didn’t have an affair with Meredith because you weren’t enough. He’s the one who wasn’t enough.”
“Maybe you should be a therapist,” Callie said, feeling better, as she always did when Henri was around. “Knowing that and believing it are two different things.”
“You still didn’t answer my first question.” Henri poured coffee into the mug that Callie had pulled from the cupboard. “How do you feel about Sam now?”
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I mean, there’s an attraction.”
This time Henri snorted. “You’d have to be dead or gay not to be attracted to that. I’m gay and I still felt a little quiver when he showed up in the driveway.”
Henri always could make her laugh, no matter what was going on. “I’m sure he’d be flattered to hear that. I was going to use that mug for tea, but I guess I’ll get another one.”
“I spent nine hours traveling alone with your mother today,” Henri said. “You’re lucky this isn’t rum instead of coffee.”
“Fair enough,” Callie said, closing the cupboard she’d opened. “There’s a bar and grill in the village. I bet they have amazing seafood.”
“Sounds good to me.” Henri took another swig of coffee and scrunched up her face. “I forgot Aunt Evelyn made this. Does she carry tar in that Kate Spade purse of hers?”
“I think it’s ground coal.”
Henri poured the coffee into the sink. “I would not be surprised. Now, let’s go find me some alcohol. You’re buying.”
Following her cousin back toward the living room, Callie said, “It’s the least I can do.”
CHAPTER 6
T he jukebox was playing Bob Marley and the Wailers as Callie, her mom, and Henri walked through the entrance of Dempsey’s Bar & Grill. A combination of gleaming dark wood, soaring wood beams, and picture windows, the place was both fancier and more interesting than Callie had expected. There was also quite a crowd for so late in the season.
If this was the crowd in late September, she couldn’t help but wonder what the place would look like in the heart of July.
“Give me two seconds, ladies, and I’ll be right with you,” said a young, dark-haired waitress as she breezed by, carrying a tray full of drinks as if it weighed no more than a feather.
Standing beside Callie, Henri watched the pretty girl walk away in her denim shorts, which showed a significant amount of leg. “I like this place already.”
Callie leaned close enough to whisper, “You know my mother will have a conniption if she has to witness you hitting on a woman. I’m not sure I could endure one of her fits tonight.”
“Relax,” Henri said, watching a tall, blonde waitress stroll through the middle of the room. “I’m sightseeing. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do on vacation?”
Callie glanced her way with one brow raised.
“I’ll behave,” Henri promised. “Scout’s honor.”
“You were never a Girl Scout.”
“No, but I like their cookies.”
“Hi there,” said the brunette as she stepped up to the podium before them. “Sorry for the wait. Welcome to Dempsey’s. Are we looking for a booth or a table tonight?”
“A booth,” Callie and Henri said in unison.
The waitress smiled, grabbed three menus, along with three sets of silverware wrapped in white napkins, and headed for the wall of windows to the far right. “Here you go,” she said, dropping the menus and silverware onto a table in the center of the wall. “Daisy will be your server, and she’ll be with you in just a minute.”
“Thank you,” said Callie, climbing in to allow her mother to sit on the end.
“Enjoy your meal,” the waitress said, then disappeared into the crowd.
The group focused their attention on the menus in front of them. Evelyn flipped the pages with the tips of her fingers as if she might catch a germ. She looked uncomfortable and unhappy, but then, Callie’s mother always looked that way. Unless she was at her country club, and even
“Maybe you should be a therapist,” Callie said, feeling better, as she always did when Henri was around. “Knowing that and believing it are two different things.”
“You still didn’t answer my first question.” Henri poured coffee into the mug that Callie had pulled from the cupboard. “How do you feel about Sam now?”
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I mean, there’s an attraction.”
This time Henri snorted. “You’d have to be dead or gay not to be attracted to that. I’m gay and I still felt a little quiver when he showed up in the driveway.”
Henri always could make her laugh, no matter what was going on. “I’m sure he’d be flattered to hear that. I was going to use that mug for tea, but I guess I’ll get another one.”
“I spent nine hours traveling alone with your mother today,” Henri said. “You’re lucky this isn’t rum instead of coffee.”
“Fair enough,” Callie said, closing the cupboard she’d opened. “There’s a bar and grill in the village. I bet they have amazing seafood.”
“Sounds good to me.” Henri took another swig of coffee and scrunched up her face. “I forgot Aunt Evelyn made this. Does she carry tar in that Kate Spade purse of hers?”
“I think it’s ground coal.”
Henri poured the coffee into the sink. “I would not be surprised. Now, let’s go find me some alcohol. You’re buying.”
Following her cousin back toward the living room, Callie said, “It’s the least I can do.”
CHAPTER 6
T he jukebox was playing Bob Marley and the Wailers as Callie, her mom, and Henri walked through the entrance of Dempsey’s Bar & Grill. A combination of gleaming dark wood, soaring wood beams, and picture windows, the place was both fancier and more interesting than Callie had expected. There was also quite a crowd for so late in the season.
If this was the crowd in late September, she couldn’t help but wonder what the place would look like in the heart of July.
“Give me two seconds, ladies, and I’ll be right with you,” said a young, dark-haired waitress as she breezed by, carrying a tray full of drinks as if it weighed no more than a feather.
Standing beside Callie, Henri watched the pretty girl walk away in her denim shorts, which showed a significant amount of leg. “I like this place already.”
Callie leaned close enough to whisper, “You know my mother will have a conniption if she has to witness you hitting on a woman. I’m not sure I could endure one of her fits tonight.”
“Relax,” Henri said, watching a tall, blonde waitress stroll through the middle of the room. “I’m sightseeing. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do on vacation?”
Callie glanced her way with one brow raised.
“I’ll behave,” Henri promised. “Scout’s honor.”
“You were never a Girl Scout.”
“No, but I like their cookies.”
“Hi there,” said the brunette as she stepped up to the podium before them. “Sorry for the wait. Welcome to Dempsey’s. Are we looking for a booth or a table tonight?”
“A booth,” Callie and Henri said in unison.
The waitress smiled, grabbed three menus, along with three sets of silverware wrapped in white napkins, and headed for the wall of windows to the far right. “Here you go,” she said, dropping the menus and silverware onto a table in the center of the wall. “Daisy will be your server, and she’ll be with you in just a minute.”
“Thank you,” said Callie, climbing in to allow her mother to sit on the end.
“Enjoy your meal,” the waitress said, then disappeared into the crowd.
The group focused their attention on the menus in front of them. Evelyn flipped the pages with the tips of her fingers as if she might catch a germ. She looked uncomfortable and unhappy, but then, Callie’s mother always looked that way. Unless she was at her country club, and even
Similar Books
