Chapter 7
Greg was still at home and in the kitchen the next day when I headed downstairs. He handed me a plate with a waffle with maple syrup and bacon on top.
“I heard you coming down the stairs. I figure I owe you one for shepherding around the family this week. Sorry about that.” He went back and got the coffeepot and filled my cup as I sat down with my plate at the table. “Mom called last night and said Jim was being a complete butt.”
“That’s one way to describe it. Honestly, I’m not sure they are going to be able to get past this hurdle. Were you ever that mad at me?” I dug into the waffle, watching the melted butter mix with the syrup. Whatever I did to deserve this man, I needed to keep it up.
“A few times around investigations, but Bill helped me understand I wasn’t mad, I was scared for you. So since real men don’t show fear, I reacted with anger instead.” He sat down and sipped his warmed-up coffee. He’d probably already eaten breakfast.
Sometimes, he’d leave my plate in the microwave with reheating instructions if he had to leave so he didn’t wake me. I tell you, the guy’s a keeper. “You talked to Pastor Bill about this?”
“We did pre-marriage counseling, remember? I told Jim he should talk to Bill about this but he says his pastor agrees with him. I think his pastor just doesn’t want to lose his best church secretary ever.”
“Huh.” I thought about what he’d said about the counseling.
I hadn’t told Pastor Bill much about my feelings.
I’d talked more about blending our lives together, especially our financial lives.
Greg, on the other hand, had opened his heart to make sure he was seeing me clearly.
Another reason my guy was perfect. At least until I got mad at him for not knowing where the laundry basket was when he got into the shower.
I decided to change the subject. “Beth should be here this afternoon. Are you sure you’re okay with her being here?”
“I’m not going to be around much until I solve this murder.
It will be nice for you to have someone to talk to and eat meals with.
Just please don’t talk her out of marrying my brother.
I’m pretty sure she’s the only person left on earth that’s perfect for him.
He just needs to realize that.” Greg finished his coffee, then stood, putting the cup in the sink.
“I’m heading to Bakerstown to talk to the district attorney. I’m not sure why, but I think he wants me to put Dominic in jail sooner rather than later. With or without any evidence.”
“Oh, speaking of Lille’s bad boy, we saw him and her at the beach. He says he didn’t do it and neither did his gang.” I finished off my bacon.
“Okay, well, if he says so, I’ll just take him off the list.” Greg shook his head. “What was he thinking, talking to you about this?”
“Lille started it. I don’t think you’re on her good list right now. He just clarified that he was innocent and why.” I pushed my plate away. At least I wouldn’t be eating cookies at work all morning. Maybe just one or two. “She didn’t seem happy with him at the dart tournament.”
“Lille’s never happy. Unless she’s torturing one of her employees, or you.” Greg kissed me and headed out the door. “I’ll try to come home for dinner tonight. I’ll text you if I’m not going to be here.”
“That will work.” I took my empty plate to the sink and rinsed off the maple syrup before I licked it off. I had to face facts. I had a sugar addiction. “Emma, you and I will have to put off our run until later. Maybe your Aunt Beth will come with us.”
She thumped her tail three times, then lay down in her bed.
She understood about half of what I said, and since I was dressed in my work uniform, a nice T-shirt, and a pair of jeans, she knew I was heading to work, not ready for a run.
I rubbed her head and gave her a treat. Then I headed out to walk up the hill to work.
I could have asked Greg for a ride since he’d just left, but I liked walking outside first thing in the morning. Especially after a big breakfast.
When I got to work, my regulars all greeted me like I’d been gone for weeks, instead of just a holiday.
“So, how was the first married Thanksgiving?” asked Candice, a lawyer who lived outside of South Cove and drove into the city most days.
“My first turkey I cooked so long it about exploded into dust when we cut into it.”
“The food was good.” I grinned as I made her order. “The mix of people made it interesting.”
“It’s always that way at my house too.” Candice stuffed a twenty into the shop’s Christmas for Kids collection. I’d forgotten to take the jar home to give to Carrie. And from the way it looked, we would be helping several more kids when I finally took the money to the agency.
The next few hours went fast and I was just settling onto the couch with a mocha and a book when Evie came into the shop. I started to stand but then realized it wasn’t a customer. “Hey, girl, how was the trip to the city? How are Sasha and Olivia?”
Evie poured herself a cup of coffee and then sat across from me. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Sasha’s engaged. She swears this guy is the one. He’s really sweet, has a great job. And Olivia adores him. Although she did ask about when she was coming to South Cove to see her Toby.”
“Ouch, that had to hurt.” I set the book down. “Does Toby know?”
Evie nodded. “Sasha met him for coffee about a week ago before she accepted Brick’s ring. Can you imagine some mom naming her baby boy Brick?”
I’d heard worse names, but it was a little weird. I decided to avoid the question. “I wonder what she’d want for an engagement present. Is she having a party?”
“I don’t think so. It’s kind of low-key. But I bet she’d love a call or a FaceTime chat.” Evie stood. “I’ve got some accounting to catch up on from being gone last week. If you need me, I’ll be in the office.”
I looked around the empty shop. “I think I’m good.”
Evie laughed as she picked up her coffee cup. “Your aunt told me I should talk you into shortening this morning shift. She said you don’t get enough customers after the commuter rush to make it worth staying open.”
“There is no way I’m setting up a split shift for the morning.
I’d be fine, but what happens when I’m off on vacation?
Then someone has to work early, then come back for a later shift?
It doesn’t make sense for the employee.” Sometimes my aunt looked at the business side without thinking about the human component.
“Besides, it’s my shift, I don’t mind having some time to read some of these advance copies the publishers send.
I still have my reviews to do for Deek’s newsletter. ”
“Don’t remind me. I’m behind on that too.” She took another sip of coffee and headed to the back. “Thanks for being a great boss, Jill.”
It warmed my heart when I heard things like that from the staff.
I considered all of them friends. Tilly was my newest stray and she had fit in like she’d been on staff for years.
Sasha had been one of my first employees.
She’d been part of an employment program we’d participated in, and after the state-covered training time was over, I’d hired her on permanently.
Then she went to school and now had a great job in the city working with computers.
Or maybe she did accounting. Either way, she was a success.
She and Toby had dated for years, and I’d thought it might turn into something, but neither one of them wanted to sacrifice their job to make the relationship work.
For them, it was a location issue. Toby couldn’t imagine leaving South Cove.
Sasha couldn’t imagine coming back. She didn’t want to give up her job or her life in the city.
It reminded me of Beth and Jim’s situation, except Jim didn’t want Beth working at all. If Sasha had moved back to South Cove, she would have had to cobble together several jobs to make what she made in the city. And that would interfere with her time with her preschool daughter, Olivia.
Love was never easy.
When I got home, Beth’s car was parked in the driveway. She was nowhere to be found. I had an idea where she was though, so I changed, and Emma and I went to the beach.
I found Beth sitting on a piece of driftwood, staring out into the ocean.
She waved as we approached, and I saw her wipe tears away from her face. When we got there, Emma greeted her like she hadn’t seen Beth in forever. I unhooked her from her leash and she ran to the shoreline to play in the waves. My dog loves the beach almost as much as I do.
“Hey, I thought you were coming to the shop to get the key.” I picked up a rock from the pile below us.
“I just got here, so I thought I’d wait here instead. I knew you’d come eventually.” She watched Emma chase a seagull.
“Did Amanda and Jim get off okay?”
The only answer I got was a shrug.
“Okay, what did Jim do or say?”
She laughed and looked at me. “I’m kind of an open book, aren’t I?”
“You wear your heart on your sleeve. It’s not a bad thing.” I saw a couple coming down the stairs and called Emma back to us. She ran fast, then sat in front of me, a big doggie grin on her face. I clicked the leash on and she lay down, watching the newcomers.
“I don’t know if they got on their plane or not because he didn’t even want me to go to the security line to say goodbye.
He just pulled the car up to the curb and left it running.
Then he got their luggage out and waited for his mom to say goodbye.
He said he’d call me when they got in.” She wiped tears away.
“No hug, no kiss. No tearful goodbye. He’s making me pay for asking for a little time to think. ”
“You can’t give in. This is the opportunity of a lifetime.” I realized what I’d said after it came out. “Sorry, I know, it’s not my business. It’s just such a good offer.”