“And I’m going to meditate,” Kelly added.
“Don’t get me wrong. I do my fair share of praying too. I just don’t think this will ever be the quaint little tourist town that we want it to be,” Shannon said.
“Shannon, you’re being awfully negative today. Is everything all right?” I asked.
“Yeah. Do you want to come into the crystal shop and get an aura cleanse?” Kelly asked.
Shannon looked at Kelly. “No, thank you.”
I stared into Shannon’s eyes. “Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?”
Shannon threw out her arms. “Hey, Kelly was the one who said that the cosmos weren’t in a generous mood these days.”
“True. But don’t pretend like you aren’t grumpy. Now, tell us. What’s going on?” I asked.
“Did someone post a bad online review of your sandwich shop?” Kelly asked.
Shannon shook her head. “Thankfully, no.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad no one tore into you.”
“Yeah. I really hate those really mean online reviews,” Kelly added.
I continued my thought. “I mean, you work your tail off. You pour your heart and soul into your work and then you see someone posting awful things about you on the internet. It just really breaks your heart.”
“At the same time, when you get a glowing review, it just makes your day,” Kelly said.
I nodded. “It sure does. You can never have too many good reviews.”
“Ladies, I just told you. This isn’t about a review,” Shannon said.
My nose scrunched. “Then what is it about?”
Kelly put her hands on her hips. “Did you skip breakfast?”
Shannon shook her head. “No.”
My eyes widened as a thought popped into my head. “Wait a minute. You started that new diet this morning, didn’t you?”
Shannon remained silent.
I continued. “Which means no more morning muffins for you.”
“No wonder you’re so grumpy,” Kelly said. “Dieting is dreadful.”
“It certainly isn’t a piece of cake,” Shannon cracked.
I shook my head. “You just had to make a cake reference, didn’t you?”
“Sorry. It just slipped out of my mouth,” Shannon said.
“Of course, it did. That’s okay. I don’t blame you for having cake on your mind. The minute you’re told you can’t eat something, the more you want it,” I said.
“Look. I’m not crazy,” Shannon said. “I wouldn’t turn down a piece of cake—”
I shrugged. “Who would?”
“Good point,” Shannon replied. “That said, the real reason I’m not myself is because I’ve just been missing the good old days.”
“You mean the good old cake days?” I joked.
“Make no mistake. I do miss delicious carbs. But it’s more than that,” Shannon said.
“Uh-oh. Nostalgia alert,” I joked.
“Guilty as charged,” Shannon said.
“To be fair, though, who doesn’t miss the good old days?” I looked off into the distance. “I remember when I used to be able to eat cake, or pie, or cookies, and have it not go directly to my waist.” I exhaled. “Unfortunately, keeping weight off is a lot harder now than it used to be.”
“It sure is. But that’s not the only thing that has changed. Take my son, for example. He’s only ten-years-old, but he’s starting to realize that he’s growing up in a town where all sorts of wacky things keep happening,” Shannon said.
I took a deep breath. “Yeah. That’s a tough one.”
“It sure is. I mean, when we were ten, wild things weren’t happening every other week,” Shannon said.
I shook my head. “They sure weren’t.”
“So, what’s the solution? I mean, we’re not the only town with problems,” Kelly said.
“That’s the thing. It seems like every town in this country has changed. As a matter of fact, the whole world seems to be going a little nuts,” Shannon said.
“Which is why I’ll go back to my original point. It’s all the more reason to appreciate peace when it comes our way,” Kelly said.
“I guess you’re right,” Shannon said. “Of course, it would be a lot easier to feel better about the world if one little muffin wasn’t going to torpedo my diet.”
“How many pounds are you trying to lose again?” I asked.
“Five,” Shannon said.
I crossed my fingers. “Here’s hoping that the weight comes off quickly.”
“Trust me. That’s something I’m definitely going to be praying about tonight,” Shannon said.
Chapter Four
A few minutes later, both Shannon and Kelly left for work. Shortly after that, Ryan Davidson came into the shop. He was right on time, too.
The man was like a clock. Every work day, he arrived at Daley Buzz at around eight-forty-five to get his caffeine fix. Without a doubt, he was the most punctual man I knew. It was one of those traits he had picked up in the business world that had bled over to his personal life.
While the forty-eight-year-old was never terribly energetic until he got some espresso in him, that morning he was particularly sluggish. In addition, when I looked at his athletic five-foot-nine frame, I could see that he was pretty tense. Was he worried about some work matter? Or was something else on his mind? One thing was certain. His facial expression didn’t give anything away.
I decided not to pry. If he wanted to tell me what was going on, I would be happy to listen. That said, if he wanted to keep things to himself, it was his prerogative.
As Ryan approached the counter, I greeted him with a smile.
“The usual?” I asked.
Ryan nodded. “You know how much I love my double-espressos.”
“I sure do. I don’t think I’ve seen you order anything else here.”
“Why would I?” he asked. “I firmly believe that when you find something you like, you should stick with it.”
“That’s a good philosophy. For both coffee and life in general.”
“I’m glad you agree.”
“One double-espresso, coming up,” I said.
Just as I was about to fire up the espresso maker, Ryan’s tie caught my attention. After all, it wasn’t often that I saw a teal-colored one.
“That’s a nice tie,” I said.
“Thanks. Nicole bought it for me,” Ryan said.
Nicole was his eighteen-year-old daughter. It was amazing to think that she was technically an adult now. It didn’t seem that long ago that she was just a cute little girl playing on the swing set at Watterson Park.
Then again, it was incredible to think that I had a ten-year-old daughter of my own. Time was sure going by fast.
“Your daughter has good taste,” I said.
Ryan nodded. “Just like her mother. Jocelyn always used to pick out the best ties.” A wistful look came to his eyes as he stopped speaking.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yeah. I just always get emotional when I think about Jocelyn.”
Jocelyn Davidson was Ryan’s first wife. She was also Nicole’s mother. Unfortunately, Jocelyn had died in a car crash five years ago. One night, while she was coming home from the grocery store, a drunk-driver hit her head on. She was killed on impact.
“It’s terrible what happened to her,” I said. “I’m sorry she’s gone.”
“So am I,” he said. “You know, I miss her just as much now as the day she died.”
“I certainly know that feeling.”
He looked deep into my eyes. “I know you do.”
Suddenly, Ryan wasn’t the only one to get lost in thought. Memories of my older sister, Jessica, began to swirl in my head. She had died almost thirty years ago, but the pain of losing her was still so strong.
Mostly because of the way she was taken from this world. After all, Jessica was only nineteen when some maniac murdered her and buried her body in a field. It
took eleven years for her remains to be found. Thankfully, the killer was eventually caught. But even though justice had been served, my sister was gone forever.
While I quietly wrestled with my thoughts, Ryan spoke up. “I thought the pain would lessen over time—”
“But it doesn’t,” I said.
Ryan shook his head. “Not at all. If anything, I have been thinking about Jocelyn even more ever since things fell apart with Megan.”
After grieving his wife’s death for over a year, Ryan met Megan Knapp one day while at the gym. The two hit it off and began dating shortly after that. Fifteen months later, they were married.
Unfortunately, their story didn’t have a happy ending. Despite starting off strong, their marriage only lasted a little over three years. Now, they were in the middle of a bitter divorce. Things had been particularly rough for Ryan ever since he had separated from Megan.
“I know it’s a really tough time for you,” I said.
He nodded. “It sure is. And Megan isn’t making things any easier. Nor is her lawyer.”
“I hope things get better for you soon.”
He grimaced. “I don’t know about that. You know what they say about life. When it rains, it pours.”
I stared deep into his eyes. My gut was telling me he was referring to more than just his failed marriage.
“Is something else going on?” I asked.
He looked down at his phone. “I really need to be getting to work.”
“All right. Well, if you need someone to talk to later, just know that I’m only a phone call away.”
“I know.” He pointed at his phone. “I really do need to get to work, though.”
“Fair enough,” I said.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I nodded. “I’ll have a double-espresso waiting for you.”
Chapter Five
That evening, Jessica, David, and I went over to my parents place for dinner. My mother and father lived on Sycamore Grove Trail. It was a leafy street that was lined with Victorian-style homes. David pulled into the driveway of my parents’ green-colored home.
As my husband parked the car, I looked up at the tall oak tree in the front yard that I used to climb as a child. Back in those days, all I cared about was having fun. Now here I was, all grown up and with an adventurous child of my own.
At that moment, I couldn’t help but think about how quickly time had flown by. Even so, I was careful not to let myself get too caught up in thought. After all, there was food to eat and catching up to do. David, Jessica, and I got out of the car and headed inside. That was when our paths diverged slightly.
After saying a quick hello to my mother in the kitchen, David went into the living room to talk sports with my stepfather, Luke.
Meanwhile, I stayed in the kitchen with Jessica and my mom, Elizabeth. My mother was in her seventies, but she was moving around with the energy of a woman half her age. Perhaps that was because she felt refreshed after recently returning from a vacation in Hawaii.
Regardless of where my mom was getting her energy from, her trim body was getting a workout moving back and forth in the kitchen as she put the finishing touches on her homemade casserole. Her blue eyes barely looked up from the glass cooking pan as she was so focused on preparing the meal. In addition, she had pulled her jet-black hair back into a ponytail to cook. I watched as her ponytail kept bobbing up and down as she moved.
It felt strange just standing around, but I had asked my mother if she wanted any help and she had politely turned me down. It turned out that my mother really liked doing things her own way. So, while my mom cooked, I filled her in on the latest news and developments in town.
A few minutes later, my mother put her casserole in the oven and took a deep breath.
“Now, all we have to do is wait twenty-five minutes,” my mom said.
“While we’re doing that, why don’t you tell us about your trip?” I said.
My mom held up her pointer finger. “Speaking of the trip, I have a surprise for my favorite granddaughter.”
Jessica giggled. “Grandma, I’m your only granddaughter.”
“True. But you’re still my favorite,” my mom said. “Now, back to your surprise.”
My mother left the room briefly. When she returned, she was holding a stuffed animal. It wasn’t any old novelty plush toy, however. It was a dolphin wearing a Hawaiian shirt.
Jessica’s eyes lit up as my mother handed her the stuffed animal.
“Do you like it?” my mom asked.
Jessica nodded. “It’s great.” She gazed at her present for a few seconds and then looked back up at my mom. “Thanks, Grandma.”
“You’re very welcome. I love spoiling my granddaughter,” my mother said. “That’s why I have another gift for you.”
Jessica’s eyes widened. “You do?”
My mother nodded and pulled out a big candy bar from her back pocket.
Jessica’s mouth began to water. “Wow. It looks delicious.”
“Dig in and find out,” my mother said.
Jessica gave my mother a big hug. “Thank you so much.”
“Of course. Enjoy,” my mom said.
I tapped my daughter on the shoulder. “Jess, why don’t you go and thank your grandfather for the gifts as well?”
“Okay,” Jessica said. She then scurried into the living room.
Once my daughter was out of earshot, I gave a wary look to my mother.
“Did you really have to get her the candy bar?” I asked.
My mom shook her head. “No. I just wanted to.”
I grimaced.
“Sabrina, relax,” my mom said.
“Could you have at least waited until after dinner to give it to her? Eating that candy bar now will spoil her appetite,” I said.
“Trust me. If there’s one thing I know about the members of our family, it is that we all have huge appetites,” my mother said.
I exhaled. “I still wish you wouldn’t have gotten her a candy bar. I mean, with that much sugar in her system, I’m going to have a hard time getting her to go to sleep tonight.”
“That’s not my problem,” my mother joked.
I snickered. “Oh, how things have changed over the years. When I was a little kid, you used to get so annoyed when Grandma Betsy would give me a candy bar like that.”
“Let’s just say I have realized there are certain perks to being a grandmother. And one of them is being able to spoil my granddaughter rotten,” my mother said.
“Mission accomplished,” I said.
“You’ll understand one day when you become a grandma,” my mom said.
Speaking of grandmothers, just as my mom and I were in the middle of our conversation, my feisty ninety-seven-year-old nana, Betsy Daley, came shuffling into the kitchen. She had a thin frame, a round face, and long gray hair.
“What an amazing day that will be. You’ll never forget it,” Betsy said. “After all, being a grandma is the best.”
My mother’s eyes widened as she glanced at my nana. “I’m so happy to see you. I was beginning to wonder if something had happened to you.”
“There’s no need to panic. My book club just ran late,” my grandma said.
My mom breathed a sigh of relief.
“Look. I know you're concerned about me kicking the bucket, but father time has some work to do before he can catch up to me,” my grandma said.
My grandmother wasn’t kidding. She was the only woman I knew who was in her nineties and still driving on a regular basis. But she did more than just get behind the wheel. My nana was part of a number of clubs in town. She was determined to live as active of a life as she could, regardless of her age.
“You can’t blame me for worrying,” my mother said.
“Worrying is a big waste of time. Especially when there are bigger issues at play. Namely, where’s my gigantic candy bar?” my grandmother said.
My mother’s nose crinkled. “I didn’t get you o
ne.”
My grandmother threw out her arms. “Why not?”
“Because you’re not a little kid,” my mother said.
My grandmother held her pointer finger up. “Let me tell you something. Candy is delicious at any age. As a matter of fact, when you live to see ninety-seven, candy bars start tasting even sweeter.”
“Fair enough. If Luke and I ever go to Hawaii again, I’ll remember to pick up a gigantic candy bar for you,” my mother said.
My grandmother walked over to the fridge. “In the meantime, before my sweet tooth starts complaining too much, do you have any ice cream in your freezer?”
“As a matter of fact, I do,” my mother said.
“Good.” My grandmother opened the freezer and grabbed the carton of ice cream that was inside. She then picked up a spoon and began eating the ice cream directly from the carton as she scuttled into the living room.
“Dinner is in twenty minutes, by the way,” my mother yelled.
She received no response from my grandma.
My mother then laughed as she turned to me. “Your nana sure is a one-of-a-kind woman.”
“That’s a good thing. I don’t think the world could handle two Betsy Daley’s,” I said.
My mom shook her head. “Probably not. There is only so much feistiness the universe can handle at once.”
“Isn’t that the truth?” I replied. “Although, you did just get back from vacation. So, you should be well-rested and ready for anything that grandma has to throw at you.”
“Speaking of vacation. You, David, and Jessica really need to take a trip to Maui,” my mother said.
“Are you paying?” I asked.
“Very funny,” my mother said.
“I wasn’t joking. Flying to Hawaii isn’t exactly cheap.”
“No. But it is worth every dollar.”
“I guess I don’t need to ask how your vacation went,” I said.
My mom’s eyes lit up. “It was spectacular.”
“I’m glad to hear that you had such a great time.”
“I really did. To the point where I didn’t want to come back.”
“I know that feeling.”
My mother looked off longingly. “I wish I could move to Maui.”
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