“When’s the next big shindig?” Clara asked.
“Labor Day weekend. I usually do that one on Saturday night and have Sunday to clean up the place,” she answered.
“That’s after the six weeks is up,” Nash said.
Bernie handed Clara the tray and pointed to a table in the corner with six middle-aged women. “Yep, so this could be my last big hoorah. If it is, I couldn’t ask for a better send-off!”
“Do you think Clara will continue to work for me?” Nash asked.
“That’s between y’all,” Bernie told him. “The apartment has two bedrooms. If you offer her the room she’s staying in right now as part of her bonus package, she might consider it. My advice is that you should wait a while to even talk to her, to be sure that you can stand to work together six days a week. I tried hiring a few helpers. Some were lazy. Some had trouble taking orders. Others were consistently late to work. I finally gave up.”
“Sounds like good advice.” He took four bottles of beer from the cooler and hurried down to the other end of the bar.
Clara brought back an empty tray and wiped it down. “I’m sure glad you told me not to wear high heels.”
“I’m smarter than your grandmother gives me credit for.” Bernie chuckled.
“There was never any doubt about that,” Clara told her as she drew up four mugs of beer.
Usually there were a couple of hangers-on when Bernie flashed the lights to let anyone left in the bar know that it was closing time, but that night more than twenty customers started toward the door.
“Fantastic party, Bernie,” one of them called out when he set his empty mug on the bar. “My friends and I were going to the Duncan fireworks show, but when it got rained out, someone mentioned driving over here.”
Another one of his group winked at Bernie. “And I got a date with a beautiful woman out of the deal. Sparks flew all around us, and if things work out, by this time next year she may be my wife.”
“If she is, you remind Nash here of the fact you met her here and he will give y’all the first round of drinks on the house,” Bernie told him.
“You won’t be here?” he asked.
“Probably not,” she replied.
“How about that gorgeous red-haired bartender?” The third one in the group pointed at Clara.
“Come back and find out,” Bernie teased, amazed that she had a bit of humor left in her after the hectic night.
“Oh, I will,” he said and flashed a bright smile toward Clara.
Bernie locked the door behind the last of the customers and sat down in a chair at the nearest table. “I would love to have a double shot of Jameson on the rocks, ifone of you will bring it to me. My butt is dragging so badly that we probably won’t even need to sweep the floors.”
Clara fixed the drink, took it to Bernie, and then sat down across the table from her. “Thank goodness we don’t have to clean up tonight. I’m almost too tired to breathe.”
Nash set a beer in front of her and dragged over another chair. “This might help restore enough energy to get you to bed.”
“I wish every night would be just like this one.” He twisted the top off his beer and took a long gulp. “That was the fastest eight hours I’ve ever spent.”
“Me too,” Clara agreed. “But I’m not so sure I want every night to be like this. How did you ever manage all alone, Aunt Bernie?”
“You do what you have to do,” Bernie answered.
Chapter 5
Clara was struck speechless when Endora came out to the truck to meet her and Bernie. There was no doubt that they were cousins, with the same blue eyes and face shape. Clara might have been slightly curvier than Endora, but still it was one of those uncanny almost doppelgänger moments. Then the front door opened, and Luna waved from the porch.
“It’s like looking in the mirror and seeing two more of me wearing blond wigs,” Clara whispered.
“We’ve got the same DNA flowing through your veins. I remember when we were little, and you came to visit. I loved your red hair. A couple of my sisters got it, but Luna and I both got this straw-colored stuff,” Endora said. “Come on inside. Y’all are just in time for lunch.”
“I remember us playing together with your Barbie dolls, but that was in a big city,” Clara said.
