Page 23 of Last Call (Open Tab #5)

“You sure had a few of those,” Pete tried to lighten the mood.

Fallon clinked her bottle against Pete’s. “I did. Still didn’t feel like I had more. I think that’s why Riley and I work so well together.”

“Huh?”

“She was looking for more, too. I think we all do. All she got was me ,” Fallon joked.

“I think Riley’s pretty happy about what she has,” Pete said.

“So? What makes you think Beth couldn’t be happy with you?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure what I have is enough.”

Fallon had given considerable thought to the concepts of “more” and “enough" over the past year. She’d spent years chasing elusive ideas about what would complete her life, as if there were some position she could achieve, a number in her bank account, or a relationship that would suddenly make everything okay and make her enough. After Liv’s death, she realized she needed to be enough for herself.

“Enough for Beth or enough for you?” Fallon asked.

“Aw, hell, Fallon. Beth was married to Dean, Mr. Perfect.”

Fallon laughed. “My brother is a far cry from perfect.”

“He fucked up. I get that.”

“Beth and Dean were young when they met. I think it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of falling in love,” Fallon said.

“When did you become a counselor?” Pete teased.

“Me? No way. I’m the one on the couch.”

“I don’t think so. Seems like your life is going pretty well.”

Fallon nodded. “It is—now. Riley and I have hit a few bumps.”

“You mean Liv.”

“No. I think I can safely say most of our bumps were Fallon-induced.”

Pete chuckled.

“Andi would say I get in my own way sometimes. She’d be right. Don’t do that,” Fallon advised. “It’s obvious Beth cares about you. And I know how Evan feels. Don’t put shit in your way that doesn’t belong. Trust me on this one.”

Pete sighed. “I love her, Fallon.”

Fallon smiled. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“To tell you the truth, I’d given up on it—finding someone, I mean. I wasn’t looking for it.”

“Yeah. That’s usually how it happens.”

“I don’t want to push her.”

“Then don’t. But don’t hold back too much, either.”

“Easy for you to say,” Pete said.

“Not really. I’m still learning on that front, too.”

“I hired a mechanic to help with the shop.”

“Seriously? Business is good, huh?”

“Business is what it’s always been,” Pete said. “I could handle it. I don’t want to be there all hours. Evan wants to play soccer in the fall, and he’s got baseball this summer. I don’t want to miss it all. Besides, she’s willing to take on some of the towing and plowing, too.”

“She?” Fallon asked.

“Yep. Parker Avery.”

“Avery? Like Mr. Avery? The sophomore history teacher who failed everyone ? Not that Avery.”

“His daughter,” Pete said.

“Shit. No way! Mr. Avery’s daughter is an auto mechanic?”

“Yep. With a master’s degree in chemical engineering.”

“Oh man. I’ll bet Avery popped when she didn’t work in a museum—or become president.”

Pete shrugged. “Nah. He’s actually a pretty cool guy.”

“Mr. Avery? Come on!”

“What? Did he fail you?” Pete asked.

“No. He gave me a B+. A B+! It nearly killed my GPA.”

“You really are an overachiever, Foster.”

“Why? What did he give you?” Fallon asked.

Pete shrugged.

“Come on. You failed, huh?”

“Nope. I got an A. Andi did, too.”

“Andi got an A in Avery’s class?”

“Yep. We were study buddies,” Pete said.

“What do you mean, study buddies? Holy shit! Wait. Did you and Andi…”

Pete laughed so hard that beer spurted from his nose.

“Well?” Fallon urged him.

“I wish,” Pete said. “Nah. Andi and I were always friends. Just friends.”

“I can’t believe she aced Avery’s class.” Fallon shook off the thought. “So, you hired Mr. Avery’s kid?”

“She’s great. You’ll love her.”

“How old is she?”

“Thirty-six. She just moved back to the area. Her mom had a pretty bad car accident over the holidays—needed pins and plates in her leg. Parker stayed to help. I met her at the garage when she came by to check on the car repair,” Pete explained.

“Wow. Does Beth know you hired someone to help?”

“Not yet. I planned to tell her about it last night. Then everything happened with Marge. Like I said, I’m not going to push anything with Beth.”

“Can I ask you something?” Fallon wondered.

“Sure.”

“What do you hope happens between you?”

Pete shook his head, sipped from his bottle of beer, and sighed. “I’d like it to be permanent.”

“Momma!” Owen screamed. “I caught Evan!”

“Wow. You’ve gotten fast,” Fallon called back.

“You’re really lucky, Foster,” Pete said.

“Yeah. I know. Pete?”

“I don’t want to let them down. You know? I’m the cool friend who plays with Hope and teaches Evan about cars. I don’t know anything about being someone’s parent.”

Fallon took a long pull from her beer, taking a moment to consider her reply. “There’s no handbook,” she said. “I mean, not one that has answers. I wish they made one. I think Riley would say the same thing. Believe me, we have both Andi and my mom on speed dial.”

Pete chuckled.

Fallon didn’t pry into anyone’s business.

She steered clear of gossip and never betrayed a confidence.

Pete rarely shared details about his childhood.

Fallon had heard her mother and Andi’s mother discussing the troubles in the McCann household more than once.

Delia McCann, Sylvia Main, and Betty Sherman were Ida's closest friends.

They had attended school together, served as bridesmaids at each other's weddings, and planned each other’s baby showers.

Ida never shared anything with Fallon about Pete's family life.

Fallon pieced together the essential details herself, and Dale confirmed her suspicions not long after he married Marge.

“Pete,” Fallon began softly. “You took care of your mom and Marge. You have more experience than you think.”

“Maybe.”

“Hey, there’s no prequalification for becoming a parent,” Fallon offered.

“There probably should be,” Pete said. "I never wanted to screw it up—having a family. I saw what it did to my mother, what it did to Marge when my father left. He was a first-class asshole, mostly when he drank. The problem was that he always had a drink in his hand. You get the point.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“It’s why I always go to the pub to have a beer. I don’t keep any in the house.”

“You’re not your dad,” Fallon said.

“No. I’m not. I don’t know, Fallon. I never really thought about having kids until Beth. You should know, it didn’t start that way between us.”

“Usually doesn’t.”

“She became my best friend. You know?”

“I have some experience with that.”

"How'd you pull it off?" Pete asked.

"Pull what off?" Fallon asked.

"You know," Pete paused, "going from Andi's best friend to…"

"Her lover?" Fallon finished for him.

Pete smirked. "How did you and Andi stay friends after you and Riley got together?"

"Why? Afraid Beth might trade you in for the new mechanic?" Fallon teased, chuckling as Pete's face went pale.

"She can't exactly leave me when we’re not together,” Pete said.

"Yet," Fallon interjected. Usually, she'd keep teasing him, but she saw the genuine concern on Pete’s face. It reminded her of the anxiety she felt when she realized she was in love with Riley. The fear of losing Andi and Riley’s friendship loomed large.

She guessed Pete was wrestling with similar worries, a whirlwind of questions without clear answers.

“You need to climb out of your head,” Fallon said. “I could have avoided a lot of stress if I’d listened to Carol when she told me that.”

“When do you ever listen to Carol?”

“I listen. I just don’t usually do what she suggests.”

Pete laughed.

“What are you worried about?” Fallon asked.

“I just don’t want to ruin our friendship. You know, between me and Beth, or even between us,” Pete admitted.

“Have a little more faith in all of us.”

“Are you really okay with it?” Pete pressed.

Fallon shrugged. “It’s not really my call.”

Pete let out a deep sigh.

“You don’t need my approval, Pete. Beth’s no pushover. She can take care of herself—and you,” Fallon added with a wink.

“So? What about you?”

“Me? I’m married. Thank God.”

“Very funny, Foster. I meant what’s happening with you and Riley on the kid front?” Pete asked.

“Right now, we’re just focused on getting the house built and moving in.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

“What?” Pete asked.

“Don’t what me.”

“I just wondered if you were thinking about selling the pub,” Pete mused.

“Why would I do that?”

“No real reason,” Pete replied.

Fallon cast a skeptical glance at Pete, sensing that there was more behind his comment.

“It’s just changed, is all. Everybody’s settling down. You know? It seems like Carol gets more families in there now than people at the bar. But it’s still mostly a bar.”

Fallon scratched her brow. Carol had spent the last few months making subtle yet effective changes at Murphy’s Law.

She had expanded the menu, organized acoustic and trivia nights, and introduced some fun drink specials.

She suggested to Fallon that it might be wise to close the pub earlier during the week—reserving the late nights for Thursday through Saturday.

The pub was financially stable. Fallon didn’t see itsinking. It also wasn’tsailing.

“I touched a nerve, huh?” Pete asked.

“No. And no, I’m not selling Murphy’s.”

“But?”

“I’m considering a new project. It’s still in my brain. We’ll see.”

Riley’s voice pulled Fallon’s attention away.

“Fallon! Can you start the grill?” Riley called from the kitchen.

“That would be me,” Fallon said.

“You’re going to cook?”

“No. I’m going to grill.”

“How come you never do that at Murphy’s?” Pete asked.

“Cook?”

“No. Grill.”

“What would Don do?” Fallon asked.

“Hold the fire extinguisher,” Pete deadpanned.

Fallon stared at Pete. They both laughed. Some things never change.

Riley rolled into Fallon’s arms.

“Tired?” Fallon asked.

“Relieved and relaxed.”

“Mm. That’s because I have laundry duty the rest of the week.”

Riley giggled. “It helps.”

Fallon sighed.

“What was that about?” Riley asked.

“Huh?”

“The deep sigh. Did something happen when you and Pete were on the porch?”

“No. I’ve been thinking about Murphy’s.”

“What about it?” Riley wondered.

“Carol’s right. It needs more changes. I think she’s taken them as far as she can.”

Riley propped herself up.

Fallon sighed again. “It needs more than some menu changes and social media accounts, Riley.”

“Are you worried it will go under?”

“No. But things have changed. Look at all of us. The town is aging.”

“Aging? With all these kids we’ve added?”

Fallon laughed. “Poor choice of words. People are settling down. Dale and Pete aren’t sitting in their spots every afternoon. People have kids. I just think it needs some changes.”

“Any idea what kind of changes?”

“A few. I own twelve acres. There’s room to expand.”

Riley sat up. “Expand?”

“Do you know how many times people have asked to hold wedding receptions at Murphy’s? Graduation parties? Baby showers? There aren’t a lot of venues close by.”

“You want to turn the pub into a banquet hall?”

“No. I don’t. But what if we built onto Murphy’s?”

“Is this about what Carol told you last night?” Riley asked.

“Yes and no. Something needs to happen,” Fallon said. “Carol and Charlie know more about the business than me.”

“Are you thinking of asking Charlie to come on board?”

“I know you think this is me trying to bail everyone out again.”

“I’m not sure what I think,” Riley said.

“It isn’t. I thought about this a few years back. Maybe I should have done something sooner.”

“What do you want to do?”

“ I want to show Dave the property in Jeffersonville,” Fallon admitted. “I don’t want to oversee changes at Murphy’s Law. I also don’t want to sell the pub.”

“Go on.”

“If Dave is on board with my idea to start a tour and instruction company, I’ll move forward.”

Riley smiled. “But?”

“Nope. There is no but in the equation. I wonder if Charlie would consider investing in an expansion at Murphy’s. As a partner.”

“How would you feel about that? Murphy’s Law is your baby.”

“I guess it is. I think I’ve resisted changing things because it is my baby. It’s also a business,” Fallon said. “And if I want to see it thrive, I need to make some changes.”

“You know Carol will think this is because of what she told you.”

“She will at first. It isn’t. Look, I admit. I want to help. The truth is, Riley, I need her help—and Charlie’s, particularly if I’m going to start something new. I know what some of our friends think.”

“What might that be?”

“That I don’t worry about money,” Fallon said. “They think because I have some money, I don’t care about the financial success of the business. I do.”

“I know you do.”

“Pete said some things tonight that got me thinking.”

“Oh?”

“He hired a mechanic to help in the shop.”

“Really?”

“I know. It surprised me, too. He said he doesn’t want to miss Evan’s games.

” Fallon smiled. “Dave said something about Jake missing his games when we drove back to Vermont. I get it. It’s one of the biggest reasons I like the idea of opening a tour company.

Most of my time will be needed during the winter months.

I realize it might impinge on our holidays—just a bit.

But I’d be home more during the summer when the kids are out of school.

I’d have more time for their activities.

You know? The same is true for Dave. I know that’s important to him, too.

And Carol? Riley, even when Carol and Charlie start their family, she’ll want to keep working.

I know her. And I don’t want anyone else to run Murphy’s.

With Charlie there, she can step back. It’s what we all need. And it’s what Murphy’s needs.”

Riley leaned in and kissed Fallon, pulling her closer when Fallon tried to pull away.

“Riley?”

“I love you.”

“I love you,” Fallon said. “So, you don’t think my ideas are crazy?”

“Not at all.”

“And you’re not going to tell me why I should stop and think about it more?”

“Nope.”

“Really?”

“You’ve thought it through. All your reasons make sense to me.”

“I just hope they make sense to everyone else,” Fallon said.

“Expect a little hesitancy at first,” Riley advised. “You’ve been thinking about these ideas for a while. Make sure you give everyone a little time to catch up.”

“Don’t try to hop on the bus before school even starts, huh?”

“Something like that,” Riley said, settling back into Fallon’s arms. “Or don’t try to catch frogs while you’re eating an ice cream cone. It gets messy.”

Fallon laughed. “I’ll try to remember that.”

“You will if you don’t want to deal with dirty laundry.”

Fallon closed her eyes. Somehow, it always comes back to laundry.