but she looked at me doubtfully.
“Are you sure? Those bags under your eyes are as about as purple as plum pudding.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle inside at Jill’s simile and then walked over to the mirror in the bathroom. She was right, there were deep purple circles under my eyes.
“It’s just been a tough couple of days,” I said, hoping they wouldn’t press the matter any further.
“Too much partying over the weekend?” Matt laughed and I shook my head, wishing that was the cause of the bags.
“Actually,” I began hesitantly, not sure how I should address the situation. “My boyfriend’s father was killed in a car accident on Saturday night. I’ve been spending a lot of time with him.”
The room grew dead quiet and Jill and Matt both stopped what they were doing.
“I’m sorry, Riley,” Matt said quickly. “I wouldn’t have made that joke had I known.”
“I know. No worries, Matt,” I said, smiling over to him, knowing he hadn’t meant any harm by his comment.
“Riley, honey, that’s terrible,” Jill said as she resumed her flower arranging. “Was he from around here?”
“Yes. Darryl Baylor was Jesse’s dad’s name,” I said and then I saw Jill shake her head. “Did you know him?”
“I know the name, but I didn’t know him,” she said and then looked over at me. “I just received some orders from Ledding’s Funeral Home for the service on Saturday.”
I don’t know why, but that bit of information caused my back to stiffen and I just nodded.
“That’s gonna be kinda weird,” I finally admitted.
“Matt and I will take care of all of those arrangements. You don’t worry about a thing, okay?”
“Thanks, Jill,” I said appreciatively.
“Do you need some time off to help with things?” she asked and I shook my head.
“No, well…just Saturday, for sure.”
“Of course. And if you need anything else, you just let me know, okay?”
“I will. Thank you.”
I was glad when we stopped talking about it and got back to work. I straightened things up around the shop and then helped finish up a large order of centerpieces for an anniversary party. When we finished, Matt and I loaded them into the van and Jill asked us both to go on the delivery since the order was so big.
I sat in the passenger seat as Matt drove the van up Route 160 towards Dempsey, a small town north of Carver. I’d never been there, but Matt said it would take about a half an hour. He put a CD into the stereo and I was surprised when I heard Imagine Dragons coming through the speakers.
“No country?” I asked, raising my eyebrow.
“Never been much of a fan,” Matt said, his eyes focused on the road.
“How is that possible? You grew up in Carver,” I laughed.
“I’ve never been one for listening to someone sing about their dead dog and how their woman left them.” I couldn’t help but laugh at Matt’s analysis. “Are you a fan?”
“It’s growing on me. I never listened to it back in Boston, but my boyfriend likes it, so I’m getting used to it.”
“Hey,” he said, turning his head from the road for a moment to look at me. “I’m really sorry about Jesse’s dad. Jesse always seemed like a nice kid.”
“Wait,” I said curiously. “You know Jesse?”
“A little. He was two years younger than me, but we went to school together. I always liked him.”
“He’s a great guy,” I said softly. “Which is why this whole thing sucks even more. I mean, he’s pretty much on his own now and I just don’t see how he’s gonna be able to do it or how I can even help him. He’s been so different since he found out. I mean, I expect him to be different, but it’s hard,” I said, surprised at how much I was opening up to Matt. As we’d worked together though, I’d found him easy to talk to and as I spoke, I realized it felt good talking about it to an impartial person. Matt had no investment in the situation at
“Are you sure? Those bags under your eyes are as about as purple as plum pudding.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle inside at Jill’s simile and then walked over to the mirror in the bathroom. She was right, there were deep purple circles under my eyes.
“It’s just been a tough couple of days,” I said, hoping they wouldn’t press the matter any further.
“Too much partying over the weekend?” Matt laughed and I shook my head, wishing that was the cause of the bags.
“Actually,” I began hesitantly, not sure how I should address the situation. “My boyfriend’s father was killed in a car accident on Saturday night. I’ve been spending a lot of time with him.”
The room grew dead quiet and Jill and Matt both stopped what they were doing.
“I’m sorry, Riley,” Matt said quickly. “I wouldn’t have made that joke had I known.”
“I know. No worries, Matt,” I said, smiling over to him, knowing he hadn’t meant any harm by his comment.
“Riley, honey, that’s terrible,” Jill said as she resumed her flower arranging. “Was he from around here?”
“Yes. Darryl Baylor was Jesse’s dad’s name,” I said and then I saw Jill shake her head. “Did you know him?”
“I know the name, but I didn’t know him,” she said and then looked over at me. “I just received some orders from Ledding’s Funeral Home for the service on Saturday.”
I don’t know why, but that bit of information caused my back to stiffen and I just nodded.
“That’s gonna be kinda weird,” I finally admitted.
“Matt and I will take care of all of those arrangements. You don’t worry about a thing, okay?”
“Thanks, Jill,” I said appreciatively.
“Do you need some time off to help with things?” she asked and I shook my head.
“No, well…just Saturday, for sure.”
“Of course. And if you need anything else, you just let me know, okay?”
“I will. Thank you.”
I was glad when we stopped talking about it and got back to work. I straightened things up around the shop and then helped finish up a large order of centerpieces for an anniversary party. When we finished, Matt and I loaded them into the van and Jill asked us both to go on the delivery since the order was so big.
I sat in the passenger seat as Matt drove the van up Route 160 towards Dempsey, a small town north of Carver. I’d never been there, but Matt said it would take about a half an hour. He put a CD into the stereo and I was surprised when I heard Imagine Dragons coming through the speakers.
“No country?” I asked, raising my eyebrow.
“Never been much of a fan,” Matt said, his eyes focused on the road.
“How is that possible? You grew up in Carver,” I laughed.
“I’ve never been one for listening to someone sing about their dead dog and how their woman left them.” I couldn’t help but laugh at Matt’s analysis. “Are you a fan?”
“It’s growing on me. I never listened to it back in Boston, but my boyfriend likes it, so I’m getting used to it.”
“Hey,” he said, turning his head from the road for a moment to look at me. “I’m really sorry about Jesse’s dad. Jesse always seemed like a nice kid.”
“Wait,” I said curiously. “You know Jesse?”
“A little. He was two years younger than me, but we went to school together. I always liked him.”
“He’s a great guy,” I said softly. “Which is why this whole thing sucks even more. I mean, he’s pretty much on his own now and I just don’t see how he’s gonna be able to do it or how I can even help him. He’s been so different since he found out. I mean, I expect him to be different, but it’s hard,” I said, surprised at how much I was opening up to Matt. As we’d worked together though, I’d found him easy to talk to and as I spoke, I realized it felt good talking about it to an impartial person. Matt had no investment in the situation at
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