LITMIR.BIZ

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glasses and a corkscrew, leaving Jessie with the impression the women had shared nightcaps before.

      “Jessie, dump that and join us,” Miri insisted. “I sent Logan off with the night deposit ten minutes ago. We should have a few minutes’ peace. C’mon,” she added when Jessie hesitated.

      This was the perfect opportunity to find out whether he was Jekyll or Hyde. After seeing how well he’d interacted with tonight’s guests, Jessie was more confused than ever. She carried the box to the kitchen and returned.

      Miri eased into a chair as if her body ached. “I haven’t had to bus tables in ages. I forgot how hard it was.”

      Sue sank across from her even more slowly. “Tonight required more hustle than I had in me. Busy season’s starting. Better find some new blood soon. I’m not sure how many weeks like this I can handle. And we still have tomorrow to get through. I couldn’t have made it without your help, Jessie. Don’t think I didn’t notice you grabbing my orders.” She pulled a wad of bills from her pocket. “You deserve half of this.”

      Touched by the gesture, Jessie shook her head. “No, Sue. Thank you, but I don’t want your tips. My mama always taught me to pitch in when needed. That’s all I was doing.”

      Blushing, the woman hesitated, then nodded and repocketed her money. “Your mama raised a fine girl.”

      Miri filled and distributed the glasses then lifted hers and sampled the golden liquid. “Mmm. This is good. I’ll have to stock more of it.”

      “I’ll second that,” Sue added after tasting.

      Jessie searched for a way to settle her curiosity. “It was nice of Logan to help. He really seemed to know what he was doing.”

      Miri nodded. “Logan came to live with me and Jack six months after his mother died. He did everything from fishing and filleting with Jack’s crew to bussing tables then waiting them here. He’s a hard worker. I’ll give him that.”

      “Wasn’t his dad around?” Jessie asked.

      “Carter buried himself in his grief and his work after Virginia passed and forgot all about parenting his son. By the time I figured out Carter wasn’t going to snap out of it, Logan had become a pro at fetching his own groceries, fixing his meals and getting himself to school. He covered for his father so well not even the school counselor suspected anything was wrong.”

      Sue nodded. “And Carter didn’t even notice. That hasn’t changed.”

      Jessie’d had students in similar, or even worse, situations to Logan’s, and she sympathized. She’d been blessed with involved parents, and hers had always been there to offer encouragement, guidance or a reprimand when needed. She depended on them as sounding boards—which was why living solo was so hard now.

      Sue’s reply raised more questions about Logan, but Jessie didn’t want to seem too curious. “How old was Logan when he came here?”

      Miri chuckled and shook her head. “Thirteen going on thirty. He tried to be the man of the house whenever Jack was away. Made for some interesting territorial squabbles between him and me.”

      “Those squabbles returned when he did. Makes both of you hard to live with,” Sue added with the kind of candor only true friends could share. “Where’d you grow up, Jessie?”

      Jessie ducked her head and bought time by sipping her wine. The cool liquid slid down her throat like ambrosia. She hadn’t had any one-on-one time with Sue and should have anticipated questions. How much could she safely reveal? “I grew up on a farm. You?” she asked hoping to derail the questioning.

      “I’m a local. Been widowed more years than I was married. I didn’t pick a good husband the first time or the second. Decided to forgo a third attempt. No kids. Got a boyfriend?”

      So much for changing the topic. “Not anymore.”

      “You end it? Or did he?” Sue persisted, making Jessie squirm.

      “I did.”

      “Miss him?”

      Jessie closed her eyes and tried to recall Aaron’s features. But instead of her ex-fiancé’s, the image burned on her retinas was one of tanned flesh tightly wrapped over muscles. Logan. In swim trunks. She gulped her wine and shook her head to banish the image. “Not even a little bit.”

      She realized that at some point since leaving home she’d quit second-guessing whether she’d wronged Aaron by choosing her family over him, as he’d accused. Her father was right. If her fiancé had truly loved her, he would have signed the prenuptial agreement her family insisted she ask for instead of throwing a tantrum and demanding she choose between him and them.

      When had that forgetting him part happened?

      “What about your parents, Jessie? Are they missing you?”

      “Oh, Sue, leave her be,” Miri objected.

      Jessie wanted to hug Miri for intervening. “They know where I am and are probably jealous of my beach vacation.”

      “Some vacation. You’re working your patootie off,” Sue grumbled.

      “I don’t mind. I’m actually happy to help.” Thrilled to see the bottom of her glass and the end of this conversation, Jessie rose. The room swayed, forcing her to grab the back of her chair.

      Miri sprang to her feet and caught Jessie’s elbow. Her eyes widened with alarm. “Are you okay?”

      Jessie blinked to clear her head. “I’m fine. I guess I shouldn’t have had wine on an empty stomach.”

      “When did you eat last?” Miri asked.

      Jessie scrolled though her memory then grimaced. “Breakfast?”

      Tsking, Sue rose. “You never took a lunch or dinner break?” She didn’t wait for Jessie’s answer. “Sit down, child. I’ll get you a bowl of clam chowder.”

      “You don’t have to do that, Sue.”

      “You took care of me. Now I’m returning the favor. Sit. I ain’t letting you leave till you eat some’n.” Then she hustled off to the kitchen.

      Jessie glanced at Miri for backup, but Miri only shrugged. “You might as well listen to her. She’s a mother hen. Don’t know how I would have gotten through losing Jack without her. Down here in the Keys, we look out for our own.”

      But she wasn’t one of theirs and never would be. Jessie eased back into her seat.

      “And, Jessie, don’t let me hear about you skipping breaks again. I know we were busy and your intentions were good, but I can’t have you neglecting yourself. The employment folks would have my head—if Logan didn’t get it first.”

      “I’m sorry. I won’t.”

      “I’ll go back through the applications tomorrow and see if I can find any that come close to my minimal standards to give ’em a chance. I hate that we lost BeBe, but waitressing wasn’t really her thing, was it?”

      “No.”

      Sue returned with a bowl of soup and a basket of crackers. “I heated it up a bit.”

      “Thank you, Sue.” Jessie’s stomach rumbled in anticipation. She put a spoonful of the thick, creamy, clam-laden chowder in her mouth and moaned. “I know now why your recipe’s so popular, Miri.”

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