it.”
“Did he say why?”
“No, just dropped that bombshell on me and left.”
“If he does sell it to Jake,” Trixie said as she took another bite of pancake, “do you think you will keep working at there? Or will you quit?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it yet.”
“And Jake doesn’t know about the sale yet?”
I shook my head. “He hasn’t been seen in town since the day after the Martins were arrested, and Dale left yesterday. ‘You handle it, Lizzie. I’ve got faith in you.’ He left me holding the proverbial bag, as it were.”
“You can do it. Just don’t ask me to be around when you do.”
“Oh, thanks a lot. Some best friend you are.”
“We aim to please,” she grinned.
“Mind if I join this little party?” T.J. said. I hadn’t seen much of him in the last week, either, except at Harold’s funeral.
“You can have my seat,” Trixie said, wiping her mouth on her napkin as she grabbed her purse and stood up. “I have another meeting with the interior decorator. I’m either going to go insane, broke, or both, by the time this remodel is done.” She kissed T.J. on the cheek. “I’ll pay the check before I go. Talk to you later.”
“Would you mind some more company?” he asked, still standing next to me.
“Oh, sit down,” I replied.
“Thanks.” He pushed Trixie’s plate to the side. “How are you doing?”
“Busy as ever. Dale and Jake have both skipped town, leaving me hanging at the newspaper, as usual. Mother is still on her honeymoon trip, or cruise, or whatever they’re calling it. Different day, same chaos.”
“Well, at least you’re being consistent,” he laughed.
“What about you? How are things going at the sheriff’s office?”
“Pretty good. It’s great to be working with everyone again. I’m still renting that apartment from Mrs. Greene, but I’d rather find a different place.”
“You mean a place that isn’t connected to your boss?”
He laughed. “Something like that.”
“I’ll check with the ad department for you. I’m sure we can find something for you.”
“I would appreciate that, thanks.”
“No problem,” I said, glancing around the café. Gladys and Iris were at their usual table in the front with Charlene. The men were at their table, and it was weird not to see Harold sitting with them.
“So, I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me sometime.”
“I’m sorry, what?” I said, turning my attention back to him.
“I’m asking you out on a date.”
“A real date? No hidden agendas?”
“Yes, a real date. I think we’ve gotten to the point where we can do that, don’t you?”
I looked at him for a minute. Had we? I remembered what Ellen said a week ago, about how T.J. was still the same person I fell in love with last year. Did I still care about him? Yes. Could I find it in my heart to forgive? I was working on it. “Okay.”
“Okay? Is that a yes?” I nodded. His smile lit up his eyes. “Great! Tomorrow night work for you?”
“That’s fine.”
“Alright then,” T.J. said, standing up. “I’ll pick you up about six.”
“Sounds good.”
He stood on my side of the table, bent over and kissed me. “Thank you for giving me another chance,” he whispered, kissing me again.
“Oh, for the love of all that is holy,” Gladys exclaimed from the front of the café. “Young people nowadays have no sense of modesty or decency.”
“Oh, dry up, Gladys,” I said before kissing T.J. again.
“Is that any way to talk to your elders, Elizabeth Crenshaw?” Gladys replied. “You just wait until your mother comes home and hears about this.”
I watched T.J. leave before looking over at Gladys. We stared at each other for a minute, the old animosity back again. Then she winked at me and turned her attention back to the other women at the table.
Ah yes, things were getting back to normal in Brookdale. And I was just fine with
“Did he say why?”
“No, just dropped that bombshell on me and left.”
“If he does sell it to Jake,” Trixie said as she took another bite of pancake, “do you think you will keep working at there? Or will you quit?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it yet.”
“And Jake doesn’t know about the sale yet?”
I shook my head. “He hasn’t been seen in town since the day after the Martins were arrested, and Dale left yesterday. ‘You handle it, Lizzie. I’ve got faith in you.’ He left me holding the proverbial bag, as it were.”
“You can do it. Just don’t ask me to be around when you do.”
“Oh, thanks a lot. Some best friend you are.”
“We aim to please,” she grinned.
“Mind if I join this little party?” T.J. said. I hadn’t seen much of him in the last week, either, except at Harold’s funeral.
“You can have my seat,” Trixie said, wiping her mouth on her napkin as she grabbed her purse and stood up. “I have another meeting with the interior decorator. I’m either going to go insane, broke, or both, by the time this remodel is done.” She kissed T.J. on the cheek. “I’ll pay the check before I go. Talk to you later.”
“Would you mind some more company?” he asked, still standing next to me.
“Oh, sit down,” I replied.
“Thanks.” He pushed Trixie’s plate to the side. “How are you doing?”
“Busy as ever. Dale and Jake have both skipped town, leaving me hanging at the newspaper, as usual. Mother is still on her honeymoon trip, or cruise, or whatever they’re calling it. Different day, same chaos.”
“Well, at least you’re being consistent,” he laughed.
“What about you? How are things going at the sheriff’s office?”
“Pretty good. It’s great to be working with everyone again. I’m still renting that apartment from Mrs. Greene, but I’d rather find a different place.”
“You mean a place that isn’t connected to your boss?”
He laughed. “Something like that.”
“I’ll check with the ad department for you. I’m sure we can find something for you.”
“I would appreciate that, thanks.”
“No problem,” I said, glancing around the café. Gladys and Iris were at their usual table in the front with Charlene. The men were at their table, and it was weird not to see Harold sitting with them.
“So, I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me sometime.”
“I’m sorry, what?” I said, turning my attention back to him.
“I’m asking you out on a date.”
“A real date? No hidden agendas?”
“Yes, a real date. I think we’ve gotten to the point where we can do that, don’t you?”
I looked at him for a minute. Had we? I remembered what Ellen said a week ago, about how T.J. was still the same person I fell in love with last year. Did I still care about him? Yes. Could I find it in my heart to forgive? I was working on it. “Okay.”
“Okay? Is that a yes?” I nodded. His smile lit up his eyes. “Great! Tomorrow night work for you?”
“That’s fine.”
“Alright then,” T.J. said, standing up. “I’ll pick you up about six.”
“Sounds good.”
He stood on my side of the table, bent over and kissed me. “Thank you for giving me another chance,” he whispered, kissing me again.
“Oh, for the love of all that is holy,” Gladys exclaimed from the front of the café. “Young people nowadays have no sense of modesty or decency.”
“Oh, dry up, Gladys,” I said before kissing T.J. again.
“Is that any way to talk to your elders, Elizabeth Crenshaw?” Gladys replied. “You just wait until your mother comes home and hears about this.”
I watched T.J. leave before looking over at Gladys. We stared at each other for a minute, the old animosity back again. Then she winked at me and turned her attention back to the other women at the table.
Ah yes, things were getting back to normal in Brookdale. And I was just fine with
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