The Grand Finale by Janet Evanoich

man who has a tattoo on his arm?”
    Jake grinned. “It’s an anchor.”
    Miss Gaspich slid the pizza into an oven and waved to Berry. “This is William Kozinski. I was showing him how to make pizza.”
    William Kozinski extended his hand. “Bill. I’m Jake’s friend.”
    Berry looked at him through slitted eyes. “Of course you are.”
    “Everyone wants pizza delivered tonight,” Miss Gaspich said. “No one wants to go out in the rain.”
    Jake balanced the boxes in his arms. “Come on, Berry. You drive. I’ll deliver.”
    Berry looked around. “Where’s Mrs. Fitz?”
    “She just left.” Miss Gaspich beamed. “She had a date!”
    Bill held up his large butcher’s hand. “Don’t worry about a thing. Mildred and I can handle things here. You young folks go off and do your deliveries.”
    Berry turned to Jake. “I’m not leaving this geriatric Lothario alone with my cash register,” she whispered.
    “He’s my sister’s father-in-law.”
    “Oh.”
    Berry slid behind the wheel and turned the key. Rain buffeted the car and dark clouds roiled overhead. “Where’s the first delivery?”
    “Sudley Road.”
    Berry faced him. “Sudley Road? That’s pretty far away. Don’t we have anything closer?”
    “Nope.”
    Another one of those nights, she thought, sighing. It was hard to make money when she was driving all over the county. In fact, the profit on these nighttime deliveries was marginal once she surpassed a three-mile radius. Heat from the pizzas drifted forward, warming Berry’s neck, and the cozy aroma of fresh-baked dough filled the car.
    Jake relaxed in the seat next to her, contentwith his role of riding shotgun. Berry watched him from the corner of her eye and thought that sometimes life was very comfortable with Jake. There wasn’t the need to fill every moment with chatter. In fact, if she had to analyze her feelings for him, she would have to admit to feeling…married. It was especially disconcerting since she had been legally married to Allen for four years and never once felt this companionable affection. Life was strange, and there was no accounting for emotions. Emotions went their own way willy-nilly, without consulting The Plan.
    Jake sat up straighter as they turned onto Sudley and checked the house numbers. “The white ranch on the left.” He grabbed the pizza box and splashed his way to the front door. By the time he got back he was soaked.
    Berry grimaced at the sight of his ruined loafers. She should never have let him do the deliveries. He wouldn’t accept any pay. Yet every day he came directly from school and worked at the Pizza Place until closing. The fact that she was beginning to rely on his help only compounded her feelings of guilt.
    After the third delivery he didn’t bother with the hood to his jacket. He couldn’t get any wetter. After the seventh pizza he took his shoes off and rolled his pants to midcalf. It was six o’clock and getting dark.
    “That’s it,” he announced, squishing into the car. “I’m going home. I’m not delivering any more pizzas.”
    Berry looked in the backseat. “We have one last delivery.”
    “Too bad. Let them eat cereal. I’m cold and I’m wet and this whole thing is stupid. You’re not even making any money on these deliveries.”
    “But I always deliver.”
    “Not any more you don’t. We’re going home to talk.”
    “Just what are we going to talk about?”
    “We’re going to talk about this pizza business. Then we’re going to talk about us.”
    “There’s nothing to discuss. My pizza business is doing fine, and there’s no us. What we have is a living arrangement soon to be terminated. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. You’ve been very kind—”
    “Kind?” he shouted. “You think I’m kind?”
    “Well, yes.”
    “I’ve been kind to your three old ladies, but I haven’t been kind to you.”
    “What have you been?”
    “Waiting, mostly. Trying to get rid of Mrs. Dugan. I can’t get ten