trying to remember.
“The woman I dumped the pizza on.”
“Oh. Which one?”
It took me thirty seconds before I realized she was pulling my leg. “Aw, Mama. Why you gotta be mean? You know I’ve never dumped a pizza on anyone else.”
Her smile was infectious. “I don’t know about that. Seems to me when you were just starting out, you let fly a couple.”
I ignored her comment, realizing it was true. “So anyway, I ran into her on the beach yesterday. She’s awesome. I took her over to Couscous’s place, and we had a blast.”
Mama smiled a satisfied little smile and leaned forward, showing her interest. “So what’s she like?”
I shook my head and focused on the ceiling. “Better than I expected. We didn’t get a chance to talk much because Sanchez and Vetty were there, but I got a big old hug when we said good-bye.”
Mama sat back and closed her eyes. “I am so happy for you, baby girl. It’s about time you found the right one.” She rose. I knew our morning laziness was over. “I don’t know how you know all these things, but you know I trust you with it,” she went on.
She pulled me into a sideways hug. I pressed my cheek to hers and opened myself. I saw the two of them lifting beers at the Puddle. They are the only ones in the place because it is so late. Mama and… Donny .
I pulled back and grinned at her. “Ooh, he’s hot, Mama. Good for you!”
“Darn you, Angela Rose. I don’t know what I’m gonna do with you.”
“You know you can’t have secrets from me, Mama. Too connected.” I paused. “So do you know where she lives? Grey Graham?”
“Now, how would I…?” She paused. I saw memory stir behind her big brown eyes. “Wait a minute…Grey Graham. That’s the name of the woman who bought Ruetta’s place. Just on the corner here.”
As if highlighting her words, a huge truck from Canton Furniture in Brownsville blocked out the morning sunlight when it passed into the square. We quieted and watched the truck in unison as it lumbered by. I looked at Mama and she looked at me.
“Go! Go see,” she said, sighing. “But try to get back here soon. Hasty’s not coming in until ten.”
Unable to hide my delight, I let loose a little squeal and kissed her cheek. “You got it!”
I walked down the Square and there she was, watching nervously while the men tried to position the truck on Maxan so it wouldn’t block the entire street. It was a good thing they’d come early. Most of the slanted parking slots were empty and they had more room to maneuver.
Grey saw me. Her face lit with a light that flared her aura into a corona of gold around her head. She waved and I waved back as I made my way over to her.
“I just found out that you bought this place,” I told her. “I had no idea.”
“Yeah, I did. I live here too, in the back,” she said.
“Oh, yeah, Elizondo’s home away from home,” I said. “You must live alone then, because that place is small.”
Her smile faltered a bit. I could have kicked myself for bringing up what had to be a sore issue. I changed the subject quickly. I peered through the window and saw shelved books as far as I could see. “Ah, a bookstore! Cool!”
The smile returned. “Well, sort of. Actually it’s a reading room and coffeehouse.”
She paused as two men bearing a large easy chair paused behind her.
“Um, you need to go,” I said, trying to keep sadness out of my voice. “I guess they need you to tell them where to put everything.”
She glanced around. “Yeah,” she agreed apologetically.
“I gotta go do breakfast too.”
“Come back by later, maybe, when everything is set up.”
Her invitation thrilled me, but I remembered suddenly that I had to work. SPICEY first, and then at Mama’s.
“It’ll be later though, maybe not today. But I will. I’m…I’m really glad you’ll be here in Lighthouse Square.” I grimaced inwardly. How lame did that sound?
“Thank you,” she said, cocking her head to the
“The woman I dumped the pizza on.”
“Oh. Which one?”
It took me thirty seconds before I realized she was pulling my leg. “Aw, Mama. Why you gotta be mean? You know I’ve never dumped a pizza on anyone else.”
Her smile was infectious. “I don’t know about that. Seems to me when you were just starting out, you let fly a couple.”
I ignored her comment, realizing it was true. “So anyway, I ran into her on the beach yesterday. She’s awesome. I took her over to Couscous’s place, and we had a blast.”
Mama smiled a satisfied little smile and leaned forward, showing her interest. “So what’s she like?”
I shook my head and focused on the ceiling. “Better than I expected. We didn’t get a chance to talk much because Sanchez and Vetty were there, but I got a big old hug when we said good-bye.”
Mama sat back and closed her eyes. “I am so happy for you, baby girl. It’s about time you found the right one.” She rose. I knew our morning laziness was over. “I don’t know how you know all these things, but you know I trust you with it,” she went on.
She pulled me into a sideways hug. I pressed my cheek to hers and opened myself. I saw the two of them lifting beers at the Puddle. They are the only ones in the place because it is so late. Mama and… Donny .
I pulled back and grinned at her. “Ooh, he’s hot, Mama. Good for you!”
“Darn you, Angela Rose. I don’t know what I’m gonna do with you.”
“You know you can’t have secrets from me, Mama. Too connected.” I paused. “So do you know where she lives? Grey Graham?”
“Now, how would I…?” She paused. I saw memory stir behind her big brown eyes. “Wait a minute…Grey Graham. That’s the name of the woman who bought Ruetta’s place. Just on the corner here.”
As if highlighting her words, a huge truck from Canton Furniture in Brownsville blocked out the morning sunlight when it passed into the square. We quieted and watched the truck in unison as it lumbered by. I looked at Mama and she looked at me.
“Go! Go see,” she said, sighing. “But try to get back here soon. Hasty’s not coming in until ten.”
Unable to hide my delight, I let loose a little squeal and kissed her cheek. “You got it!”
I walked down the Square and there she was, watching nervously while the men tried to position the truck on Maxan so it wouldn’t block the entire street. It was a good thing they’d come early. Most of the slanted parking slots were empty and they had more room to maneuver.
Grey saw me. Her face lit with a light that flared her aura into a corona of gold around her head. She waved and I waved back as I made my way over to her.
“I just found out that you bought this place,” I told her. “I had no idea.”
“Yeah, I did. I live here too, in the back,” she said.
“Oh, yeah, Elizondo’s home away from home,” I said. “You must live alone then, because that place is small.”
Her smile faltered a bit. I could have kicked myself for bringing up what had to be a sore issue. I changed the subject quickly. I peered through the window and saw shelved books as far as I could see. “Ah, a bookstore! Cool!”
The smile returned. “Well, sort of. Actually it’s a reading room and coffeehouse.”
She paused as two men bearing a large easy chair paused behind her.
“Um, you need to go,” I said, trying to keep sadness out of my voice. “I guess they need you to tell them where to put everything.”
She glanced around. “Yeah,” she agreed apologetically.
“I gotta go do breakfast too.”
“Come back by later, maybe, when everything is set up.”
Her invitation thrilled me, but I remembered suddenly that I had to work. SPICEY first, and then at Mama’s.
“It’ll be later though, maybe not today. But I will. I’m…I’m really glad you’ll be here in Lighthouse Square.” I grimaced inwardly. How lame did that sound?
“Thank you,” she said, cocking her head to the
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