Page 69 of Always Almost You

“I hope so,” Kathy said. “Sometimes I think I’m out of my mind. As active as the boys are …” She shook her head. “But I’d really like a girl. So, we’ve decided to give it another go. Of course, there’s no guarantee we’ll get our wish.”

“And if you have another boy,” Lauren said, “you’ll love him as completely as the other two and never look back.”

“I know,” Kathy said with a small smile.

Lauren slid her cup beneath the dual spouts of the fancy coffee machine and pressed the button. The grinder whirred, and the machine hummed as the water heated.

“That’s enough about me,” Kathy said. “What are you doing on Valentine’s Day?”

“It’s karaoke night at The Friendly Bean,” Lauren said. “Valentine’s Day karaoke is a big deal there. They’re even starting an hour earlier.”

“You’re having a wonderful time with that, aren’t you?” Kathy said. “Jake and I need to come one night. I’d love to hear you sing. I’m sure you’re the best one there.”

Lauren shrugged modestly. “They’re doing something new this year,” she said. “Patrons can choose a song and request one of the regulars to sing it. All they have to do is make a donation to the local food bank.”

“That’s a terrific idea,” Kathy said. “Have people requested ones from you?”

Lauren nodded. “We received our list of songs last week. I was already familiar with most of them, but I’ve been brushing up on lyrics and practicing how I’d perform them. One song is outside my usual vocal range, so I’ve been working on that one a lot.”

Kathy stepped back and studied her. “How many songs have people requested?”

“Eight.”

“Holy cow, girl!” Kathy laughed. “That’s incredible. You must own that place.” She leaned closer. “Which one is giving you trouble?”

“‘At Last’ by Etta James.”

“Ohhhh, I love that song. When we come to karaoke night, will you sing it for me?”

“Maybe,” Lauren replied. “Let’s see how I do with it tomorrow night.”

“Have you met anybody there?”

“I’ve made a ton of friends. It’s the nicest group of people.” Lauren smiled. “And Pumpkin is practically a fixture there. They keep a little water bowl for her in the owner’s office on karaoke nights.”

Kathy laughed. “Of course they do. I meant,” she continued, lowering her voice and leaning in, “have you met someone there? Someone special?”

Lauren shook her head. “And I really don’t care,” she said. “I feel like I’ve finally found my tribe.” For a moment, she thought about Helen and her Newport friends, and felt the familiar warm sense of belonging she had experienced there.

“That’s okay,” Kathy said cheerfully. “You’ll be introduced to Mike Miller on Saturday night. I predict sparks will fly.”

Lauren rolled her eyes. “Break time is over,” she announced. “Idle chatter is finished. We’d better get back to work.”

CHAPTER 46

Mike glanced at the flashing red light on the printer in his home office. It was out of paper. He pushed back his chair and stood.

Buddy sprang to his feet and trotted to the coat rack by the door. He sat beneath it, eyes flickering from the leash hanging on its hook to Mike, and back again, his tail sweeping hopeful arcs across the floor.

“Sorry, Buddy,” Mike said. “I’ve got to finish this proposal before we go for our run. The printer’s out of paper. I just need to grab more from the garage.”

Buddy didn’t move. He continued to stare at the leash, his tail thumping softly, optimism undimmed.

“It shouldn’t take too much longer,” Mike added. “Maybe another hour, and then we’ll definitely go. I’ve been at that desk the entire day. I need to get out and move.” He paused at the door to the garage and looked back at his faithful companion. “You might as well return to the sofa. Staring at your leash isn’t going to hurry me along.”

Buddy finally tore his gaze away, glanced at Mike as if weighing the truth of that statement, then turned and padded to the sofa. He leapt up into his usual spot, circled and settled, though his ears remained perked, just in case.

Mike stepped into the garage. The space was as meticulously ordered as the rest of his home, maybe more so. Everything had a place, and was in it. Floor-to-ceiling storage cabinets lined a wall. One was dedicated to office supplies, arranged by size and type. Another held household items he bought in bulk. Paper towels, light bulbs, and cleaning supplies were all stacked efficiently.