“Yes, we’ll be there in plenty of time,” Bernie answered. “I asked Mary Jane and the twins to keep the fact I’m moving to Spanish Fort a secret. I want to surprise Ursula.”
“That’s what you were thinking about?”
Bernie put on her best smile and told one of those white lies that does not keep a person out of heaven. “Of course, and wondering if I should have asked them to keep such a big secret.”
“So, you are really selling the bar?”
“I am,” Bernie answered. “If not to Nash, to someoneelse. Now that folks know someone is interested, they’ll start coming around with offers. It’s kind of like being engaged. I’ve seen it time and time again in the bar crowd. Once a guy is taken, then the women decide that maybe they weren’t giving him a fair shake, and they begin to flirt with him.”
“I don’t understand,” Clara said.
“I’m an excellent judge of character, and I’m ninety percent sure that I’ll sell the bar to Nash, but if either of us changes our mind, then I’m not worried. There will be other prospective buyers.” Bernie really wanted to hatch her plan to do a little matchmaking between Clara and Nash, not talk about selling what had been her home for decades.
Trying to fix your great-nieces up with a happy-ever-after is just an excuse to keep you from thinking about moving away and leaving the bar behind,the pesky voice in her head scolded.
“Maybe so,” she whispered.
Clara had been staring out the side window, but suddenly she whipped around with tears streaming down her face. “Like the old saying goes, if it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.”
“What are you talking about?” Bernie asked.
“I find a place like the Chicken Coop that I love, and an aunt who’s been good to me, not to mention…” She grabbed a napkin from a fast-food place from the glove compartment and blew her nose. “Not to mentioncousins that I fit right in with, and now in a few weeks, it’s all going to be gone.”
Bernie swallowed twice but the lump in her throat wouldn’t disappear. “Clara, I will not leave you out in the cold. You’ve got my word on that. Nash has already asked me if I thought you would be willing to work for him if he buys the place. So, there’s an option. Plus, did you see all those empty bedrooms at the Paradise? Your aunt Mary Jane would gladly put you in one of them and probably find you some kind of job. So, there’s a second idea. This side of the family takes care of its own.”
“Are you sure?” Clara’s tone said that she needed more assurance.
Bernie reached across the console and laid a hand on her shoulder. “I’m positive sure, and I never go back on a promise. No more worrying about the future. I’ve got you covered.”
“Thank you,” Clara whispered. “I’ll do my best to make you proud.”
“You already did,” Bernie told her. “Now let’s get on home and let Pepper outside. I bet his little bladder is close to bursting and he is cussin’ us in dog language right now.”
***
Clara couldn’t even see Nash yet when she and Bernie were in the storage room, but that tingly feeling on the back of her neck told her that he was already in the bar.“I hear Nash whistling, Aunt Bernie. How did he get inside before us? I swear that I locked up after closing last night.”
“Of course you did,” Bernie said. “I gave him a key before that in case we had a flat tire or ran out of gas. How did you know he was here?”
Clara crossed her fingers behind her back like she did as a child when she was telling a lie. “I heard someone rattling around in the bar and figured it was Nash. If I’m wrong, then we’ve got a burglar who is probably drinking all our top-shelf liquor.”
Bernie slung open the door, peeked outside, and whispered over her shoulder. “Nope, it’s just Nash. No whiskey stealers there.” She raised her voice and yelled, “Hey, I see you’ve already started the cleanup. Thanks for that.”
“You are welcome,” Nash said as he walked toward the storage room. “Did I hear something about someone stealing whiskey?”
“No, Clara thought we had a burglar. She didn’t know you had a key,” Bernie answered as he got nearer.
“I thought someone had broken into the place,” Clara answered, and fought down a little disappointment that he was allowed to come and go at will, but Bernie had not offered to give her a key.
Nash came on inside and grabbed the mop and the galvanized bucket. “I’ve got a load of beer mugs in the dishwasher, and another one rinsed and ready to go inwhen that finishes. I’ve already swept, and now I’m ready to mop.”
“That’s good,” Bernie said. “Clara and I will get the cooler restocked and make sure that any empty whiskey bottles are thrown out.”
As usual, Nash’s T-shirt hugged his body like a glove, and his muscles strained the sleeves. Clara had a devil of a time keeping from drooling. She went to the storage room and brought back a case of beer and caught another glimpse of Nash through her peripheral vision.
Never work,the voice in her head chuckled.That would be mixing business and pleasure. If things went south, you sure wouldn’t have the option of working for him when Bernie left. If you are ready to settle down in this area, choose another. There’s lots of proverbial fishes in the sea.
“Let me help you with that,” Nash said so close behind her that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her neck.
