Chapter 8

TAMMY

"Hand me the hot dogs," Macy said, reaching over the kitchen island.

I looked around.

"They're in the sink, defrosting," she said.

I looked in the sink and found two packages of dogs, cold but not frozen. I handed them over.

"Dillon!" Macy called.

Dillon appeared from the master bedroom, straightening his shirt.

"It's just Jason and Lindsey," Macy said.

"The other shirt was dirty," he defended himself.

"Mary Ellen! Mary Ellen!" Daisy cried, circling the table like a little witch casting a spell.

We were having some family friends over for a cookout, and it was nearly time for them to arrive. Dillon had started the coals on the grill outside. Macy was trying to get the meat ready for him. I had put out bowls of chips and dips, with a fruit platter for those of us who were watching our figures.

"Can you grab the cooler?" Macy said, pointing to the cooler that sat beside the fridge. As always, she was balancing a toddler on one hip and trying to do everything else with just one hand. She was always a Supermom.

I leapt forward just as she moved to scoop up a platter of hamburgers. "I got it," I said. She reached for the hot dogs. I grabbed them with my other hand.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Dillon came over and picked up the cooler, following me out to the grill. The kids tumbled out of the house and down the porch steps, marching and chanting their friend's name. Macy joined us finally, after sourcing a binky from Emily's room.

A moment later, Jason and Lindsey appeared out of the woods. I had been expecting a car and their sudden arrival had me looking to Macy for an explanation.

"They have their own cabin," Macy said. "Just over the ridge." She went to hug her friends and became embroiled in a cute kid show-and-tell.

Lindsey held her daughter by the hand, at least a year older than Macy's toddler and that much heavier. She had a soft head of curls and a pixie face that lit up when she saw Macy. Macy hugged Lindsey, and Emily squealed in delight when she laid eyes on Lindsey's kid.

"Mary Ellen!" Daisy screamed, rushing over to the women.

"Daisy!" Mary Ellen wiggled in her mother's grasp until Lindsey set her down.

Daisy and Mary Ellen gave each other a hug in a demonstration so cute I thought I might die. Jason walked up to Dillon and held out a hand. The two men shook with none of the ooh-ing and ahh-ing that the women had shared. Dillon offered his friend a beer, and Jason took it.

"Jason, this is Tammy," Dillon introduced us. "She's Macy's cousin. She's staying with us for a couple months."

"I'm looking for a job," I added, in case he thought I was just a freeloader.

"Where you from?" Jason asked.

"Austin," I answered.

"Tammy!" Macy called, waving me over.

"Excuse me," I told the guys, scooting out from behind the grill and taking my place with my cousin and her friend.

"Tammy, this is Lindsey," Macy introduced us. "Tammy's from Austin. She's come to live with us now."

"I'm just staying for a few months until I can get on my feet," I explained again.

"Don't you love it out here?" Lindsey gushed.

"I really do," I agreed. "It's so peaceful here with so many trees. Back in Austin, I was lucky if there was one tree on my block."

"I couldn't live in the big city," Lindsey said, drifting closer to the house to access the beverage cooler.

"Lindsey's lived in Singer's Ridge her whole life," Macy said.

"Really?" I turned to my new best friend, desperately curious. "Do you know a guy named Mike, works at the lumberyard?"

"I think so," Lindsey said. "Why? Do you?"

"I went on a date with him a couple nights ago," I admitted. "He's a bit of a mystery."

"I've seen him around with a few women, but no one long-term," Lindsey said. "He's cute."

"He is," I agreed, "but do you know anything about his history?"

Lindsey shook her head, "I don't actually know everyone. He wasn't in my grade in high school. Jason might know. He's a police detective."

"Oh," I said. I wasn't going to ask Jason about a man I had no right investigating. It was over between us—I should just let it go. I could casually drill Lindsey but taking it to the police was a whole other matter. I let it drop.

Macy, Lindsey, and I each grabbed a beverage and waited until the guys were finished grilling. We sat at a table just beyond the driveway in a little clearing that could have been the front lawn. The kids eagerly wolfed down their burgers, skipping the fruit and going straight for the chips.

"Macy tells me you have your own cabin," I told Lindsey as we ate.

"Yeah, that's a funny story," Lindsey answered. "That's how Jason and I met. We were both interested in the same cabin."

"Is it anything like Macy's?" I asked.

"It's a little different, but it has everything that counts. And it's really the view and the quiet that makes it special."

I nodded, understanding.

"Tammy's looking for a job," Macy said suddenly. "Lindsey, is that receptionist position still open?"

"It is." She looked up from her hot dog. "I'd love for you to come in for an interview."

"Where do you work?" I wondered.

"Lindsey owns a hair salon," Jason said from across the table.

Lindsey put her hand on her husband's and gazed lovingly into his eyes. "Jason bought it for me."

I watched their interaction with a little bit of jealousy. They seemed to be just as in love as Macy and Dillon. I had never experienced that level of devotion before. My ex-boyfriends had been a parade of broken hearts and inadequacies. Briefly, I thought of Mike but then dismissed the idea. Mike wasn't my one true love the way Jason was for Lindsey or Dillon was for Macy. Mike was just a guy that had shown me one good night; it wasn't going to develop into anything special.

"What kind of experience do you have?" Lindsey detached her gaze from her husband and reentered the conversation. "Have you ever answered phones before?"

"Sure," I said, "I was receptionist for a dental office in Austin."

"Oh." Lindsey smiled, suddenly excited at the prospect. "What software did you use?"

"We used Bookit," I answered.

"I use Schedule Master," she said.

"I'm sure it's similar, if anything I learn quickly." I responded.

"That's perfect," Macy chimed in.

"We open at ten," Lindsey said. "Can you be there?"

Macy reached over to pat my hand. "I'll make sure she's there."

"Thank you," I said. "Really. Both of you. It's wonderful sharing my time with your family, Macy, but I really don't want to overstay my welcome."

"Nonsense," Macy scoffed.

"You're welcome to stay as long as you need to," Dillon said from across the table.

I smiled. "You guys fit right into this little town. You're all so nice."

"Some of the customers are not nice," Lindsey whispered, as if she were sharing state secrets.

I laughed. I knew all about irate customers. You couldn't be any kind of receptionist without running into a few people who were having bad days. We spent the next half hour swapping stories about belligerent customers and laughing.

Lindsey and Jason stayed until the sun disappeared behind the trees, until the light was so dim that we had difficulty seeing beyond the porch. They found Mary Ellen inside on the couch, watching television with Daisy and Nicky. The two older kids protested, but Mary Ellen just climbed sleepily into her mother's arms and put her thumb in her mouth.

"It was wonderful to see you," Lindsey told Macy.

"Thank you for coming," Macy said.

"We'll do it again sometime," Jason said.

"Anytime," Dillon answered.

"Tammy, it was good to meet you." Jason extended a hand.

I shook it, smiling. "Good to meet you too."

"Tomorrow at ten," Lindsey reminded me.

"I'll be there," I promised.

When they left, I shooed Macy and Dillon back inside. "You take care of the kids, and I'll clean up."

"Thank you," Macy said. She went inside to complete the nightly ritual of bathing, changing, and rocking Emily to sleep while Dillon supervised teeth brushing and read a story to Nicky and Daisy.

I emptied the coals out of the grill, took all the plates back inside, and dumped the ice water out of the cooler. If Austin taught me anything, it would be good barbecue and how to clean up after one. I was almost finished with the dishes when Macy snuck back into the living room. When Dillon was done, he excused himself to go to work in his office. I handed Macy a beer, and we sat on the couch, tired but happy.

"That was a nice cookout," Macy said, sipping on her brew.

"It was," I agreed.

"What do you think of Lindsey?"

"Oh, I like her," I said. "She seems really laid-back and friendly."

"That's what I thought," Macy said. "I just ran into her randomly one day—I forget where—and she's great with hairstyling. She did my blonde streaks."

"Nice," I said.

"Everyone could benefit from having a friend like Lindsey," Macy theorized.

"Everyone could benefit from having a friend like you," I added. It was really nice to have a piece of family, so far from what I used to call home.

Macy smiled, holding her beer out for a clink. I obliged, and we finished our drinks in silence before Macy excused herself to go to bed.