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“Were other customers there?”
“Quite a few.”
“Did they seem worried?”
“Nah. They’re all regulars. Deb Steiner happened to be right there. Told Mary Myrtle it was clear as day that those chickens had the pox, and she better get them out and have the rest of her flock checked over.”
I line up the bills in the currency counter. “What did she do?”
“She sputtered and spit like she done come out of a sewer tank. She insisted that wasn’t what was wrong with them.”
“Was it true?”
I move on to the checks, feeding them through the digital scanner.
“Darn tootin’ it was. Marlon O’Malley said you could tell from the spots and scabs.”
“So did she leave?”
“She said they were all ganging up on her because she was a woman farmer. Like we care who raises chickens. And then she dumped that box on the floor and stomped right out.”
“Oh! What did you do with the chickens?”
“Had to take them to the incinerator. If they’ve got the pox, you can’t have them sittin’ around.”
“I’m so sorry that happened.”
He straightens, shifting his feed store gimme cap on his head. “In another week, she’ll run out of feed and show up like nothing ever happened.”
I slide his deposit slip across the counter. “You’re all taken care of. Hope this week is easier, and there’s no dead chickens you have to burn.”
He touches his hat brim. “Thank you kindly.”
When he’s gone, the lobby is empty again. Cindy sidles over. “Is it me, or does he have a story like that every Monday?”
I nod. “Every Monday.”
“You didn’t say how that wedding went.”
Right. I hesitate. Cindy and I have good camaraderie at the bank, but I’m not sure how she would take the knowledge that Ronnie’s stepmom kicked me out of the country club.
“There were a few disasters, like you always expect, but my best friend is happy and that’s what matters.”
“Did that strapless dress give you any trouble?” Cindy opens the cabinet near me to grab a stack of deposit slips to refill the table in the lobby. “I know you sure were worried about how loose it seemed.”
For a moment, Drew flashes through my mind.Your dress is down there.I can still see his smoky eyes and feel the heat of his stare. I wonder how he’ll respond to my email.
“Somebody’s miles away.” Cindy hesitates at the door to the lobby. “Did you meet a man? I love wedding meet-cutes.”
I so want to tell her. Drew is too good a secret to keep all to myself.
Surely mentioning him is safe enough. “I might have reconnected with a guy who played football with my brother in high school.”
Cindy pushes on the door. “Hold on to that thought. Let me get these out there and then we can talk all about him.”
I sort through what I can safely say, but we get a boatload of customers, and a line forms. By the time the rush dies, Janet has arrived, and I don’t want to talk about Drew in front of her.
Throughout the day, my thoughts keep turning to him. I check my email on my phone periodically, but I don’t expect an answer so soon. I’m sure someone like Drew goes to work early and is super focused on his job the whole day. If he sees my email, it probably won’t be until evening.
