Page 122 of Banter & Blushes #1

J osephine leaned on the counter from her spot on the stool. Taking a sip of her tea, she waved at Jill to lean in closer.

“So, what do you think about Mitch and our Elva?” She asked, giddy as could be.

A grin took over Jill’s face. “You should have seen her bounce in here this morning. She was practically glowing. She said he walked her home from her morning stroll this morning.”

Lowering her voice a little more, “maybe they’ll do all the work for us.”

“Do you think so?” Jill wasn’t sure.

Joe added a little more honey into her cup before whispering, “maybe they need a little…” she looked around to make sure no one was listening, “nudge.”

Her head turned at an angle. “How so?” Even though she watched Elva do this year after year, she was still pretty green around the edges of matchmaking herself.

Both ladies thought for a minute in silence. “Oh, how about an event?”

“Event?”

“Yep,” she nodded. Taking out her phone, she started sending a text.

Jill leaned her elbows on the counter. “It’s like watching an awkward dance. It’s so obvious they like each other.”

“Who likes one another?” Elva appeared from her office and stood behind the counter, her arms crossed over her chest. She had a sneaking suspicion of what they were talking about.

“Oh, well…” Jill stammered.

“Just someone.” Joe took another sip of her tea. “How was your walk this morning?” She couldn’t help bu t ask.

“Ladies, seriously? I am sure there’s much more interesting gossip around here than my morning walk.”

“You mean the walk you took with Mitch this morning?” Cal stepped up to the counter to pick up his to-go breakfast order. “I heard about that.”

“How in the world?” She laughed loudly. “Why is my life suddenly so interesting?”

“Now you know how we all feel.” Jill stuck her tongue out at her boss before walking away.

Taking his wrapped up sandwich from the counter, he couldn’t help himself. “Aww, we all just want to see you happy.”

“I’m plenty happy!” She smiled, unsure of how else to show that.

Joe swirled a splash more honey into her cup. “You can always be happier.”

Cal glanced at his phone as a mischievous smile crept across his face. Stuffing it back in his pocket, he took off his hat, smoothed his dark hair down before putting it back on. “How would everyone like to have a bonfire at the beach tonight? The weather looks clear and beautiful.”

Jill and Joe nodded in unison. An event. Just what they needed! “What can we bring?” They both asked.

He looked from one person to the other. “Miss Joe, how about some of your delicious sweet tea?”

“I can do that,” she agreed.

“Jill, maybe something to make s’mores?”

Elva put her hand on her hip before asking, “what about me?”

“Oh, you know we all want your famous fried chicken, Elva. If you have time to make it, that is.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Wait a minute,” Jill crossed her arms, “what are you going to bring?” She waited for his answer.

“I think I’ll bring … Mitch, as instructed.” He waved his phone in the air.

Cal and Brett got the fire going early and Mitch showed up right on time with Dozer. “Thanks so much for inviting me.” He held up a container and a bag of chips. “I didn’t know what to bring, so I made some salsa from my garden.”

Elva’s head cocked to the side. “I’m sorry, what?”

“HE MADE SOME SALSA FROM HIS GARDEN,” Joe answered much louder than necessary in case Elva didn’t hear his response.

Laughing, she tried to catch her breath, “I heard him.” Then turning her attention to Mitch she smiled, “you have a garden AND you cook?”

“Well, cook is a strong word. Salsa is really just a lot of chopping and in full disclosure I have one of those chopper things, so you just put in vegetables and it cuts it up. I am a mean mixer-upper though.” He looked at the salsa through the container, examining his ha ndiwork.

“I’m seriously impressed.” Her hand rested on the small table.

His chest puffed up with pride and his cheeks looked like they were turning a darker shade of pink. “Thanks. What did you bring?” He set down his snacks and changed the subject away from himself.

“Oh, Elva makes THE BEST fried chicken you’ve ever had.” Brett answered setting down a cooler filled with water and soda.

Placing his plastic container on the table he turned his head to the side some, “huh. The best coffee AND the best fried chicken?”

“Hot chocolate, too!” Ava bubbled, grabbing a bottle of water from the cooler. “Just wait until you have her famous hot chocolate this Christmas! Yum!”

“This Christmas?” He smiled at the idea. “I’m looking forward to that.”

Elva’s attention was still on their newest guest, ignoring all the other talk. “What are you growing in your garden?”

“The usual things,” he counted off on his fingers, “tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers, lots of hot peppers, cucumbers, squash.” He started the count on his other hand. “I don’t do well with corn for some reason. Lettuces, either.”

Elva opened her folding chair and sat down while she listened. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

Mitch laid down a towel and sat on it next to her while he thought. “I’m sure there are lots of things I’m not good at. But at the moment, I can’t think of a single one,” he winked. “Do you have a garden?”

“Just a tiny one. Cherry tomatoes mostly. I have been thinking about trying fruit. I’d love to pick fresh berries in the morning for breakfast.”

Emily, Cal’s wife, turned around from her spot on the large cooler, “did I hear you say you garden and cook?” She asked Mitch, sure she’d met him before.

“That’s right.”

“Can you teach Cal?” She erupted in laughter, talking louder than anyone else. “Oh, Elva honey, don’t let this one get away!”

Elva wasn’t so sure why everyone was so insistent on this match.

All because they were close in age and single didn’t mean they were right for one another.

Watching him talk to people to his right, she studied his face in the firelight's glow. Animated and entertaining . He held conversations well. He somehow knew a little about everything. And he had a garden and cooked? That might be the most surprising thing she’d learned about him so far.

Under his self admitted gruff exterior he was sweet and soft.

Kind-hearted and funny. Smart, too. Still, she shook the thoughts from her head, that didn’t mean they would do well…

together. Did it? The thing about matchmaking is looking at all aspects of the would be couple and how they would fit together.

How their personalities merge and how they balance one another.

She continued to watch him completely lost in her own thoughts.

“Isn’t that right, El?” She felt Josephine’s elbow nudge her left arm.

“Oh, what? Sure.” She agreed to the mystery conversation.

Joe leaned in closer to her friend, “are you okay? Where were you?”

“Here, I’m here. ”

Joe wasn’t so sure. Though she followed her friend’s gaze to see Mitch’s profile illuminated with dancing light from the fire. “Okay.”

Everyone chatted and ate, then talked some more before it was time to clean up and leave.

Without asking, Mitch started packing up the dishes from the food into perspective coolers. “You don’t have to do that,” Elva told him. Though even she had to admit it was really nice that he did.

“I’m happy to help. Want a lift home? I happen to know just where to find you,” he joked from their conversation that morning.

“You don’t have to go to all the trouble. I can walk. It’s a beautiful night.”

Looking up at the stars above them he smiled, “you’re right it is. The night air would do me some good and you do have this cooler to take. How about if I escort you home? We can walk. That is, if you don’t mind me tagging along?”

Letting out her breath, she folded her chair in half, “I don’t mind. Thank you.” Having a little company might not be bad at that.

They walked slowly; her carrying the chair; him carrying the small cooler with Dozer running ahead of them like he already knew the way. “You really don’t have to carry that.” She wanted him to know she could do it herself.

“I do, actually. That’s what a gentleman does in the presence of a lady.” He answered, showing his age and good upbringing.

Nodding she watched the ground as she stepped. “That is true. Your mother taught you well. I’m just used to doing it myself, I guess.”

“Good thing I’m here, then.” He followed her lead down Main Street.

The small paved street gave way to brick pavers and a charming downtown quiet and put away for the night.

A small coffee shop accented a few old buildings turned into offices, then the quaint post office.

Pots of perfectly coordinated flowers trailing down the sides sat outside each building along the sidewalk, pulled it all together.

Vintage looking street lamps illuminated the way.

Solar lights on each side of her porch lit up the steps at her home. Dozer waited at the base of the stairs patiently. “You can come in, sweetie.” She motioned for the dog to come up the stairs.

Pretending she was talking to him, Mitch chuckled. “Thanks. Would you like me to set this inside for you?”

Weighing her options, she decided, “sure. You did carry all this way, what’s another few feet?

” As she slid her key into the lock. Stepping inside she clicked on a lamp with Dozer matching her step for step.

She turned around quickly to nearly run face to face into Mitch coming up right behind her. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” She said instantly.

“No, my fault entirely. I’m sorry.” His green eyes stared into hers as he apologized, wanting to say more.

“You can, uh…” she forgot what she was going to say momentarily, lost instead in his eyes. “The kitchen. You can set that in the kitchen. And then we could sit on the porch for a fe w minutes?”

“I’d love that.” He reappeared from the kitchen and followed her back outside with Dozer in tow.

They sat side by side in a rocking chair, looking at the night sky. “This is a really nice street. Nice town, honestly. Reminds me of home.”

“Red Bird?” She guessed remembering him mention that town before.

“Yes. It’s a lot like the Landings. Quiet, sleepy. I actually live just out-of-town now. But I grew up right on Main Street next to my cousins.”

Slowly rocking her chair back and forth, she looked from Dozer laying happily on the porch floor to him sitting next to her. It was a nice scene. “Big family then?”

“I wouldn’t say big. Just big enough. It’s just me and my two cousins now. Everyone else is gone.”

“I’m sorry. I know what that’s like.”

Dozer sat up, wagging his tail loudly against the porch floor. “You’re lucky to have such a good dad, aren’t you buddy?”

“Actually,” he cleared his throat, “I think you’d really like Red Bird.” He trailed off, not finishing his thought.

“I hear it’s nice. I’d love to visit one day,” she fed right into his idea.

Reaching down to pet Dozer, he smiled. “We will have to see what we can do about that.”