Page 58 of Life, Love and the Pursuit of Happiness

“Ah. Has a bit of cash, does he?” her grandmother guessed, putting two and two together regarding Delilah’s sending her ten thousand dollars. “Every lady needs a sugar daddy once in a while.”

“Gram!”

“What? You know what they say. It’s as easy to love a rich man as a poor man.”

“I am not in love, or about to be.”

“Well, all I’m gonna say on the subject, is, it’s ’bout time you got over that loser, Davie Zekus.”

“Oh, Gram. I was over him more than five years ago.”

Her grandmother reached over and squeezed her arm.

“Have there been more calls from the prison?”

Her grandmother nodded. “Once a week. Every Saturday. I just refuse to accept the calls.”

Davie had the nerve to not only want her to visit him, but his daughter, as well. That was going to happen on—what was it Gram said?—the fifth of Never.

Just then she saw two vehicles drive up and park in front of the motel. Merrill and some other man got out, had a discussion, pointing at the various units, then began to unload things which they carried into the first two rooms.

“Another hottie,” her grandmother observed.

She supposed the man was attractive in a buff, military sort of way. High and tight haircut, muscle definition in a tight T-shirt, and shorts that showed off a set of long hairy legs. “I think it’s K-4, Kevin Fortunato, a Navy SEAL buddy of Merrill’s. He’s going to join the salvage team.”

“Your hottie is a Navy SEAL?” her grandmother asked, impressed.

“Was. Not is,” Delilah told her, “though none of the SEALs identify themselves that way. All hush-hush. They usually just say military or Navy.”

“Got it,” her grandmother said.

“I better go over and talk to Merrill. We have a lot of shopping to do today before going back on the ship tomorrow.” She looked at her grandmother. “That’s another problem. I have to go out on the salvaging operation. You’re going to have to stay here until this job is over. I haven’t made any plans for child care before school starts.”

“A couple weeks here in the boonies won’t hurt me.”

“Please don’t use that term when talking to people here. They would be offended.” Or maybe not. To them, it might seem a compliment.

Delilah went inside to get her shopping list and check on Maggie, who was still sleeping. Back outside, she asked her grandmother, “Will you be okay?”

“Of course. I might even lie down with Maggie for a little beauty nap.”

“This discussion is not over, Gram.”

Her grandmother sighed. “I’m doing the best I can, girl.”

Feeling bad, she reached down to hug her grandmother. “I know you are, Gram. You always have.”

Delilah walked across the yard that separated the motel office from the units themselves. At one time, it probably had a flagstone sidewalk and pretty flowering bushes. Maybe even a fountain. Now, it just looked like a sad, neglected yard. Someday, she promised, it would look good again. Maybe she’d even plant a few shade trees, or fruit trees. She smiled at a sudden thought. Maybe even a lemon tree, to remind her of . . .

Merrill was standing in the open doorway of the end unit, the one named “Blue Moon.” He grinned at her and said, “Welcome to my humble abode.”

“Humble it is,” she noted after she entered. The curtains and bedspreads hadn’t yet arrived, but there were crisp blue linens on the two double beds and their pillows, with a darker blue, loose-woven summer blanket folded at the bottom of the mattress.

“I don’t know,” Merrill said. “It looks a helluva lot better than it did when I first saw it. At least it’s clean and functional. Everything seems to work.”

“So much to do, though,” she disagreed, sitting down on one of the beds to survey the room. “The dressers and bedside tables need refinishing, and new drawer pulls. The ceiling light is pure 1930s, and I don’t mean vintage quality. I suppose I should refinish the floors, too, or put some tiles down. And those little patios facing the bay will need umbrella tables and chairs, maybe a lounger.” And I can barely afford toilet paper.

“Give it time, babe. I’ll help, and so will a lot of other people.” He’d just put the last of the clothing from a duffel bag into the dresser drawers and he leaned against the wall.