Page 24 of Second Chances

Relieved to have a plan occupying her thoughts, Charlotte grinned. “Didn’t you say you wanted to play pool? Let’s go to the back. I need a distraction.”

Amy squealed, “Yes! Roger told me he’s off his shift in ten minutes, anyway.”

“Roger? Who’s Roger?”

“Well, my friend, it all started with cheese sauce…”

In the booth at Shorty’s, Henry sat silently, staring across the bar at Charlotte, dumbfounded by her once again. He’d come out tonight with Effie and Josh for a relaxing evening after spending nearly every weekend sorting through Burnside’s accounts. At least he now understood that the other man’s work involved making and managing investments for a private equity group. Burnside attempted to help, but some of his medications made it difficult for him to focus, and he’d lost stamina from his several hospital stays. The mesmerizing sight of Charlotte made him forget all about the Van Hollands, though. Driven by an overwhelming need to talk to her, he had just flung his leg to the edge of the booth, seconds from getting up and going over to her, when Effie rose from her own seat, flying across the bar floor, greeting Charlotte like they were old friends. “I didn’t realize Effie and Charlotte knew each other.”

Josh, intent on stuffing a handful of popcorn into his mouth, glanced over his shoulder at his girlfriend. “Oh, yeah, they met at the library after Charlotte moved here. And as if she doesn’t have enough to do, between the library and being a track coach, Effie’s been helping with the musical Charlotte is directing.” Josh had another unseemly large fistful of popcorn at his chin when he stalled, giving Henry a surprised look. “Why are you asking about Charlotte, Dad?”

“I just thought it was interesting that Effie went over there.” Did he sound casual enough, or would his son pick up on his yearning for Charlotte?

“Well, Effie talks to a lot of people when we’re out, but you’ve never asked about anyone else.” As Josh tipped his beer back, his eyes stayed on Henry until he slowly put the bottle down on the table. “For that matter, I’ve also never heard you ask about any woman. Ever. I’ve never seen you interested in one either. Until you told me you were going to start dating.” Henry flushed, wincing as he recalled his text messages last Christmas when he mentioned putting himself in the dating world. What was it that Josh had texted back then? Something about Effie knowing an English teacher she could set him up with. Almost as if could read his father’s mind, Josh said, “So, Dad, can I ask you how come you never went out on any dates after you brought it up? It’s been months, but you never mentioned it again. Never even heard another peep about the dating site you said you were going to use.”

Peeling his beer label from the bottle, Henry peeked at Charlotte, who was disappointingly oblivious to his existence, then looked away as Effie’s head turned towards them. “It’s just not easy, I guess, putting myself out there. Plus, the shop has been non-stop, and then traveling to Clover Lake? I barely have any time for my coffee roasting or woodworking. I still haven’t finished that bookcase I started for Effie in January.”

“What are you guys so deep in conversation about?” Effie placed another bowl of popcorn in front of Josh.

With his eyes, Henry begged Josh to not say anything about Charlotte. Distracted by his girlfriend’s hand on his shoulder, he pulled her down next to him and kissed her. “We were talking about my dad helping your mom, actually.”

“Oh, you must be relieved, huh? No more weekends spent driving back and forth to Clover Lake.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t Mom tell you, Henry?” He shook his head, and Effie clarified. “Hamilton’s been learning the ropes.”

No, DD had said nothing about that the last time he’d spoken with her, when she had stopped by the shop the other day after dropping Burnside off at the hospital for a stress test. “It’s so hard, Henry, seeing him so…frail. I feel so alone sometimes. Effie has her work and Josh, and now this book she’s writing, plus whatever else she gets up to in her free time. Hamilton is busy with his classes. And Nora is gone, again, with your brother, to Lake Tahoe,” DD pointed out to him, wringing her hands and wiping at her eyes.

Trying to lighten the mood, Henry cracked a joke about them taking so many vacations. “I feel like the only time I see my brother anymore is when they’re driving through Beverley on the way to the Sioux Falls airport.”

DD responded with a laugh containing too much gusto for the simple joke. “Burnside goes to bed so early that at night, I’m left rattling around the house, nothing to do but stream some god-awful show.” Giving Henry some coded message with her eyes that he didn’t understand, she looked out from underneath the dark brown fringe of her bangs, and his gut clenched ominously. The door to his office had, mercifully, remained open, but the silence from the shop had screamed a warning as DD placed a gift bag, festooned with tissue paper and ribbons, in his hand. “This is for you.”

It was a bottle of red wine, something Henry had gone his entire life without enjoying. “You shouldn’t have.” He deliberately checked his watch. “I’ve got to be heading out, DD.” He willed his phone to ring and would have welcomed a call from even his ex-wife at that point. Instead, he made an excuse about having to meet up with his nephew, Liam, and hurriedly ushered DD from his office.

“I think the most important thing for your mom,” Henry told Effie now, “is that she just has someone she can talk to.”

Effie sipped her beer before replying. “And that person can be me. Or Ham. Or her husband. I agree that we all need someone.” When Henry nodded in agreement. “What about you, Henry?”

“What about me?”

“Here we go,” Josh muttered, tossing a single piece of popcorn into the air before catching it in his mouth.

“What happened to you putting yourself out there?” Effie rubbed Josh’s arm while she studied Henry. “Last winter you said you were ready to start dating, but you never did. Did you change your mind?”

Had they planned to tag-team him, he wondered, as Effie practically echoed the words of his son from moments ago? Henry’s suspicion grew until Josh threw his hands up, claiming innocence. “Don’t look at me! I didn’t bring her up before.”

“Bring who up?” Effie’s amber eyes gleamed as they held Josh’s, who gave a blink-and-you-miss-it nod to Charlotte’s table. “Oh my god! NO!” Effie whisper-screamed. “Henry, you don’t know how long I’ve been wanting to set you two up,” she groaned.

Henry shook his head. “I hate to disappoint you, but⁠—”

“You’d be perfect for each other! How can I help?” The last thing Henry wanted, or needed, was Effie’s “help”. He wasn’t that desperate…was he?

“It’s better to just let her do it, Dad. You know the saying, ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer’?” Josh dodged the napkin Effie threw at him and laughed. “Same concept.”

As she walked to the back of the bar where the pool tables were located, Charlotte consumed his attention. The enticing swell of her hips made his hands clench as he thought about the curves that pulled her jeans tight across her lower back.

“Dad? Dad? DAD!” Henry swung his focus back to Josh’s bemused face. “Why don’t you just go and talk to her?”