Page 34 of Key West Homecoming

“Can you make sure she gets this?”

Tess took it without looking inside.

“I’ll put it in her hands.”

No questions.

Emma was beginning to understand that about the people at Margarita Max’s. They could be curious about everything and still know when something wasn’t theirs to ask about.

In Chicago, a folder crossing a desk came with a cover note, a deadline, and three people copied who didn’t need to know.

Here, Tess tucked it safely beneath the bar and went back to the salt shakers.

Emma took a seat. “How did the music go?” she asked.

Tess set down the shaker.

“Joey played for two hours and eleven minutes.”

“That sounds very specific.”

“I was watching the clock.”

Emma smiled.

Tess told her about the people who’d wandered in from the street and stayed. One man had bought drinks for a table of strangers. The tip jar had done better than Tess had hoped.

The only problem, apparently, was Connie.

“She walked past him twice,” Tess said. “Twice. Didn’t say a word.”

Emma glanced toward the kitchen door, half expecting Connie to appear.

“Is that bad?”

“It’s terrible. If she’d told me no, at least I’d know where I stood.”

From the register, Leah shook her head.

“Leave it alone, Tess.”

Tess looked at Emma. “See what I live with?”

Emma laughed.

She liked listening to them. Their disagreement was small and familiar, the kind people could have because they knew they’d still be speaking to each other tomorrow.

It made her think of Arthur.

There had been nothing small about their disagreements for a long time. Even before the cottage, conversations with her uncle had felt like something to prepare for. She chose her words carefully around him and had learned not to expect the same in return.

Here, Tess and Leah argued about music and bar towels and then moved on.

Emma wondered what it would be like to have that kind of certainty with someone.

Her thoughts went unexpectedly to Jake.

He’d trusted her with the letter. She’d promised to bring it back.