meeting potential clients for snow removal during the winter. His business is never-ending.”
“Yeah, I know. Do you think he made a mistake by starting a landscaping company?”
I paused, thinking. “No, he’s making good money, though he needs to learn how to manage everything so he has time for the things he enjoys.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “Mike said things are going well, so I’ll stay out of it.”
“Did you model your Matron of Honor gown for him?”
She laughed. “Let’s just say he loved it. Better yet, he loved helping me out of it.”
We laughed together, and I recognized how much we had in common, especially when it came to the things we found funny. We chatted a while longer until I neared my exit off the highway.
“I’m making marinara this afternoon from all the tomatoes I harvested recently,” she noted.
“Yum,” I said. “Save a jar for me, and I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Definitely,” she agreed before clicking the red button to end our call.
In a way, I wished I were there to help.
I honked my arrival when I pulled into Rita’s driveway, then took the outside steps to the upstairs apartment where I could drop my small suitcase, laptop, and purse.
Opening a few windows to chase the stale air, I texted that I’d be down for lunch in a moment.
I first wanted to step out on the balcony to see the ocean.
It wasn’t the same view as the one Heather had on her deck, but if I stood in a certain corner, I could see the rhythmic waves sliding back and forth on the beach, and the seagulls swooping down for their tasty sea morsels. I could even hear their raucous squawks when they called to their friends.
The sight never ceased to soothe me.
Rita awaited me in her kitchen, and greeted me at her back door. “I’ve missed you,” she exclaimed. “Come in!”
I noticed that she’d set the table and poured our iced tea. “I’m glad to be back and happy we can have lunch together.” I put half a sandwich on each plate before returning to the bag for the napkins. “They even gave us dill spears,” I noted, placing the wax paper bag of four between us.
She grinned. “Yum! Take a seat and let’s eat. I’m hungry.”
It had only been five days since I’d left for Pennsylvania, but she acted as if I’d been gone for weeks. She filled me in on her daily activities, which consisted mostly of weeding, reading, and watching a few day-time television shows, then asked about mine.
First, I told her about my bridal gown fitting.
“You promised to send me a picture,” she grumbled.
I reached for my phone and showed her the one Angela had taken. She stared at it, then gazed at me.
“Goodness gracious. You look positively stunning.”
I laughed, possibly because I felt embarrassed.
“Will you have another fitting with whatever shoes you’ll wear for your wedding?”
“No, I paid my money and took my gown home. It’s in the guest room closet of my apartment where it won’t get wrinkled, and I’ll buy the shoes when I find the right ones.”
She nibbled on a dill spear as she mused, “Oh, dear. You’ll need something with the same heel height that you wore for the fitting. You wouldn’t want to trip up the aisle if the gown is too long.”
I chuckled. “No, I wouldn’t.” To see her reaction, I asked, “What do you think about glitzy sneakers?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she muttered, picking up her hoagie again.
I found the picture of Angela in her gown, and showed her my phone. “Here’s the Matron of Honor in her dress.”
She looked closely. “That’s Brad’s sister? What a figure! She looks absolutely beautiful.”
“I can’t wait for you to meet her because she’s really nice.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Isn’t she the equestrian? You can tell with that tight butt.”
“Yes,” I replied hesitantly. I sometimes had to remind Rita about her lack of filters, even if we both laughed afterwards.
“Well,” she said, “I’ll let her know she has the perfect figure for that gown when I finally get a chance to meet her.”
“I have a feeling she’d like that. Has Heather mentioned if she’s picked out her bridesmaid outfit yet?”
She shook her head. “She’s away with Wyatt, so I won’t hear from her. I’m sure she hasn’t forgotten.”
“I hope not,” I said. “We’ll probably catch up soon. Did I tell you that I traveled to Harrisburg yesterday?”
“I don’t think so. Was that for the magazine?”
I swallowed my last bite of sandwich as I nodded. “Yes, and I traveled alone.”
She reached over to touch my hand. “Good for you. I’m sure that gave you a sense of accomplishment.”
I smiled, agreeing. “It did.”
She wanted to hear more about my experience, and I was happy to tell her. For some reason, I felt the need to give her plenty of detail, which she definitely encouraged. My rendition lasted far longer than our lunch, but neither of us begrudged the time spent together.