CHAPTER 10

“Getting ice cream conesoutside would have been a lot quicker,” Ani grumbled as she sat down on the crowded bench to wait for a dining table inside the Dairy House.

“I know,” Cassie said. “But I need real food this time, which means we’re sitting at a table.”

Ani had selected ice cream again for their weekend lunch date. While the Dairy House ice cream cone line had been shorter than usual, it seemed like everyone in town had decided to seek a full meal, and right now, every table of the fifties-style diner was full. A jukebox filled with old classics stood near the entrance and the walls were adorned with giant images of the restaurant’s original employees, back from when it had first opened in the late 1940s. The floor was a classic pattern of bright red and white checks, with red Formica and chrome furnishings completing the nostalgic vibe.

Ani slumped against the wall behind her and buried her face in her phone while Cassie’s eyes roamed over the eclectic mix of diners.

Suddenly, she heard her name above the buzz of the crowd and scanned the room for its source. Wade’s grandfather, J.P., was waving at her from across the room. He sat at a table with Tilly and the two older women she and Ani had met at the beach the day they’d discovered Angel. J.P. motioned for her to come join them.

Cassie shook her head and pointed at the oblivious Ani, whose thumbs were flying over her cell phone screen. J.P. immediately hopped up and snagged two empty chairs from surrounding tables. He placed them at the ends of their table for four, then motioned her over again. Cassie saw there was no graceful way to avoid this.

“C’mon,” she said, waving a hand between Ani’s eyes and her phone screen. Apparently, we’ve got a table.”

Cassie and Ani navigated around scurrying wait staff, then took their seats at opposite ends of J.P.’s table.

“It’s always so crazy in here at this time of year,” Tilly said with a smile. “But I was craving their delicious clam chowder and a Cherry Bon Bon sundae. We’re so glad you could join us and avoid the wait.”

“Thanks!” Ani said, picking up one of the menus from the table. “I’m starved!”

“I thought you only wanted ice cream?” Cassie said, quirking a brow.

“I did,” Ani said, opening the menu, “But the smell of that turkey is making my mouth water. Besides, I’m a woman, so I have the right to change my mind, right?”

“Ain’t that the truth,” J.P. said, causing Tilly to give him a playful punch in the arm, and everyone laughed.

After the waitress had taken their orders, Tilly said, “Cassie and Ani, allow me to introduce you to two of my dearest friends. This is Gretchen Sinclair,” she indicated the stocky woman with the helmet-like hair, “and Margot Reardon.” Margot was the elegant grandmotherly-looking woman.

“Where have I seen you before?” Gretchen asked. Her sharp, beetle-black eyes studied Cassie’s face.

“We—” Cassie started to say, but she was interrupted by Margot.

“Oh, I know!” Margot exclaimed, a hand fluttering to the lacey collar at her throat. “They were both walking on the beach with that cute little dog on the day our car died, remember? And we saw them in the crowd at Zoe’s mural unveiling, too.”

Gretchen’s eyes widened in recognition. “Right, right.” She nodded. “I remember now. You were getting all flirty with Wade at the unveiling. But as usual, he just stood there straight as a flagpole.”

Ani choked on her water while Cassie opened her mouth to protest. But Gretchen plowed on.

“Can’t say I blame you for cozying up to him though, girlie. I swear, all three of those Riley boys are hot enough to melt a glacier in the Arctic.” She took a sip of her tea. “But that Wade really needs to loosen up! Learn to break some eggs. I mean, he hardly even noticed her,” she said to the table, tipping her head in Cassie’s direction. “And look at her. She’s a real beaut’. If he had any brains at all, he’d go for it!”

Cassie’s mouth still hung open. She was at a complete loss on how to respond to this. Ani burst out laughing.

“Gretchen!” Margot said, her pale eyes wide in shock. “I cannot believe you sometimes. You just officially met these young ladies. You shouldn’t be saying things like that.”

“Oh, for crying out loud,” Margot grumbled, reaching for her fork. “Youth is wasted on the young.” Then she settled into eating her nutty chicken salad that had just arrived.

“Gretchen’s not totally wrong about him,” J.P. said after swallowing a bite of his BLT. “Little Man Wade could definitely use some loosening up.”

“Little Man Wade?” Ani said, popping a French fry into her mouth.

“That’s what his Nana Ellen and I called him when he and his brothers were growing up. He’s the oldest and was always the most responsible of all three boys. He devoted himself to taking care of his brothers once their mama died.” J.P.’s eyes grew bright.

“Didn’t they have a father to take care of them?” Ani asked.

“Hate to say it, but my boy Benny—Wade’s dad—wasn’t much of a father after he lost Kat.”

“What happened to her?” Ani asked.

“Ani!” Cassie said.

“No, it’s all right,” J.P. said, and he looked at Ani. “Kat was killed in a car accident. She was hit while on her way to pick up the boys after school.”

“That’s so sad,” Ani said, letting the fry she’d just picked up drop back onto her plate. “It must have been terrible for them...and you.”

“It was,” he agreed. “Kat was a real light in our lives, so full of life and energy. And she was a great mom, passionate about raising those boys, like she was about everything she did. When she died, it was like the spark went out of Benny. Instead of focusing on his boys, he turned his attention to growing the business they’d started together. No matter how much Ellen and I tried to get him to see how much he was neglecting his boys, he just...” J.P. trailed off, shaking his head. “Anyway, Ellen and I did what we could. We had the boys up here every single summer after that.

“Whispering Pines was the only place we ever saw Wade relax. Even though there’s only three years between him and Jakey-boy, the youngest, he’s always seemed older than his years. After Kat died, he basically began parenting his brothers. He helped them with their schoolwork, cooked meals, created chore lists just like their mama used to do. I remember he had all these routines for them, like cleaning the house every Saturday morning.” J.P. smiled at the memory. “Those boys have grown into fine young men. And a lot of that is due to Wade’s influence.”

Cassie imagined a young Wade working hard to care for his younger brothers after the loss of their mother. She swallowed hard against the lump she felt rising in her throat at the thought.

“Well, I’m glad you encouraged Wade to move here,” Tilly said, and blew on a spoonful of her soup. “Especially since you say this is the one place where he was able to relax a little. Although,” she added, “since he’s moved here, I haven’t seen him relaxing all that much. He never seems to do anything fun.” She sipped her soup. “And, while I wouldn’t put it quite the way you did, Gretchen dear,” she added, carefully not looking at Cassie, “it would be lovely if he could find a nice girl and start dating.”

Cassie felt her face flush and was grateful when the conversation changed direction.

After lunch, Cassie and Ani bid the group farewell, thanking the group again for letting them join their table.

“Anytime!” J.P. said, rising to give each of them a big bear hug. Ani hugged him back without any self-consciousness, but Cassie was more awkward. Even though she appreciated J.P.’s genuine warmth, she wasn’t used to such physical displays of affection.

**

Later, Ani and Cassiewere in the Wainwright’s driveway. The hood of Ani’s car was up, and Cassie had her head buried deep in the engine. Angel lay napping in the shade of a large oak tree nearby. Cassie learned that Angel found a lot of comfort in being near her, even when Cassie wasn’t paying attention to her. It was a trait that Cassie found strangely endearing.

“That was pretty interesting hearing about Wade’s childhood, wasn’t it?” Ani said, handing Cassie the socket wrench she’d just asked for.

“I think it’s good now,” Cassie muttered, making a final adjustment. “You’re doing a good job of keeping your air and fuel filters clean, and your fluid levels are all good. This spark plug upgrade is going to improve your performance.” She stood upright and raised her arms over her head in a stretch, easing the strain on her lower back. “The next thing you might want to consider is new wheels,” Cassie continued. “If you upgrade to high performance tires, you can reduce your car’s weight and then it’s going to handle even better at higher speeds. You could drop like ten pounds or more per tire.”

“Cool,” Ani said, twirling the socket wrench Cassie handed back to her. Ani’s phone buzzed and she snatched it out of the back pocket of her shorts. A huge grin spread across her face, and her fingers flew in a rapid-fire staccato over her screen.

“What’s going on with you?” Cassie said, slamming the hood down. She wiped her grease-stained fingers on a rag. “You’re way more into your phone than usual.”

“Huh?” Ani looked up. “Oh! It’s just Hugo. He’s super excited because I liked one of his posts online. He is so funny!” Her face went back to her phone and she typed some more.

“You guys seem like you’ve really connected,” Cassie said.

“We have,” Ani said. “The fact that he was a foster himself when he was young helps him to understand what my life is like, ya’ know? Plus, he’s super open-minded for an old person. Like I’m teaching him all about social media and he actually likes it. And he’s teaching me Spanish! You know how my home life was before I got put into the system?”

Cassie nodded.

“So, I never actually learned to speak it. But Hugo thinks it’s important that I remember my culture.”

“That’s actually pretty cool,” Cassie said, putting her tools away.

Ani stuffed her phone back into her pocket and looked speculatively at Cassie. “So, back to what I said a minute ago. What did you think about everything Gretchen and J.P. said about Wade?”

“Nothing,” Cassie said, walking away to put her toolbox on a shelf in the garage.

“C’mon, Cass, Gretchen was hilarious,” she said, trailing after her. “And she was right. There’s definitely some chemistry going on between the two of you.” Ani held up her hands to frame an imaginary billboard. “The cop and the convict. The good boy and the naughty girl. Yes, folks, you can practically see sparks fly when the two of them—”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cassie cut in.

“Admit it,” Ani said. “Hearing all that stuff about his past—his mom dying, him taking care of his younger brothers—so sweet, right? It makes you think a little better of him, doesn’t it?

“The only thing I will admit is that for a cop, he’s not totally terrible.”

“Not totally terrible?” Ani shook her head. “I don’t know, Cassie. I mean, Wade may be a bit stiff, but you’re the perfect person to loosen him up. And Gretchen’s right, he is hot!”

Cassie took a swipe at Ani, who jumped out of the way, laughing. “Go home,” Cassie said. “I have homework to do.”

You sure study a lot for one class,” Ani commented.

“I really love what I’m learning in there. It’s all about people, how they think, their motivations, why they do what they do. The chapter I’m studying now shows how it all applies to criminal behavior. It’s fascinating.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.” Ani hopped into her car and started the engine, revving it a few times for fun. Cassie whistled for Angel, who jumped up and ran to her. She picked up the dog and began walking toward the apartment staircase. Then she paused and turned back, shouting over the thrum of the engine, “And by the way, I am not a convict!”

Ani’s laughter sailed through the air toward them as she backed out of the drive.