“He’s always so happy,” Lila said with a smile.
“Yeah, that’s Ethan. We’re all different, but it’s amazing we get along as well as we do.”
“A good thing. My family gets along too, mostly, but Mom and I don’t always see eye to eye.”
“I hear that’s common between mothers and daughters,” TJ said. “I wouldn’t know. No sisters. Just brothers.”
They headed for the big doors and out into the sunlight. A white Toyota Tacoma waited nearby. They took it to the main house and loaded the freezer into the back.
“Okay, let me say goodbye to Mom, get the air popper and we’ll be off.” TJ jogged back inside for the air popper and grabbed a few cookies. He slipped them into a baggie, kissed his mother’s cheek, and hurried out again. She didn’t say a word, just smiled knowingly the whole time.
Now what was that about?He shrugged it off and helped Lila into the truck.
“All right,” he said as he climbed in. “Next stop, Tilly’s house. You know where she lives?”
Lila cracked up. “Oh yeah. We’re cousins, remember? I spent a lot of time there growing up. Her aunt said she’ll meet us there.”
He took in her smile and his chest warmed. “I need a cookie. Can you get me one?”
Lila pulled a cookie from the bag and handed it over. She took one for herself and bit into it. “Mmm, these are great.”
“Yeah, Mom makes the best cookies.” He took a bite. “I love chocolate chip.” He devoured the rest. “Hit me with another.”
She laughed and passed him one more.
They munched contentedly as he drove. The time slipped by in easy conversation about people they’d gone to school with and where life had taken them. Before long, the familiar edges of town appeared, and it felt as if no time had passed at all.
Chapter Nine
The next day, they were back in the coffee shop preparing for movie night. TJ moved tables while Lila and Mary arranged chairs. Lila was surprised at how quick Mary could move and marveled when the woman caught a chair that nearly tipped over.
“Be careful,” Lila warned.
Mary laughed. “I’m always bumping into things, ye know, but I do all right. At least I don’t fall over.”
“Let’s hope not,” Lila muttered.The last thing she needed was for someone to break a hip. Would they sue Tilly and Jack?She pushed the thought aside and kept working.
Once TJ finished with the tables, he set up the big projection screen they’d fetched from Tilly and Jack’s garage. Everything was ready now: a freezer full of ice cream, plenty of pie, and the borrowed industrial-sized air popper.
It was enormous. Lila had never seen anything like it. Doc, Grandma, and Paddy were crowded around it, examining the bag of kernels. She figured they could handle it, so she didn’t interfere.
Customers began trickling in, grabbing seats and ordering coffee while others waited for the popcorn or a slice of pie.
“All right,” Paddy said, rubbing his hands together. “This should be fun. Doc, open the bag.”
“The idea,” Grandma said. “Is to pour the kernals into the thing, plug the contraption in, and off it goes. We need a big bowl, or a bucket,” she added, looking around. “And a scoop to fill the bags. What were we selling them for again?”
“We weren’t. It’s free,” Mary said, joining them.
Irene and Wilfred came through the door just then. “Well, will you look at this,” Irene patted her purple hair.
Wilfred groaned at the action.
“Oh, stop your griping,” she shot back. “It’s a needed necessity.”
Lila wasn’t sure what that meant and didn’t ask. Instead, she checked that they had everything they needed. “Are you ready to go?”
“As ready as we’ll ever be,” Paddy said cheerfully. “Go on, take care of yer guests and get the movie started.”
