Page 72 of A Seer and Present Danger

“The award-winning brew pub.”

“Ordinary has one of those? Lead the way.”

We got in our respective cars, and I pulled onto the street with Aggie following. Delaney drove past us. I thought she took an extra moment staring at Aggie’s car, but then we all went on our way.

I never looked into the future while driving. (You think cell phones are distracting. Try seeing three different visions of the future right in front of your eyes!) But once I parked at Jump Off’s, I took a quick look into Yancy’s future.

Yancy going out with friends tonight…

Yancy staying home and chatting with family online…

Yancy going out to see a movie…

All good futures. All showing him alive and less stressed.

I sent him a quick text saying his evening looked good. He gave me a thumbs up emoji back.

Then I hurried to catch up with Aggie who was already waiting at the brewpub’s door.

* * *

“Busier than I expected,” Aggie said.

“It’s the one thing in Ordinary that’s on the map.”

“Other than that penguin statue,” she said.

“Look at you,” I laughed. “New to the area and you already know about Mrs. Yates’ penguin!”

She shook her head and popped a fry into her mouth and chewed.

“I do pay attention,” she said.

“I know you do. You caught that bowl of chowder the other day almost before it was off the table.”

“You saw that?”

“Sure. I pay attention too.” I smiled because she looked worried, but then she relaxed.

I was still getting weird vibes off her. Like she kept expecting the other shoe to drop and for it to be bad.

“The donations going good?” she asked.

“Yes. I think we’re going to win.”

“How many toys were donated?”

“Over a thousand. Some of the toys were little, like rubber ducks and bubbles, but yeah, a lot.”

“How many teddy bears?”

“Just bears?”

She sipped her strawberry lemonade. “Just bears.”

“Salem donated maybe a hundred? Then Kenny gave us those talking bears, which was two dozen or so. The crochet club and knitting club made up a few, too, I’d say that’s another thirty? So, what does that come to? Just over a hundred fifty bears?”

“Wow.” She wiped her mouth. “That’s a lot of bears.”