“Good.” I grinned. “I didn’t really have a backup plan, but I’m sure I could wing it if truly necessary.”
She laughed. “I’m glad I agreed, then, I guess, and that you didn’t have to overtax your brain.”
“Me too. I do enough of that at work.”
“How’s that been going? How’s your dad?”
Reaching up, I rubbed the back of my neck as I drove out of her neighborhood. “It’s going. Busy. Thankfully, not too many fires. Just… busy. And Dad’s doing great. We’re hopeful he’ll get to go home soon.”
“Really? That’s great.”
“Yeah. He’s ready. Says the nurses and therapists are pleasant people, but he’s ready to be back in his own space.”
“I get that. I’m a homebody too,” Mina said. “I like vacation as much as the next person, but I’m always ready to go home. I can’t imagine how much worse that feeling is when you’re somewhere you didn’t choose to be because you were ill.”
I nodded. “He’ll get there. Hopefully, he won’t drive us all crazy before that happens, though.” My sister and I had been taking turns spelling Mom, just so she could have a break from Dad’s orneriness. He wasn’t mean about it. Just fidgety and annoyed with it all.
Our conversation turned light as I drove us toward Juneau, and the trip passed quickly.
Turning into the parking lot for the restaurant, I parked, and we made our way inside. With the weather being warm, we opted for a table outside, and the hostess led us to a spot by the railing, overlooking the water.
“I’ve never been here. This is nice.” Mina peered out over the water as I held out her chair for her to sit down. She perched on the chair, and I scooted it in.
“You don’t spend a lot of time in Juneau, do you?” I glanced at the water as I rounded the table to my seat. The channel was busy for the hour as people took advantage of the extra summer sunlight and warm weather, staying out on their boats well into the evening.
She turned away from the view to look at me. “No. I’m from Hoonah, like Claire. This place”—she circled a finger in the air—“is too big for me.”
“Understandable.” Cities weren’t for everyone. “What brought you to Parker’s Landing? Why didn’t you stay in Hoonah?”
“Claire. She came over here because there were better opportunities for her real estate business. When I told her I’d like to open a coffeeshop, she suggested I come here to do it. That Parker’s Landing was basically screaming for one, and I could capitalize on the summer tourist season.” She lifted one shoulder. “I did some research and realized she was right. She helped me find the perfect location, and I never looked back.” A bright smile graced her face. “It’s been a lot of fun. I love what I do.”
“I can tell. Every time I’ve seen you at your busiest, you always seem happy.”
She grinned. “I get a thrill from the morning rush.”
I laughed. “That’s good, because I can’t imagine that will ever go away.”
“No. Not as long as we get all the summer tourists visiting Mendenhall Glacier. Even in the winter, we get a decent amount of people.”
She wasn’t wrong. In the summer months, the town’s population could triple. In the winter months, it stayed closer to normal, but there were always a few strangers milling around.
“What made you leave Parker’s Landing?” she asked. “Your parents still live there.”
“I wanted to go to college in Seattle, even though I knew I’d always come back here. When I graduated, having my office in Juneau made more sense than setting up shop in Parker’s Landing. So, that’s what I did. And it just felt natural to live close to work, so I bought a house in the city as well.”
“Do you ever see yourself moving out of Juneau?”
I glanced out over the water, thinking about that. Up until recently, I would have said no. But with Dad’s health, moving to be closer sounded quite appealing. “Maybe. I guess it would depend on circumstances and if I could find the right place.”
A smile toyed with her lush lips. “You could always design your own and build it.”
I laughed. “True.”
A young woman, not much older than my sister, sidled up to the table, looking harried. “Sorry about your wait. I’m Trish. Can I get you started with some drinks?” She lifted a pad of paper and a pen from her apron.
I gestured to Mina, indicating she should go first.
“I’ll have an iced tea, please.”
