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“I’m not sure about that, but I’ll stay for coffee. I have a lot to think about.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Julie.”
“It’s okay. I still get that way when I hear his name.”
“Me, too.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow at the usual time.”
“Ten it is. So long, Julie.”
Pam ended the call, a sense of accomplishment mixed with fear. Dealing with Julie in the past had always had a flip side.
“I guess it was successful?”
Pam looked up to see Dan.
“We’ll see. But Dan, I’m not curbing my attention to Bella to appease your jealousy. You’ll have to deal with that on your own.”
“I’ll try. I guess I’m not nuts about Sandra. It’s like she dumps her kid on you the minute she walks through the door.”
“My mother said the same thing, and I don’t see it, but I don’t care. I’ll try to be more observant. You see how Bella is. When she sees me, she gets so excited. I don’t want to hinder that.”
Walking over to the fridge, Dan opened the door and rooted around for a beer.
“Look in the cooler.”
“Oh, right. I’ve lived here a year, and I keep forgetting.”
“It’s stress. We’re having a disagreement. Conflict’s not something we normally have to deal with.”
Opening the beer, he turned around and leaned against the counter. “We’re doing pretty good, then. I’m sorry I ruined the record.”
“It’s fine! You addressed a problem, and I acknowledged it, and we came to a resolution. If only all the problems in life were so easily dealt with.”
“I can tell by the look on your face that you’re not happy about something. What did Julie say that ticked you off?”
“She said Alan Stone told her Lisa is dating a firefighter.”
Grimacing, Dan shook his head. “That’s bullshit. When would she have the time?”
Down the beach, Lisa was in the laundry room with the door closed, a candle lit, praying to Saint Mary, when her phone beeped. It was Zach Durand.
“You busy?”
“Just doing some self-care,” she said. “Hard to find the time when you have five kids and one on the way.”
“Don’t forget your niece.”
“She’s so easy, she doesn’t add work. What are you doing?”
“I’m parked in front of your house. Are the tots in bed yet?”
“The little ones are. The big ones are farmed out to my family. Wanna come in?”
“Yes.”
“Come to the side door. Don’t knock. I’m not even sure the front door opens anymore.”
