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"Not anymore?"
"Not even close. These days, my idea of a candlelit dinner is eating cold pizza rolls in the glow of the fridge light."
Her eyes danced. "Nothing wrong with that. Pizza rolls are a gift."
“So, how does it feel to be back?"
"Weird. Like I'm not quite myself."
"That'll be the ghost outfit."
"Ha, must be." Sadness flickered across her face, and I ached to erase it.
"Hey, I just got off the phone with my dad. Sounds like you tricked him into taking on some work?"
"His idea, actually. He wouldn't take no for an answer."
"Sounds about right. The man's practically married to this town. He gets like that when a prominent building needs work. Trouble is, it’s me who normally gets roped into doing the work."
"You'll be helping?" I could have been imagining it, but she didn't exactly look thrilled at the prospect.
"Well, yeah. Pops isn't exactly spry these days."
"What does spry mean?" Rhea asked.
"Like a goat," Lexi replied. "That's spry."
"Furry?"
I shook my head. "It means full of life."
"Grandpa is like a goat," Rhea said, definitively. "Tough and hairy."
"Yeah, and he'll eat anything!" Lexi said, chuckling. "At Aunt Ida's Diner last week he put chocolate sauce on his steak!"
Elara gave Lexi a wicked smile. "Oh, you mean he had a dirty steak."
I nearly choked.
Rhea giggled. "Daddy, I want a dirty steak!"
I grimaced. "Dirty steak. Is that what all the New York hipsters are eating?"
"There's almost nothing you can't make better by dirtying it up a little," Elara said, eyes twinkling.
I clenched my jaw, definitely not immediately imagining dirtying her up a little. Desperate to change the subject, I asked, "So what's the plan for the bar? What kind of place will you open?"
"Oh, I'm just going to fix it up and sell it. Then it's back to NYC for me."
"Right. Makes sense. I always figured you were too talented to stick around in a place like this too long." I looked past her, into the murky, dark interior of her old trailer. "You're okay staying here?"
"I think it'll survive a few months, as long as the roof doesn’t cave in."
I took a step back and looked up at it. “I wouldn’t count your chickens.”
Elara winced. “Really? You think it’s dangerous?”
I shrugged. “They didn't build these things to be sturdy. But seriously? I think you’ll be okay for a short while. If you see any wet patches on the ceiling in there, though, I’d rethink it." I paused.
