that?” Sam asked.
“Oh, now, don’t give him any ideas,” Eve said before Roy could reply. “Remember when we went down to Rockport and took care of that bed-and-breakfast for Phyllis’s cousin? There’s a lot of work involved in something like that.”
“Not to mention the dead man on the dock,” Carolyn added.
Roy’s eyebrows rose. “Another murder?” he asked.
“That was just an isolated incident,” Phyllis said quickly.
“Hmmph,” Carolyn said.
“Anyway,” Roy said, “I don’t have any experience at running a bed-and-breakfast or any other sort of business like that, and since I’m semiretired, I don’t particularly want to learn. I’m fine with just staying there and enjoying it.”
“I don’t blame you,” Sam said. “When you’ve worked hard for as long as we have, you deserve to take it easy.”
They continued to chat amiably while they finished their coffee and pie, until finally Roy said, “Well, it’s getting late. I suppose we’d better be getting home, dear.”
Eve was sitting next to him on the sofa. She leaned closer and embraced his arm as she said, “Home . . . I like the sound of that. Even though it’s not really our home.”
“It is for now,” he told her with a smile. “Anywhere you are, that’s home for me.”
Phyllis saw Carolyn look away so the newlyweds wouldn’t notice her eyes rolling slightly. The affection between Eve and Roy did seem a little overdone, especially for people their age, but Phyllis had no doubt it was genuine.
There were hugs and handshakes all around again. When they were saying good night at the front door, Phyllis quietly told Eve, “If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to call on me. I’d do anything for you—you know that.”
“I know, dear.” Eve leaned in and kissed Phyllis on the cheek. “Thank you for everything you’ve already done.”
“It was my pleasure,” Phyllis assured her.
The three of them stood on the porch and waved while Eve and Roy got back into Roy’s car and left. As they watched the taillights recede along the street, Carolyn said, “Well, that certainly didn’t turn out the way I expected it to.”
“No,” Phyllis said, “but I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“I’d feel better if they were staying here.”
“They would have left sometime,” Phyllis pointed out.
Sam said, “That’s what these kids do. They grow up and leave the nest.”
Carolyn snorted. “Still not funny.”
Maybe not, Phyllis thought, but in a way Sam was right. All three of them had grown, married children. They’d had to watch as those children left home and established lives on their own, and while that was the way it should be, the happiness that parents felt was a bittersweet one, mixed with an undeniable sensation of loss that tightened the chest and made the eyes grow misty. You watched children grow up and raised them to be able to take care of themselves, but when the time came . . .
Of course, it wasn’t the same with Eve. That was just a friend leaving, Phyllis told herself. But Eve had become part of her family, just as Carolyn and Sam had. And now, as the taillights of Roy’s car turned the corner and disappeared, Phyllis knew nothing would ever be the same.
Sam must have sensed what she was feeling. He put his arm around her shoulders and said, “Come on, I’ll help you clean up those dishes. And if I remember right, there was one more piece of pie left. If nobody else wants it . . .”
Phyllis laughed. “It’s all yours,” she said.
Chapter 8
I t was amazing how quickly things settled back into a routine. A different one than before, to be sure, but still a routine. People needed that, Phyllis thought.
She spoke to Eve almost every day on the phone. A few days after the newlyweds returned from their honeymoon, Phyllis, Sam, and Carolyn went out to the bed-and-breakfast to see where they were living now. They brought along some of Eve’s belongings from the
“Oh, now, don’t give him any ideas,” Eve said before Roy could reply. “Remember when we went down to Rockport and took care of that bed-and-breakfast for Phyllis’s cousin? There’s a lot of work involved in something like that.”
“Not to mention the dead man on the dock,” Carolyn added.
Roy’s eyebrows rose. “Another murder?” he asked.
“That was just an isolated incident,” Phyllis said quickly.
“Hmmph,” Carolyn said.
“Anyway,” Roy said, “I don’t have any experience at running a bed-and-breakfast or any other sort of business like that, and since I’m semiretired, I don’t particularly want to learn. I’m fine with just staying there and enjoying it.”
“I don’t blame you,” Sam said. “When you’ve worked hard for as long as we have, you deserve to take it easy.”
They continued to chat amiably while they finished their coffee and pie, until finally Roy said, “Well, it’s getting late. I suppose we’d better be getting home, dear.”
Eve was sitting next to him on the sofa. She leaned closer and embraced his arm as she said, “Home . . . I like the sound of that. Even though it’s not really our home.”
“It is for now,” he told her with a smile. “Anywhere you are, that’s home for me.”
Phyllis saw Carolyn look away so the newlyweds wouldn’t notice her eyes rolling slightly. The affection between Eve and Roy did seem a little overdone, especially for people their age, but Phyllis had no doubt it was genuine.
There were hugs and handshakes all around again. When they were saying good night at the front door, Phyllis quietly told Eve, “If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to call on me. I’d do anything for you—you know that.”
“I know, dear.” Eve leaned in and kissed Phyllis on the cheek. “Thank you for everything you’ve already done.”
“It was my pleasure,” Phyllis assured her.
The three of them stood on the porch and waved while Eve and Roy got back into Roy’s car and left. As they watched the taillights recede along the street, Carolyn said, “Well, that certainly didn’t turn out the way I expected it to.”
“No,” Phyllis said, “but I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“I’d feel better if they were staying here.”
“They would have left sometime,” Phyllis pointed out.
Sam said, “That’s what these kids do. They grow up and leave the nest.”
Carolyn snorted. “Still not funny.”
Maybe not, Phyllis thought, but in a way Sam was right. All three of them had grown, married children. They’d had to watch as those children left home and established lives on their own, and while that was the way it should be, the happiness that parents felt was a bittersweet one, mixed with an undeniable sensation of loss that tightened the chest and made the eyes grow misty. You watched children grow up and raised them to be able to take care of themselves, but when the time came . . .
Of course, it wasn’t the same with Eve. That was just a friend leaving, Phyllis told herself. But Eve had become part of her family, just as Carolyn and Sam had. And now, as the taillights of Roy’s car turned the corner and disappeared, Phyllis knew nothing would ever be the same.
Sam must have sensed what she was feeling. He put his arm around her shoulders and said, “Come on, I’ll help you clean up those dishes. And if I remember right, there was one more piece of pie left. If nobody else wants it . . .”
Phyllis laughed. “It’s all yours,” she said.
Chapter 8
I t was amazing how quickly things settled back into a routine. A different one than before, to be sure, but still a routine. People needed that, Phyllis thought.
She spoke to Eve almost every day on the phone. A few days after the newlyweds returned from their honeymoon, Phyllis, Sam, and Carolyn went out to the bed-and-breakfast to see where they were living now. They brought along some of Eve’s belongings from the
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