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“Why can’t Milton cover? We never needed more than one person on the station at this time of day.”
Janet repeats my words in a whiny simper. “We never needed more than one person befooooore.”
Whew, that’s mature. I breathe in the steam from my noodles and pretend she isn’t there.
She gets a cup of coffee, and I wonder what the heck that’s about. Janet’s never drunk coffee a day in her life.
Until Milton.
Gross. She’s trying to be like him.
I pick up my phone to check messages and spy a text from my brother, Garrett.Headed over tonight to help Tillie break down her bed and shelves for the move.
A wave of grief takes over. I’m not only stuck in this horrible new version of my job, but my sister is leaving me.
The losses keep coming.
I lie on the sofa staring at the ceiling until Garrett shows up with Tillie to start packing. I know I should do the same, but I can’t seem to force myself to do it. It’s admitting defeat.
“Hey, sis. Good to see you’re lazy as always.” He kicks the bottom of my shoe, which is sticking off the end of the cushion. He’s tan from working outdoors in construction, wearing a flannel over a T-shirt and grease-stained jeans. He’s probably the best-looking of our whole brood.
I give him the finger.
“Let her be,” Tillie says. “She’s mourning your old friend Drew.”
Garrett pulls a screwdriver out of his pocket and kneels in front of the empty bookcase Tillie’s taking with her. “Still pining for him after all these years?”
I flash a murderous look at Tillie, but she only shrugs. “No, she was seeing him in Atlanta last week while we were there with Lila.”
Garrett looks up from the shelf he’s taking apart. “How did that happen?”
I refuse to speak, face crabby and arms crossed over my chest, so Tillie keeps going. “They were both in Franklin and Ronnie’s wedding. I told you they got married finally.”
Garrett sets the first shelf on the carpet. “So you had a wedding hookup?”
I can’t let that one go. “No.”
Tillie grabs an empty box from the corner and heads for the hall. “I’m going to fill this while you two catch up. Garrett, tell your sister Drew isn’t worth the hassle.”
Garrett turns to me. “Drew isn’t worth the hassle.”
“What do you know about anything?” I pick up a pillow, intending to throw it, but he holds up his arm.
“So tell me. I haven’t talked to Drew in years.”
“He’s a veterinarian,” I say. “He has his own clinic.”
“Damn. That was fast.”
“He bought it off a guy who was retiring, so he didn’t have to build it out.”
“How did you two end up going out?” He bumps the round end of the screwdriver against a shelf to knock it loose.
I wait out the noise before answering. “He was having trouble keeping a receptionist on account of his terrible temper and grumpy attitude, so I helped out for a few days.”
“That’s a weird thing to do for someone you barely know.”
Yeah, the story doesn’t tell easy. I already know this.
