Page 21 of Fish Out of Water

“Aw, come on, Aunt Isabel. I’ll fold it after lunch.”

Isabel put her hands on her hips. “You can do it now; it won’t take more than a few minutes. Besides, it’s all yours anyway, aside from a few dishtowels.”

“Fine.”

“Are you going out tonight?” Isabel tried to keep the question casual as she rearranged some trinkets on the shelves, but Jake could hear the dread in her voice.

“No. I’m still worn out from this weekend, and my morning at the beach sure didn’t help.”

“Was it crowded?”

“Not until about an hour ago. But, uh, Robbie was there.”

Isabel nodded. “He likes to volunteer whenever he can.”

“I wish I’d known that.”

“Why? Does it matter?”

“We don’t get along super well, remember?”

Isabel gave Jake the same look his own mother did when she was disappointed in him. He saw that look a lot when he was younger. “Oh, Jakey, you’re not still hung up on that encounter in Sandway, are you? I’m sure that was just a little misunderstanding. I told you, Robbie’s a nice boy.”

“Not to me.”

“Are you sure about that, dear? After what he did for you on Sunday?”

“I swear to God, Aunt Isabel, he hates me.”

“And do you hate him?”

“He’s insufferable, buthateis a strong word. I just can’t stand him, that’s all.”

“Mm.” Isabel gathered the stack of dishtowels Jake had draped over the back of the couch. “Well, if you can’t get along with Robbie, then for Mier’s sake, stay away from his parents.”

“What’s up with them? Robbie seems to not like them either.”

“Few people in this town do, but it’s none of my business. They’re just not the nicest people, and they try to snap up other local businesses whenever they get the chance. It’s not healthy for the town.”

“So’s Robbie’s not as beloved a figure as me makes himself out to be?” Jake stood up, setting his poorly folded laundry back in the basket to carry into his room.

“Some people aren’t fond of him, including you now.”

“I don’t like him because he’s a dick, not because he’s part of some small town drama. I have areasonto be annoyed by him.”

“And I’m sure he appreciates that.”

“Oh, come on.” Jake rolled his eyes. “I can’t help it if we don’t get along.”

“Just give him some time. I bet you would really like him if you only let him in.”

“Never. I’d rather chew glass than get fucked by that man.”

Isabel pushed his back as he walked by, causing him to stumble slightly. “Get out of here with your filthy mind, or I’ll ship you straight back to your mother and make her raise you all over again.”

“Please do,” Jake called from the hallway. “Anything to get away from Eaton.”

Jake triedto leave the house late Wednesday morning in the hopes that Robbie would already be at work, but Isabel had setup some painting for him to do while it was still cool out, and that took much longer than he’d anticipated. By the time he was finished, it was too hot to go to the beach for a few hours, and when the evening rolled around, he took the route that led him pastEaton’s Book Nookto see exactly how unlucky he was today.