No Ordinary Joe

It was hot, and though Reily had hoped to stop at the thrift store on her way back to work, a cold glass of lemonade did sound refreshing. And of course she wanted to get to know her new neighbor, and maybe learn a little more about her boss/landlord. The shopping could wait until her break tomorrow.

“I’d love one,” she told Sue. “Give me a second to grab my purse and lock up.”

She located the key Joe had mentioned in the cabinet above the stove, slung her purse over her shoulder and, leaving the windows open for circulation, locked the door behind her as she headed down the stairs. She crossed the driveway and knocked on the side door of the house.

“Come on in!” Sue called.

The screen door squeaked on its hinges as Reily pulled it open. A rush of cool air enveloped her as she stepped into the spacious, updated kitchen. With its granite countertops, cherry cupboards and stainless steel appliances, it looked like something out of an issue of Better Homes and Gardens. Sue stood at the stove stirring the contents of a large silver pot. Whatever she was making smelled delicious.

“Come on in and have a seat,” she said.

Reily sat at the kitchen table. From the other room she could hear cartoons playing on the television.

“Are you hungry?” she asked. “I’ve got a pot of chili simmering.”

She was starving, actually, but she didn’t want to take advantage. “I have to get back to the bar soon.”

“It’s white chicken chili,” Sue said, clearly trying to tempt her. “It’s my specialty.”

Well, if it was her specialty Reily didn’t want to offend her or hurt her feelings. “Maybe just a bite.”

Sue spooned a generous helping into a bowl, plunked a spoon in and set it in front of her. It looked like more of a soup than an actual chili, with a white base, big chunks of chicken and several varieties of beans. Reily took a bite and her taste buds when berserk. “Oh, my gosh! This is amazing.”

“It’s Joe’s favorite,” Sue said, pulling a pitcher of lemonade from the fridge. She took two glasses down from the cupboard and filled them. She set one in front of Reily, then lowered herself into the chair opposite her. “Joe tells me that you’ve hit a spell of bad luck.”

That was putting it mildly. “I’m trying to look at it as a temporary diversion. An adventure,” she said. What she was trying hard not to think about was all the hard-earned money she had lost, and all of her worldly possessions gone forever. It would take hard work, but she would rebuild and start over. She was tough. And she was used to getting by on very little. “I figure Nashville will still be there when I pull my life back together.”

“Well, you couldn’t have landed in a better place. You won’t find a friendlier town than Paradise.”

“If it hadn’t been for Officer Jeffries and Joe and Lindy, I don’t know what I would have done. I doubt anyone in Denver would have been so willing to help a stranger.”

“P.J. is a good man. Though he was quite the hellion when he was a youngster. I used to babysit him when I was in junior high school. He always gave me a run for my money.”

“You’ve lived here your whole life?”

Sue sipped her lemonade. “My great-great-grandfather was one of the founders of the town. My father built this house for my brother, Joe Senior, and the house next door for me and my husband, Walter.”

“So you and your husband live next door?”

“It’s just me now. Walter passed four years ago last month, and we lost my brother Joey almost a year to the day later.”

“P.J. mentioned that Joe Senior used to own Joe’s Place.”

“He started that bar twenty-odd years ago. I loved my brother to death, don’t get me wrong. He was a good father, a good person, but a businessman he wasn’t. That’s why my nephew, Joey, went and got himself a degree in business. With his dad’s heart problems, I think he knew that someday he would be taking over the bar. His dad would be so proud of everything he’s done. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough for Beth.”

“Beth?”

Sue lowered her voice. “Joe’s wife. They were high school sweethearts. But after a few years of marriage she decided she needed to find herself, or some such nonsense. So she just up and left.” She shook her head, clucking disappointedly. “She broke that poor man’s heart. Lily Ann doesn’t seem to remember her much, which I think is probably a blessing. But she does realize that she’s the only one of her friends without a mommy. A few don’t have daddies, but that’s different. A little girl needs her mother. I try to help out all I can. I retired from teaching so I could watch her for Joe, but it’s just not the same.”

“I was raised by my aunt,” Reily told her. Sue was right. Her aunt Macie took care of her as best as she could under the circumstances, but it wasn’t like having a mom and a dad. “My parents died when I was little.”

“So you know what I mean.”

“Aunt Sue, could I play outside?”

She turned to see Lily Ann standing in the kitchen doorway. Reily wondered how much she had heard of their conversation, if anything.

“If you stay in the yard,” Sue said. “And turn off the television first.”

Lily Ann darted back into the living room and the television went silent. She skipped past them, flip-flops slapping against the tile floor, letting the back door slam shut behind her as she hopped outside.

Sue sighed and shook her head. “Joe was always the cautious sort. He knew from the time he was a youngster what he wanted to do with his life. Beth was something of a wild child. Restless, you know?” She shook her head sadly. “Joe thought he could settle her, thought that once they got married and had a baby she would be content staying in our tiny little town. But that wasn’t the case. And when she made her mind up to leave, there was no stopping her. Turns out she was just like my brother’s wife.”

“Joe’s mom?”

She nodded. “She left them when Joey was a baby. I don’t know what it is about the Miller men and their fascination with restless women.”

“I can understand being unhappy in a marriage,” Reily said. “But how does a woman leave her child?”

“I’ve asked myself that question about a million times. I could barely stand it when my twin sons left for college out of state. I guess sometimes people do things that don’t make much sense.”

“I guess.” Reily checked the display on her phone and realized that it was getting late. “I better get going. I don’t want to leave Lindy in a lurch on my very first day.”

“How are you getting back?”

“I’m walking.”

“There’s a bike in the garage you could use. It’s just sitting there getting dusty. Lord knows I could probably use the exercise,” she said, chuckling and patting her middle. “But I do better with both my feet on the ground.”

“If it’s not an imposition, that would be great.”

“I guess you were a little hungrier than you thought,” Sue said, nodding to Reily’s bowl. She’d stopped just short of licking it clean.

Reily smiled. “It was delicious. I can see why it’s Joe’s favorite.”

They both stood and Reily grabbed her purse. “Thanks for lunch. It was really nice talking to you.”

“Well, I probably told you more than you ever wanted to know about our family, but I do tend to ramble on sometimes. It used to drive poor Walter batty.”

“I don’t mind at all. I like hearing about other people’s families. It makes mine seem not so unusual, if that makes sense.”

“I think I know just what you mean. And I’m sure it’s no fun being trapped in a place where there isn’t a familiar face. I figured you could use a friend.”

She would be honored to consider Sue her friend.

“In fact, what are you doing Sunday for supper?” Sue asked.

“Honestly, I haven’t thought past five minutes from now.”