“Hi, Mom,” he greeted her. “Is everything okay?”
“Sure, Billy. It’s just that between school and work, I don’t get to see you very often. I thought I’d stay up so I couldsee you tonight,” she explained. “You’re home early. Clay didn’t wise up and fire you or anything, did he?” Her eyes danced in amusement, and he knew she was teasing him.
“No, Mom.” He chuckled. “I’m still employed. Clay said he’d cover the front desk until Jeff showed up so I could leave.”
“That’s good. So Jeff is working out okay?”
“Yeah, he seems to be adjusting well to the schedule. I know Clay is happy since he can spend more time with Finn. If things keep going well with them, I think they may end up moving in together by the end of the year.”
“That’s wonderful. I’m happy for both of them,” she said. “And what’s going on with you? How’s school?”
“So far, so good. I’m really enjoying English class. The professor is awesome. And I found out he also teaches a creative writing class, so I may take that next semester.” Will had been writing stories since he was a kid and was hoping that taking a class like this might help him understand if he actually had a talent for writing. “But Calculus is kicking my butt. I’d been regretting signing up for it even though my counselor said it was a good idea. But after today, I think it may be okay.”
“Why? What happened today to change your mind?” Emily asked.
“Earlier this week, I was talking to this guy that’s in my class. Tom said he’s having some troubles with it, too, so we decided to try and study together to see if two heads can make better sense of it,” Will explained. “He came over to Bradley House tonight, and we went over a few things. It’s actually starting to make sense to me.”
“Oh, Billy, that’s great. But was it wise for him to come to the B and B while you were working?”
“Oh yeah, I cleared it with Clay before setting up the study session. Clay knows that I wouldn’t let anything get in the way of work duties. In fact, Clay made a point of introducing himself toTom and telling him he was always welcome to come and study with me.”
“That was very nice of him. You’re lucky to have such an understanding boss.”
“I know it.”
“Hey, Mom, there’s something I wanted to ask you.” Butterflies danced in his stomach. He wasn’t sure how his mom would react to his request.
“Sure, sweetie, what’s up?”
“How would you feel if I started going by Will instead of Billy?”
“You mean your dad’s name.” Will’s dad had been William Senior and always went by Will, so when William Junior came along, everyone called him Billy.
“Mom, I’m sorry if this is difficult, but I was still a kid when Dad died. Now that I’m almost twenty-three, Billy just feels like a kid’s name. I’m an adult now, and I’ve thought a lot about this.” He paused, trying to get the words right in his head. “Think of it as an honor to Dad. I’m proud to be his son and would like to use his name from now on.”
“Okay, sure. If you feel that strongly about it, it’s fine with me; I think your dad would approve. But don’t get upset if I slip up once in a while. After all, you’ve been Billy to me for a long time.” Her smile radiated love and sincerity.
“Thanks, Mom.” Will yawned. “Okay, that’s my cue to hit the sack. I’m beat.”
He picked up his backpack, then leaned over and kissed his mom on the cheek. “Good night, Mom.”
“Sleep well, sweetie.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Tom
Tom breatheda sigh of relief when his shift was finally over. They’d been slammed at lunch, and after a brief lull around three, it had picked up again until he finally clocked out at six thirty. There was a definite uptick in business thanks to the tourists staying in the area so they could visit Plimoth Patuxet Museums and Cape Cod, or even Boston, from Hawthorne Bluff’s central location.
“Wanna grab a coffee before heading home?” Charlotte asked, grabbing her bag from the locker next to his. The petite blonde fireball was his best friend in the whole world and had been since they first met on the playground in first grade.
“Sure,” Tom replied. “I take it you wanna go to Cuppa Joe’s, not get a cup here, right?”
“Of course.” Char snickered. “I mean, the coffee here is good but not as good as Cuppa Joe’s.” A brisk October breeze kicked up colorful leaves along the sidewalk as they hurried along to the café.
“So … what’s been going on with you?” Char asked after they’d ordered cappuccinos and were seated on one of the overstuffed sofas near the front window.
“Not much. School, work, sleep, repeat,” Tom said honestly. “Although I have a new study partner for calculus,” he added, almost as an afterthought.
