Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 153946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
At first, everyone was too busy passing takeout containers around and listening as Gene, with numerous asides from Morgan, described their grand adventure at sea. They joked about sunburns in unfortunate places, discussed the friends they’d made at one of the ship’s bars and passed around phones filled with pictures that were all stunning enough to go on their wall. I wasn’t sure how she was going to pick one.
I could feel Morgan glancing over at me whenever I wasn’t looking. While they were repeating part of their last story for Lucy, who’d had to duck into the bathroom, I told Phoebe about my experience with one of her regulars who never bought the same beer twice.
“He always tips in scratch-offs too,” she said with an amused grin. “He says it’s because hope is better than certainty.”
“I might agree with him if I ever won anything.”
“What are you two talking about over there?” Morgan asked suddenly, turning to study us from the other side of the table.
I sat up a little straighter, suddenly wishing I’d told her this last revelation before coming tonight. “We’re talking about beer.”
“Beer?”
“She’s giving me a few bartending tips. I’m covering her two evening shifts at the icehouse until the baby comes or they find someone better.”
Their surprise was a palpable thing, but Gene recovered first. “That’s great news. Hudson’s is Rick’s favorite hangout lately. I’ll have to visit more often if I can get a family discount now.”
“No family discounts,” Phoebe said cheekily. “Uncle Wade might fall for that at the garage, but I’m not going to.”
“You’re working at the icehouse too?” Morgan asked, the words quiet but sharp as a razor. “When did this happen?”
“After the storm.” Bernie casually reached for a slider and a fried chicken leg to add to her plate. “We had no staff, so I talked her into helping out one day, and the customers liked her so much I begged her to take Phoebe’s shifts so I wouldn’t have to.”
“My mother is a very bad server,” Phoebe teased, sotto voce.
Bernie’s smile was sweet like a shark’s. “Because people who expect me to serve them get on my nerves.”
“August hates waitressing too,” Morgan said flatly. “And it’s a lot of time on your feet. Are you sure you’re ready for that much activity?”
“I seem to be.” She had no idea how much activity I was capable of now. “Anyway, it’s not like those fancy restaurants you worked at in college. This is a beer-and-nachos crowd and I’m sitting at the stool behind the bar most of the time. I think being more active is actually helping me build up some stamina.”
Phoebe squeezed my arm supportively. “I can tell you that having those shifts and the billing done by someone I can trust has been a load off my mind and cankles. She’s not even on the payroll, because she’s a stubborn Retta, so she’s doing it all for tips. Uncle Wade is so happy he doesn’t have to deal with the computer anymore, he said he’d pay her more than my current salary to do it.”
“That’s the truth,” I heard Wade mutter.
“She’s also agreed to do a little yoga with me,” Bernie lied through her teeth. I’d never agreed to yoga. “Well, I offered her free lessons. I’m still talking her into it.”
Morgan sat back in her chair, her expression mystified. “I wasn’t gone that long, was I? Did we slip into an alternate universe? How is it that no one told me this was happening? Do you still write books for a living?”
At least I knew she’d be happy about this. “I do still write books. In fact, I think I’ll have something to send my publisher as soon as Chick finishes his read-through. He’s coming to stay for a few months, by the way, so you’ll finally get to meet him in person.”
They’d talked on the phone once or twice over the years, and I already knew they’d like each other.
I saw a moment of genuine relief on her face. “That’s wonderful news, August. But I feel like I’m still catching my breath here with the rest of it. When I left, you were standing at the airport in pajamas with steam pouring out of your car. Before that you barely left the house. Now you’re working at the bar, renting out the apartment, having company and making all sorts of unexpected decisions. It’s a lot to take in. Even if you decided to give it to me in manageable doses instead of all at once.”
Had it been that obvious?
The silence at the table was uncomfortable. I really should have given her more warning, but since she’d left for Italy, things had been too busy for me to dwell on how easy it was to make all these changes that had felt impossible a month before, or how she might react to them.