Page 129 of Banter & Blushes #1

“ U gh,” Mitch couldn’t help but let out a groan as the first taste of bitter coffee burned down his throat. “Why do I torture myself every morning?” He asked Dozer sitting next to him in the Buzz & Go parking lot. “Especially now that I know not all coffee is this bad?” He forced another sip.

His expression changed when the phone buzzed across his dash. Penny’s name flashed on the screen.

“Good morning, pumpkin!” He smiled into the phone.

Pumpkin? She looked at her phone to make sure she called the correct person. “WOW! Good morning to you, too, dad.”

“Wow?” He echoed, unsure of her meaning. “Can’t a dad be happy to hear from his girl?”

His girl? She knew something was definitely up. “So, uh, how was the … date?”

“We had a really really nice day. I don’t know that it was officially a date - date, but it was… really nice.” He repeated.

“What did Bea & Ag think of your non-date date?” She giggled knowing better.

“Oh,” he huffed. “That’s an entirely different story. They were relentless. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are already planning a spring wedding!“

Trying not to smile too hard into the phone, Penny imagined that sight.

“El held her own, though, I will say that.” He added in rubbing Dozer’s ears. “The game was great, too. We beat the ShoreBirds 5 to 1.”

“It sounds like a win all around, dad.”

Josephine was sitting on the curb outside of Gandolf’s just after the sun came up. Her rusty truck was the only vehicle parked i n the gravel lot.

“You’re here early. Did I miss a meeting?” Elva asked walking up to the door.

“You know I’ve been up since like 4:30,” she shrugged. “Gotta tend the garden before it’s too hot. AND I wanted to be the first to hear about your day yesterday. I almost waited for you at your house last night, but I didn’t want to impose on your goodbyes.”

“He was a perfect gentleman when he dropped me off.” She reported while opening up the window blind in the front dining room while Joe pushed open the curtains to the patio doors.

Nodding her head, she said, “I’d expect nothing less. He’s nearly perfect, you know? Tell me you had an amazing time yesterday?”

“Did you know that Mitch used to play for the minors? That was after he was in the Marines. He’s really had quite a life,” she gushed.

Josephine watched her friend. So it was amazing?” She waited for an answer.

Pouring water into the coffeemaker, she continued, “he has cousins who own a B&B right on Main Street. Really, really gorgeous house. He helps with projects, of course.” She looked over her shoulder at Joe.

“The girls were so funny, too. They call him Johnny. It was just adorable.” She sighed into the ground coffee as she counted scoops.

“So... it was amazing?”

“And everyone knew him everywhere we went. It was like… well, it was like-“

“Being home?” Joe answered for her, knowing that everyone in the Landings knew everyone else.

“It did feel like home, yes.” She mindlessly pulled cups down to set on the counter. “I just, well, it was just…” she couldn’t seem to finish her sentence.

“It was amazing?” Joe asked for the third time.

Looking at her friend, she finally melted into the full feeling. “Joe,” her hand patted her friends’ across the counter, “it was amazing.”

Waiting for the coffee to perk let Elva soak in her happiness.

Miss Joe loved seeing her so content. “I knew the moment that man walked in here, he was for you.”

“I don’t know about all that, now,” she snapped out of her thoughts. “Who knows how he feels?”

“Oh,” Joe put a hand on each hip, “I know how he feels. The entire Landings knows how he feels,” she let out a laugh. “AND now most of Red Bird, too!”