“Ben, why don’t you take Finley to the Egg,” Kasey said. To me she added, “I’m sure you can reach your boyfriend there.”
I nodded, grateful for an exit, even an awkward one. As I followed Ben and the bouquets through the kitchen, then down the hall, I kept waiting for them to start up arguing again. But it was quiet the whole way.
CHAPTER SIX
Ben was driving the same beat-up truck I’d seen the day before. He opened the passenger door, putting the bouquets in the middle of the bench seat, then left it open for me. I slid in. The vinyl was hot under my legs.
“Thanks for this,” I said.
“No problem,” he replied as he got behind the wheel. “The Woods is a serious dead spot. I mean, that’s what I hear. I don’t have a phone, currently.”
I looked at him, remembering Clark’s tin-can-and-string comment from earlier. “Why not?”
“Well, usually I just take the spiritual route and say I was on it too much and decided to be more present,” he replied, now backing up. The flowers bobbed between us. “But really my dad stopped paying the bill.”
I considered this. “So why’d you just tell me the truth?”
“It occurred to me that the spiritual thing might make me sound like a jerk.” He glanced at me. Up close, his freckles made him look boyish, in a cute way. “This is a small place. Only so many people. Better to get off on the right foot when new ones show up.”
This confession was both unexpected and endearing. “Well, for what it’s worth, I doubt I would have thought that. Since you are at this moment doing me a favor.”
“Yes, but the favor is taking you to make acall,” he pointed out as we bumped down the driveway. “So you might have taken it as passing judgment. Had to consider that, too.”
“You put a lot of thought into this,” I observed.
“See, you’re not supposed to realize that,” he replied. “I was going for ‘carefree.’?”
“It’s not too late for ‘carefree,’?” I assured him.
He wiped a hand over his brow. “Whew.”
I smiled. Neurosis could be charming. Who knew? It didn’t hurt that his manner wasn’t the only cute thing about him. Which was not relevant, as I had a boyfriend.
At the Egg, we pulled around back. As he cut the engine, Ben nodded at a folding chair on the dock, overlooking a dumpster. “That’s the spot,” he said. “Sorry about the flies.”
“It’s fine,” I replied.
I’d been sitting there, swatting at them, ever since. Despite the promised five bars, however, I still couldn’t get hold of anyone.
Now the screen door opened and the waitress from earlier came out, untying the back of her apron. Then she stretched her arms up over her head, catlike, closing her eyes.
“Lana,” Clark said, poking his head out the screen door. “Raymond’s stuck in the driveway and we just got two four-tops.”
She exhaled, her eyes still shut. “I’m on break.”
“You can spend it driving.” He stuck out his hand, a set of keys dangling. Ben was at the grill, his head ducked as he flipped something with a spatula.
“Can I get a ride back over to the Woods?” I asked her. The sun was getting hot on my shoulders.
“Yo! Pancakes are up and ready for berries,” I heard Ben call out. Clark dropped the keys on the handrail and disappeared, the door banging shut behind him.
Lana pulled off her apron, balling it up and chucking it in an empty crate, then gestured for me to follow her back down the ramp. The seat was even hotter this time.
“I’m Finley, by the way,” I said as she cranked the engine.
“Lana,” she replied. “You related to Kasey and Liz?”
“My aunts,” I told her. “My mom’s Catherine.”
