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By the time I made it back to town, it was close to lunch, and I decided to grab a bite to eat at a local place near the harbor. It was owned by a good friend I’d gone to high school with and was one of those rare places loved by tourists and locals alike.
Billy’s wasn’t formal, and guests were welcome to take a table wherever they could find one. Thankfully, there were plenty today, so I sat down at a small one overlooking Silver Lake Harbor. The moment my body slid into that plastic chair, I sort of regretted those last few miles.
Everything hurt.
“Someone been chasing you again, Macon?”
I turned to see Billy himself standing a couple of tables back, wiping it down with a clean towel. His head tilted up, and I caught a glimmer of a smug grin spread across his face.
“It’s called self-care,” I replied with an equally smug smile back. “You should try it sometime.”
He straightened, looking down at his burly physique as he palmed his dark brown beard. “I think I’m gonna leave that one to you. Besides, my mama always taught me that if you’re gonna treat yourself, it should involve chocolate. Or beer.”
I joined him in a laugh as he proceeded to take my order, deciding on a double cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke. I’d earned it after all.
He headed towards the kitchen, but was stopped when another customer walked onto the patio. An elderly couple I recognized from town started to make their way to one of the tables nearby, and he made a beeline in their direction to help them out.
“Such a gentleman,” Mrs. Joyner said, graciously taking his hand as Billy escorted her to the table. He slid out the chair, assisting her as she scooted into the seat.
“Always happy to help,” he said before walking the short distance to the service station to grab two menus.
“Mr. Joyner has always been like that—chivalrous and kind, like you,” she explained. “He still opens my car door to this day. Can you believe it?”
“You’ve got yourself a good man, Mrs. Joyner,” Billy answered with a genuine smile.
He seemed used to the random chitchat. He’d owned this restaurant for years, and although he’d been sort of a shy, awkward kid in high school, he’d grown into quite the master of small talk.
“I do,” she said proudly, giving her husband an adoring gaze.
Billy took the Joyners’ order, and soon after, the restaurant started filling up a bit as some of the locals took their lunch breaks. Thankfully, my food arrived, and everyone left me in peace to enjoy it. The sight of my sweat-soaked clothes must have tipped them off that I was off duty and only to be bothered in case of an emergency.
Well, most of them anyway.
I saw Jake Jameson eyeing me the second he stepped onto the patio.
“What do you want, Jameson?” I hollered.
Everyone’s eyes turned, darting from him to me. I couldn’t tell if they were gunning for a fight or hoping for the opposite.
Knowing this town, I was going to assume the former.
Jake and I went way back. Even in kindergarten, we’d hated each other. A few years ago, he moved back to town and took over his father’s medical practice, married his high school sweetheart and basically became a town hero.
I still hated the guy.
His hand went to the back of his neck, and he walked nearly all the way back toward the entrance of the restaurant before letting out an audible huff. It gave me a great deal of satisfaction, knowing whatever he was here for was causing him this much grief.
Finally, he stormed back in my direction.
I couldn’t wait to hear what I’d done wrong now, what atrocity I’d committed against our good doctor, but when he finally arrived at my table, his face wasn’t that of a person with a grudge to bear.
He actually looked quite uncomfortable.
“What’s got you all upset?” I said, pushing the seat back from the table as an offering.
He looked surprised but took it nonetheless, plopping himself across from me.
