Page 117 of Banter & Blushes #1

G lancing toward the large windows on the opposite side of the room, he eyed the coast. “Is there beach access back there?”

“Off the patio?” Elva asked.

“Yes. Or do I have to go down to the docks?”

“There’s a small path,” Joe piped in, “looking to take a stroll?”

“I promised Dozer I’d take him for a run. Let him retrieve in the water before we leave.”

“Dozer?” Elva and Joe both looked at one another.

“Oh, Doze is my dog.”

Elva’s face instantly scrunched in worry. “You didn’t leave him in the hot car, did you?”

“No, no,” he shook his head back and forth, “I’d never do that. At least not without the a/c blasting for him. He’s waiting for me outside in the shade,” he pointed out the front window.

“Wow, he’s that well behaved to just sit and wait?”

“Of course he is,” he smiled thinking she obviously didn’t know him very well… yet.

“You could have brought him in with you. Does he need water?”

“I have some for him, but thank you. I didn’t know how you’d feel about a dog in your restaurant and I didn’t want to just assume. He’s used to waiting for me. Don’t worry, I’m making it worth his while with a trip to the beach.”

“Dozer, like bulldozer?” Joe couldn’t help but ask.

“Exactly,” he took a last long drink of his coffee and smiled as he set the cup on the counter.

“When I adopted him from a local rescue, he was six months old and full of energy. He would run into everything and anything head on. Nothing or no one was safe,” he laughed, remembering his rambunctious puppy. “The name seemed fitting.”

“Well, now I have to meet him,” Elva’s worried face melted into a smile. “Is he friendly?” She started toward the door.

“Extremely.” Mitch followed her to the front to release Dozer from his stay.

As the door swung open he called out, “Doze, heal.” In one swift motion his dog picked up his bumper and ran to Mitch’s side dropping it at his feet and finishing in a perfect sit.

“That’s a good boy.” He rubbed the top of Dozer’s head.

“Elva, meet Dozer. Doze,” he looked down at his dog, “this nice lady is Elva.” He looked from the dog to her, “be extra nice to her, she may give us a job,” he winked letting her know he was joking… sort of.

She couldn’t help but giggle. “Hi Dozer,” the pitch of her voice went up as she spoke to him and offered her hand for him to smell.

“What a pretty boy.” Within seconds Dozer scooted from his spot next to Mitch to closer to her for ear rubs.

“Are you going to the beach? Yeah, you are.” She smiled, completely enamored with the dog.

Mitch watched her interaction and smiled. “Why don’t you have a dog? You obviously adore them, and he is quite smitten with you already.”

“Oh,” she glanced at him, catching his gaze. His deep eyes searched hers. “I’m just too busy, or that’s what I’ve always told myself. But I never miss an opportunity to love on someone else’s precious baby.”

“Look at these cute curls!” She pulled at an edge of light brown fur and watched it re-coil into a tight curl around his neck. “What kind of dog is he?”

Looking like the proud dad he was, “he’s a chessie,” he smiled before explaining, “a Chesapeake Bay Retriever.”

“I was going to guess lab. You’re a big boy, aren’t you?”

Nodding his head, he agreed, “most people guess chocolate lab. They are cousins, of sorts. He’s eighty pounds of pure muscle.”

“I can tell your dad loves you very much and takes very good care of you,” she talked to the dog further. “Are you going to the beach? Are you?” He looked at her, trying to figure out her question.

“Fetch?” Mitch offered the word that sprung Dozer into action. His head jerked up and his tail began to wag as fast as possible. “Thank you very much for meeting with me today and for honestly the best cup of coffee I’ve had in a long while.” He held his hand out to shake.

"Thank you for driving all the way out here. I’ll absolutely be in touch.” Her hand squeezed his gently as their eyes locked. “Soon.”

“I sure hope so,” he smiled widely making the corners of his eyes crease before he turned, “come on, boy.”

The warmth of the afternoon sun stung the side of her cheek as she soaked in all that just happened.

She watched him turn his baseball hat around backwards and walk toward the beach with Dozer keeping perfect pace by his side.

“I sure hope so, too,” she whispered to herself before walking back into the restaurant.

Inside she found Josephine, nose presse d against the clean windows along the back patio, watching Dozer bound through the small path to the sand. “He is one fine looking - “

“Honestly?” Elva cut her friend off. “He’s a prospective contractor. It will only be a professional relationship.”

Joe tried not to laugh. “Dog!” She let out a howl before catching her breath, “I was going to say fine looking dog.” The two erupted into giggles.

“But, now I see where you’re head’s at dear friend,” Joe crossed her arms in front of her with a smug smile.

She was going to make sure this happened.

Somehow. “Oh,” Josephine smiled at her best friend as she walked back to the counter, “but he is cute!”

“Is he?” Elva pretended to be looking through her papers.

“Oh come on. He’s delicious!”

Elva pulled off her glasses and set them on the table in front of her. “Josephine Donahue did you say the word delicious?”

She couldn’t help but giggle like a schoolgirl, “well I have eyes.”

“You sound like a teenager,” she swatted playfully at her friend.

“OH, I only had eyes for my Griffin then. Still do,” she twirled her wedding band around on her finger. “Hard to believe he’s been gone for so long now.” She breathed out a sigh, “but,” she changed to a smile, “I’m looking for you and I like what I see.”

“We are supposed to be working on this project, missy.” She corrected her friend.

“And we are. Who said we can’t have two going at once?”

“Two projects?” Elva’s eyebrows raised.

Craning her neck to look back out the window and down toward the beach Joe sighed, “absolutely.”

“Who was that?” Jill walked out from the kitchen after clocking in and pushed onto her toes to see down the back path.

“THAT,” Joe started out louder than she needed to be, “is a very eligible uh… contractor.” Her eyes flashed a smile at Elva.

Jill’s blonde hair swung on her shoulders as she turned to face the empty restaurant. “Eligible?”

Shaking her head back-and-forth Elva continued to look through her papers now strewn across the counter. “That is John Mitchell. There’s another contractor coming in later today.”

“That’s exciting. This project is really coming together. It wouldn’t be possible without you, Elva.”

“Oh, I’m happy to do it. Really it’s you doing all the hard work with the funding and getting the county on board” she dotted on her young protégé.

She smiled back at Elva before checking her watch.

“This is exactly my cup of tea,” Jill squealed “Land use, federal grants, I could spend all day talking about this.” Tapping papers together she reached across the counter to line them all up neatly in arranged piles.

“But you know…” she thought of just the right words, “I do have another project I’d love to sink my teeth into. ”

She watched her young employee’s face and admired her initiative. “You do?”

“Yes. But, I’m not sure if it can get the green light.”she winked at Josephine.

“If anyone can get it done, I’m sure it’s you. I’ve seen you set your mind to things and move mountains.”

Biting her bottom lip, Jill hesitated telling her the project. “The thing is, well.. it’s about you?”

Lines appeared on her forehead as her eyebrows raised. “Me?”

“I think we need to get you a love story of your own.” Crossing her arms in front of her, leaned back with satisfaction and anticipation of how Elva would take the news. “You know, a second chapter for your life.” Josephine nodded along with her thought.

“A second chapter, at my age?” Elva shook her head. “Honey, the chapters are finished. The book is closed.”

Jill smiled at Joe. “We’ll see about that.”