AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I pull up to the drop-off point, and Noah unbuckles his seat belt. The school monitor opens his door so he can get out. “Bye, Mom!” He waves as he hops out of the car, his backpack strapped to his back and the grocery bag of cupcakes in his hand.
“Bye!” I wave back to my little man.
The monitor shuts the car door, and I drive off to work.
It’s a beautiful October day. The leaves have started changing colors, and the weather is crisper, but the sun is shining in the bright blue sky. As I round the corner, I take in the view, which is one of the many reasons I love living here. The waters of Puget Sound sparkle in the sunlight, and several boats are dotted across the sound, clear across to Whidbey Island. I don’t think I could ever move away, simply because I’d miss this view.
I drive down the hill into town. Port Townsend is what I call a big, little town. It has small-town charm, but its population is well over 9,000, not counting all the tourists who visit year-round. It sits on Quimper Peninsula, about a two-hour drive northwest from Seattle. Whidbey Island and the San Juan Islands of Washington, and even Vancouver Island across the Straight of Juan de Fuca are all visible from different locations in town. People love to visit Port Townsend because of the beautiful scenery, art galleries, good food, and history it has to offer.
Turning into the parking lot behind my bar, I find a place to park. My dad bought the bar after he retired from the Navy. He didn’t know what to do with himself after retirement, and he would often hang out at The Cellar because he enjoyed the atmosphere. When the owner decided to sell, my dad saw it as an opportunity for himself and bought it. I was only in elementary school at the time, but I began working here when I turned sixteen. Of course, I wasn’t allowed to serve alcohol since I was underage, but I began bartending as soon as I turned twenty-one. As a single mom at that point in my life, being able to earn more in tips while tending the bar was a relief. Although my parents always helped me with Noah, I wanted to contribute financially to the household expenses to show my appreciation, and I also had my car and insurance to pay for.
I loved working with my dad at The Cellar. He always told me I would take over the business someday, but that day came too soon. He was only sixty-five when he passed away. Everyone was shocked. Dad didn’t see his doctor regularly, so when he felt the lump in his armpit and finally went in, the cancer was already at stage four. His doctors couldn’t do much at that point, and Dad was gone eight short months later. Of course, Mom and I were devastated, not to mention Noah. We’re still coping with the loss of him.
With Dad’s passing, I became the co-owner of The Cellar with Mom. I took over all of Dad’s duties, running the whole restaurant and bar and managing the other employees as well. Mom’s never actually worked in the bar. Her ownership duties include doing all the accounting and business paperwork, which she does from home. There’s no office space at the bar itself, so she has an office at the house. While I’m proud to carry on Dad’s business and absolutely love this place, I never thought I’d become the owner at the young age of twenty-three. Luckily, Dad began showing me the ropes early, so it was an easy and natural transition for me to take over. Still, I wish every day that he was around.
“Good morning, Dad,” I say to his photo hanging on the wall as I enter the kitchen through the back door. I’ve placed his picture there to see his smiling face when I start and end my workday. Another photo of him hangs by the front door because many of the regulars knew my dad and miss him, too. They’re also glad I’ve kept the place the same, for the most part.
Just as I put my purse in the closet, my phone rings. I pull it out of my back pocket and see it’s my best friend, Kim.
I swipe the screen to answer. “Hey, babe. What’s up?”
“Happy birthday to Noah,” Kim says cheerfully. It sounds as though she’s in her car, probably driving to work.
“Thanks! I can’t believe he’s seven already.”
“I know. Crazy how time flies by,” Kim replies. “What time should Trevor and I come over tonight?”
“I’ll get home around five or five thirty, so anytime after that. I’m going to order pizza, so we’ll eat whenever that arrives.”
“Sounds good. I’m looking forward to seeing you! It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, it has,” I reply as I walk behind the bar. “I’m looking forward to seeing you, too.”
“Have you given any more thought to what we talked about last time?” Kim asks.
I roll my eyes, then sigh. “No. I don’t want to be set up on a date.”
“Aw, come on, Shawna. I wouldn’t set you up with anyone unless they were really nice, and this guy is really nice!”
“No.”
Clearly exasperated with me, Kim lets out an audible breath. “Well, when do you think you’ll be ready to start dating?”
Pinching the bridge of my nose out of frustration, I reply, “I don’t know. When the time is right, I guess.”
Neither of us say anything for a moment. Kim has brought up this topic in the past couple of weeks, wanting to set me up on a date. I haven’t dated anyone since Jarred left town. I’m too busy being a mom and business owner, and I have no desire to date. I’m happy on my own, and I don’t need a man in my life to complicate things. Noah is my priority right now. Maybe I’ll date when he’s older, but it doesn’t seem like the right time.
“Well, I just pulled into work, so I should go,” Kim finally says.
“Okay,” I reply. “Have a good day. I’ll see you tonight!”
“You, too. And I can’t wait!”
After ending the call, I shove my phone in my back pocket and begin getting things ready for opening. Kim has been my best friend since elementary school, so she’s more like a sister than a friend. Noah even calls her “Auntie Kim.” She moved to Seattle to attend college right after high school, but we kept in touch and saw each other whenever she came home to visit. She met Trevor, the man of her dreams, her junior year, and they got married after they graduated. They both landed their first jobs as nurses in the Seattle area, so they lived there for about a year. Last spring, though, she convinced him to move to Port Townsend. She’s now working at a family medical clinic while he works at the hospital.
I’m looking forward to seeing Kim and Trevor later. I just need to get through this work day first.
