“Yes, to his high school sweetheart. She died young. In childbirth, I believe. Her and the baby. It was all so sad. He was new to town. South Cove was his first assignment after seminary. Then tragedy struck. It’s nice to see him happy again.” Darla finished her coffee and slipped off her stool. “I guess I’d better go run down these leads. Thanks for chatting with me. What do I owe you for the coffee?”
“It’s free. We’re friends.” I shooed her out the door and watched her leave to go talk to Meredith and Neal. I wondered if they had their happy masks back on or if I should have sent her somewhere else. Somewhere safe.
Chapter 6
Toby arrived just before his shift was set to start. His eyes were already drooping. He grabbed a cup and put ice in it, then filled it with coffee. After he drank the contents he slipped on an apron and leaned against the counter. “Hey, boss.”
“Are you sure you can handle this?” I took in his rumpled shirt and less-than-perfect hair. “I can stay and work until Aunt Jackie’s shift starts. I’ll have Evie to help.”
“And so will I. Honestly, I need the money. I’m really close to having twenty percent to put down, but every time I get close, prices rise and I need more. But I’m determined. And I have my eye on a little cottage outside Bakerstown that my Realtor says is coming on the market soon.” He sighed. “I could just get a bigger loan, but I hate to pay that loan insurance, PMI, if I don’t have to.”
“You’re a hard worker. You’ll figure it out.” I hesitated.
Toby must have read my mind. “And before you offer, I don’t need a bridge loan from the Miss Emily fund. At least not yet. If this house comes on the market before I’m ready, I’ll come with my hat in hand.”
“It’s not like that.” I smiled as he filled another cup with hot coffee this time. “It’s just the money’s just sitting there.”
“It’s your money. But I appreciate the offer. And like I said, this house is the one I want. It’s in a good school district, just in case. It has a fenced yard, so Emma can visit. And from what I’ve seen on the outside, it feels right. Now it just has to come in at the right price.” He waved to a customer who came in and zoomed over to the mystery section. “Anyway, I’m here. You can go home.”
I took off my apron and paused. “Have you heard anything about Nan’s death?”
“Yes, I have.” He turned to empty the dishwasher.
“You’re a brat.” I picked up my tote and headed out the door. “I’ll be at Lille’s, then running, then home if anyone’s looking for me.”
“I think we can get by one shift without asking you any questions.” He waved at her. “Go on. Have a great lunch.”
“Greg’s probably not coming home for dinner, so eating a big lunch is easier, then I can just heat up soup for dinner.” I held the door handle as I explained my choices.
“Whatever makes you feel better about it.” He grinned.
Toby was a good guy. He deserved to find the one and settle down not only with a house but with a wife and a family. I hoped the house was just the first step in his future. I stepped away and realized I hadn’t told Toby about Olivia’s birthday party yet. It really wasn’t my place to tell him that Sasha was in a new relationship, but if I told him about the party, I’d have to tell him that too. I wouldn’t want him to go to the party blind.
I hurried past Antiques by Thomas and hoped Josh wouldn’t see me walk by. I must have been under a lucky star for at least today because I got by and all the way to Diamond Lille’s before I saw anyone I knew.
When I walked in Amy was sitting in one of the booths. She waved me over. “Hey, I should have called you. Justin was supposed to meet me for lunch, but I just got a text he’s tied up.”
“Well, this really is my lucky day, then.” I got settled into the booth and hoped we’d be able to talk about anything but Amy’s upcoming wedding. The girl was obsessed and she still had a month to go. They’d had to put it off once already due to Justin’s family having issues getting out to California last month, so now the date was set for the first weekend in April. If they had to put it off any longer, I think Amy was going to explode with wedding jitters. “Have you ordered yet?”
“I was waiting for Justin, so no. But we can now.” She waved Carrie over. “I have a new lunch companion.”
“Well, isn’t this lovely. I don’t think I’ve seen the two of you for a weekday lunch for months now.” Carrie glanced at me. “Do you want a menu today?”
I nodded. “I need something that’s going to hold me over until dinner. Greg’s probably going to be stuck at the station.”
She handed me a menu she’d had tucked under her arm. “Are you up for shakes today or iced tea?”
“Iced tea,” Amy said. “I gained two pounds last month due to this wedding stress. I need to fit into my dress in a few weeks.”
“Same for me.” I also had to fit into a maid of honor dress, but I hadn’t ordered a size smaller than the one I normally wore like my friend had. The crazy thing was she could skip eating a candy bar for breaks and she’d lose the weight. I’d have to starve to drop a size in a month. But I could support her by not having a creamy shake in front of her. “What’s going on with Justin? Work keeping him busy?”
“That’s what he says, but I don’t know. Maybe I’ve finally driven him away with all this wedding mania. He told me to stop talking about the flatware last night. He said no more wedding planning. ‘What we have is what we’re doing.’ And if people can’t show up? Apparently, that’s their problem.” Amy brushed back her hair with one hand. “Can you believe it? I think he means it too. He’s mad at his family.”
“They did pull up short last month. They should have known this was going to be an issue long before it was. Hopefully adding a month is enough for them.” I studied the menu like I hadn’t seen it twice or more a week for years.
“Justin says they thought he would pay the costs if they bailed. According to him, they’re always asking him for money. And not just his brother. I guess his folks do too.” Amy set down the menu. “His family makes me glad it’s just me and my dad. We might not be much, but we’ve always been there for each other.”
“And when you get married it will be you and Justin. He’ll stand for you.” I made a decision and set down the menu. “You two are perfect for each other. Family might be what you’re born with, but you both have a family you built here in South Cove.”
Amy leaned over the table and face hugged me. “You’re the best friend a girl could ever have.”