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“Archer! Hey, brother.” She sounds excited but also tired.
“Can you chat?” I ask since I know she’s probably at work.
“I’ve been on break for about five minutes, so your timing is perfect. How are things? How’s Everleigh?”
I fill her in, and she’s relieved by the news. She tells me about Sadie and how well she’s doing in school. It makes me smile.
“And how are you doing?” I ask.
“I’m doing okay. Staying busy. Keeping Sadie occupied. Just doing the best I can. You know how it is.”
“I do.” My next client walks in. “I gotta get back to the gym, but I’ll talk to you soon. Be safe.”
“I will. I love you,” she says.
“Love you too. Give Sadie my love.”
“You know it. Bye!”
My next three clients are happy to see me, which makes me glad to be here. The day passes by in a blink, which I’m grateful for. After I’ve cleaned the boxing ring and put everything back in order, I find Tyler and let him know I’m leaving.
“Have a good one.”
“You too, man. See ya tomorrow.”
I check my surroundings before getting into the car, then send Everleigh a text.
Archer: Want me to pick up something for dinner?
Everleigh: Oooh yesss. I’d like the baked potato soup and triple grilled cheese from the deli. Please!
Archer: You got it, sweetheart. Going there now. Be home soon.
As soon as I walk in, Belinda greets me with a tight hug. She pulls away, keeping her grasp on my shoulders, and looks into my eyes. “How’re you doin’, sweetie?”
She knows that Everleigh could’ve died in my arms. In fact, I’m pretty sure the whole town does at this point.
I suck in a deep breath. “I’m doing alright.”
“And Everleigh?”
“She’s making awesome progress. Pretty soon, she’ll be back to her old self.”
“I’m glad to hear it. So I guess you came to get some dinner?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She hands me a menu, but I don’t take it.
“Everleigh already gave me her order, and I’m gonna have the same,” I say.
“Let me guess…baked potato soup with a fancy grilled cheese.”
My mouth falls open. “You’re good. So, you wanna tell me what the lottery numbers are for tonight?”
She snorts and shakes her head. “Now, if I could guess that, I might not be standin’ here. It’ll be right up.”
Belinda goes to the back as I wait. When she returns, I hand over my debit card, and she shakes her head. “No, honey. It’s my treat.”
“Miss Belinda, no...”
“You gotta learn how to accept gifts, son. Now go home and eat before it gets cold.”
I laugh and thank her several times before she shoos me away. On the way home, I think about how different my life has been since I moved here. Everyone’s always so friendly, and I don’t always know how to respond to their generosity.
When I walk inside, Sassy greets me and sniffs the bag of food.
Everleigh pops up off the couch with her hair piled on top of her head. “I think I’m glued to the cushions.”
She reaches for me, and I help her sit up.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, pulling the to-go boxes out, then realize there’s more than what we ordered.
“Still sore, but feels like this is becoming my new normal.”
“Nah. You’ll be healed soon and back to normal..”
“I hope you’re right,” she says, looking through the food. “You ordered chocolate cake too?”
A chuckle escapes me. “No, Belinda snuck it in. She asked about you, then refused to let me pay.”
“Bless her,” Everleigh says. “Doesn’t surprise me, though. Did you tell her I’m a champ and no one can get me down?”
“Basically,” I say, digging into my soup. I look over and notice Everleigh is eating her dessert first.
“Best part of being an adult, I can do whatever I want.” She shrugs with a smirk.
“What’re your plans tomorrow?” Everleigh asks as we eat.
“I gotta see my parole officer first thing in the morning, then I’m hanging out with this hot chick all day.”
“Yeah? Who?”
I meet her eyes. “I dunno. Heard she owns this bougie shop in town. Also, she’s super sexy, smart, and gives great blow jobs.”
“Ooh, is she single? I’ve been known to flip flop.”
“Is that so?” I ask, intrigued. “Now I’m even more excited.”
She grins. “Yep, I’m a man and lady eater.”
“That’s hot, but bitches better back off. I don’t share what’s mine.”
Everleigh bursts into a roar of laughter.
“You have nothing to worry about, babe. You’re everything I want and need.”
I shoot her a wink. “And I hope to keep it that way.”
We continue chatting as we dip our sandwiches into the soup, both agreeing it’s the best meal on the planet. Once we’ve finished, Everleigh gets a call from Lexie, and they talk about the shop.
After I throw away our trash and let Sassy outside, I go to take a shower. Before I can even turn on the water, my phone buzzes with a text from an unknown number.
