Parker barked out a laugh just as we headed into my dad’s room.
37
PARKER
What a day.
Everything that could have gone wrong on the job did. The only bright spot was being able to see Delaney for dinner, but she’d been called into work. We agreed to meet at O’Malley’s when she got off, so in the meantime I made myself useful around the inn, which was where I noticed a crack in one of the bathroom walls on the inn side of the building. Hoping it didn’t lead to bigger issues, I inspected it with a putty knife to see if it was just superficial. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be. My guess was moisture infiltration, which wasn’t going to make Mason very happy.
By the time I’d taken a shower and headed down the street, I was tired and starving. Wishing Delaney wasn’t working until nine, I almost headed to the pharmacy instead, but having skipped lunch, I probably wouldn’t be the best of company. Instead, I headed inside, surprised by how busy it was for a Thursday.
“Hey, cranky pants.”
Not in the mood for Beck’s antics, I sat down. “I didn’t say a word.”
“You have that look about you.”
“Beck, can I talk to you for a second?”
“Hi, Mr. O’Malley,” I said to Beck’s boss. He was a big guy who often said he spent too many years eating wings and not enough eating celery instead.
“Sure.” Beck slid me a beer and headed to the side of the bar. Watching Mr. O’Malley, I wondered what they could be talking about. He didn’t usually work late, the owner and his wife typically leaving late shifts to Beck and the bar’s other manager.
“What’s wrong?” Beck looked like he was ready to murder someone when he came back. “Beck?”
“Nothing.”
“Now who’s the cranky pants?” I said, throwing the ridiculous moniker back at him. “What?” I asked again.
“He asked if I minded working with Mae’s French fiancé when they come in. Apparently he’s a chef and is going to help elevate the menu. Whatever the fuck that means.”
Oh, shit. “Better buckle up, buttercup. It’s gonna be hard to avoid either of them.”
“Tell me about it. Elevate the menu. We’re a fucking Irish pub on the corner of one of the smallest towns on Keuka Lake. Is he serious?”
“Keep it down,” I warned him as Beck headed over to a customer. “He’s still at the bar.”
Mr. O’Malley was talking to one of the customers. Beck, as usual, didn’t understand the word “caution” though. It was unusual for Beck to talk poorly of his boss who he generally liked, having grown up next door to him. But everything about Mae twisted Beck into knots; not that I could judge. When Delaney and I had been on the outs, I couldn’t think straight.
“I thought you talked to Mae all the time,” I asked Beck when he came back. “Didn’t she tell you about this?”
“She might have mentioned meeting him ‘in the industry’ or something. I mostly change the subject when she talks about him.”
I wanted to ask if she was coming back for good or if it was a temporary thing. But changing the subject seemed prudent so I ordered a dozen wings. Just as I was finishing them up, a pair of hands covered my eyes from behind.
“Guess who?”
It was as if every shitty thing from the day melted away. Her voice soothed my soul.
“Is it a perky redheaded pharmacist?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
I grabbed her hands and spun around on the stool. “Hey. What’s that supposed to mean?”
In response, Delaney kissed me and then said, “Crappy day at work.”
“That must be going around.”
