“That can’t be true,” Danny says softly. “There’s no way that the girl I knew turned into nobody.” His face is too kind and too understanding. But he cannot possibly know who he’s dealing with.
“Barely got through high school. Flunked out of community college. Worked at a stupid paint store. Got fired.” It’s embarrassing how tears threaten to form, yet I force a smile. “You know, the usual. The only reason I’m here is by default. I have the time and no job to worry about.” I drop my legs into the freezing water. “Shit, that’s cold!” I say with a laugh. “So, I’m a free agent! Approving house repairs and paying bills are about all I’m qualified to do, so…ta-da!”
For the next few minutes, I focus on scanning the late-night view, the glimpse of a floating dock many yards out, the houses that overlook the lake with lights still on, the slight glow that the moon lets touch the lake.
“So, no college for you either?” I finally ask.
“Hell no,” Danny answers with conviction.
“Disappointed parents?”
“Nope. Barely parents at all.”
The huge swig that he takes makes me back off from asking more, and we sit together without speaking for a few minutes. Then, Danny sinks his feet into the icy water beside mine. He turns his head to shoot me a look for a fraction of a second before he furiously kicks his legs and splashes me until I’m soaked and squealing with laughter.
It’s when he’s sweetly brushing my wet hair from my face and the pause between us grows too long that I whisper, “I’ve got Paul’s number from my mother, and I called him and left a message. Do you know him?”
“Very well.” Danny wipes away lake water and then adjusts my sopping shirt that’s hanging awkwardly off my shoulder. “I work for him. Have for years.”
“Yeah?” It’s a miracle that I haven’t melted into a puddle, but here I am. “What do you do? For Paul? Workwise and such. Floors? Do you do floors? I might need those. And kitchen…stuff. Maybe stairs. Windows. The fireplace seems to be shit.” I am equally horrified and impressed with my boy-affected stammering.
“Oh, Paul is great. Don’t worry. And I can do whatever you need.” His flirty smile is appreciated. “Renovating kitchens. Painting. Redoing miserable, unsafe docks. All of that.” He shrugs. “I love it all.”
I might love it all too. “Okay. Well, according to my mother, he’s my contact person. I’m supposed to talk to him, see what needs to be done to sell this house, and get outta here.”
Danny clinks his beer against mine. “You’re in good hands.”
Later, after more playful splashing, I reluctantly walk him to his truck and help short-legged Shallots into the passenger seat. “Hey, Schroeder? Do you know why the general store doesn’t sell eggs? Am I missing something?”
The look and laugh he gives me are too cute, and he explains with affection, “I do know. My friend Mary Ann? Her family has a farm up the road, and Wake has sort of thrown them all of our egg business. They’ve got, like, a million chickens. I’ll take you tomorrow if you want. Ten-ish or so?”
I nod and hand him my phone, watching intently as he types in his number.
“Cool.” Danny reaches out and touches my arm for a split second. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
As he starts up his truck, Danny leans out of the window. “Callie? Glad to have you back in Wake. We’ve missed you.”
He takes off before I can reply, but maybe that’s for the best. I don’t know what I’d have said.
But I have an egg date. And I might like to have an egg date a thousand times over.
