AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I concur. Think about it. Digest it. It’s a lot to take in. And Josie?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t tell you in words how sorry I am because you did nothing wrong and everything right. It wasn’t you that failed. It was the system. And I’d be lying if I pretended that the legal side of me doesn’t want the system to pay.”
“I know. Thank you, Cruz.” She hung up the phone. If she was home, she’d have plunked herself onto the couch and had a good cry, but she wasn’t home. She was here, working under the same roof as Addie’s father, having her heart wrenched more every day.
Focus on faith and work. On the good and not the bad. You can do this. You’ve done it before, remember?
She did remember, and she could do it again. She would do it again, because saving face for Addie meant more than getting even ever could. It meant everything.
* * *
Jacob watched his father taste the various foods on his plate, bite by bite, and when his father finally grinned and doffed his baseball cap in Josie’s honor, Jacob breathed a sigh of relief.
“I hereby name you the Queen of Barbecue, Miss Gallagher. Whatever it is you’ve done, and whoever you’ve worked with or studied under, this is an exemplary job. If I was running a restaurant business at this moment, it would revolve around your food.”
“Oh, you’re a Southern schmoozer.” Josie laughed as she swiped a napkin to little Davy’s cheek. “Jacob didn’t prepare me for that.”
“Except he’s not,” Sheila assured her. “If there is one credit and one fault in my husband, it’s that he speaks his mind, sometimes when the occasion does not warrant a spoken mind.”
They all laughed.
“But he’s right about this, Josie. This brisket, these ribs.” She pinched her thumb and forefinger together and raised them to her lips. “Perfection.”
“Well.” Josie managed to look pleased and bothered by the accolades. “Thank you.”
“You’re most welcome. What’s your thought on corn bread or spoon bread?”
Jacob watched as Josie and his father discussed the merits of menu choices. Josie’s mother hadn’t eaten much, and when Addie was done, she and Cissy Gallagher had taken a walk up the beach. Addie had been dashing back and forth through the sand, searching for beach treasures, but as they drew closer, his daughter paused, reached out and clasped Cissy’s hand.
Addie looked up at the older woman.
Josie’s mother looked down. And in that moment, their profiles reflected one another, as if made from the same mold. And it wasn’t the accidents of coloration, the strawberry blond hair, green eyes and freckles.
The shape of their heads, gazing at each other, made them look more alike.
Then Addie released Cissy’s hand so she could race their way. “Wait till you see what we found on the shore, it’s so cool! And Mrs. Gallagher said if we drive up to Lake Ontario sometime, there’s all kinds of treasures on the beach because big waves come crashing in and throw stuff onto the shore. Can we, Dad? Can we go to that beach sometime?”
“It’s only an hour’s drive,” his father added. “Your mother and I created a list of things we’d like to see while we’re here, and the Great Lakes are beautiful.”
“And very different from this,” Josie told them. She stood as her mother drew closer. “I’ve got to finish the kitchen cleanup so Mom and I can take Davy home before he goes into meltdown mode. And hopefully we’ll soon be hearing about another little one joining the fold.”
“Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?” Sheila asked, and he was surprised when it took Cissy a few long beats to answer. Josie jumped into the gap.
“A girl this time.”
“Oh, how sweet.” Sheila beamed. “It’s a joy raising both, of course, but there is nothing like shopping for a little girl, is there? The colors? The frill and the fluff?”
“I expect it’s amazing, Sheila.” Cissy shifted her gaze from Addie to Jacob’s mother. “Absolutely amazing.”
“I’ll help get things in order.” Jacob stood, and when Josie began to wave him off, he wouldn’t let her. “I said I’ll help.” She tried not to meet his gaze, but then she did, and there it was again. The background sadness in her eyes, the hint of something wrong. So wrong. But when she pitched a towel at him in the kitchen, she’d masked the look, and that made him wonder why she had so much practice masking the look.
