Page 98 of Penalty Shot

“Good, good. Let me put something together for you.” She waves for us to follow. While she picks through a massive crate to find the reddest, plumpest cherries, she addresses Randall in a less enthusiastic voice.

“He knows you’re coming today?”

An understanding passes between them.

“We’re having dinner with Dad after we check into the Buck and Barrell Inn.”

She nods, although there’s a hint of reprimand in her narrowed eyes.

“One of these visits you should stay with him instead. Or with me! You can take Mel’s old room.” Kim turns to me and explains, “That’s my son. He lives in Winnipeg now, but Randall and he were teammates all through grade school.”

“That’s very generous of you,” I manage to answer despite feeling disoriented. Randall never mentioned we weren’t staying with his family.

“He prefers it this way, too,” he says with a hint of bitterness.

“Are you sure? Did you ask him?” She wraps the cherries in a bag and calls one of the employees. “Grab me a cooler and ice pack from the back, eh? We’ll be by the peaches.”

The young woman nods absentmindedly because she’s staring at Randall with heart eyes.

Kim snorts and makes a motion to shoo the girl away. We walk to the peaches where Randall grabs one, rubs it against his shirt, and offers me a bite.

“You have to buy it first,” I say, scandalized. He bites into it and the juices run down his chin.

“Gotta try before you buy.”

“Don’t say that too loudly,” Kim reprimands. “If I let everyone try the way you do, I’ll be out of business.”

“Let’s take a selfie,” Randall tells her. “I’ll tag the fruit stand and you’ll have more business than you can handle.”

Before I can offer to take it, Kim pulls me close so we’re shoulder to shoulder while Randall is behind both of us.

The young woman comes out with a Styrofoam cooler in which the cherries and ice pack are joined by peaches. A quick stop at the snap peas and blueberries fills the cooler to the brim.

When it’s time to pay, Kim scowls at his wallet.

“Your money is no good here. This is your welcome home gift.”

“Thank you.” He kisses her cheek and slips two fifty-dollar American bills in the tip jar.

As soon as we drive off, I venture to ask, “Why don’t you stay with your dad or brothers when you visit?”

“Dad moved to one of the new condos by the river. It isn’t comfortable for visitors. Jim is in another suburb close to where his wife, Corinne, works. It’s not too far from here, but it’s farther from downtown, so it isn’t practical for us. Traffic can be awful. As for Charles, we might crash at his townhouse by Kitsilano Beach for a night or two. I’ll figure out those dates when we see him later. Everyone’s coming for dinner.”

I simply nod, patching together the dynamics of the Haughland family based on these snippets of information.

“Are we checking into, what did you call it, the Buck and Barrell Inn?”

“Best accommodations within walking distance to Garry Point. It’s got a bar at the main floor that plays live music. Which is why I brought earplugs.”

“Oh my god, will there be sea shanty music tonight?”

“No, but there will be a grunge era cover band since it’s Thursday,” he says with little enthusiasm. “Do you mind if we head to our stop now?” he asks.

“It wasn’t the fruit stand?”

“No, but we had to grab the cherries before they ran out.”

“Good call. Yes, I’m happy to go wherever you want to go,” I say and totally mean it. “God, Randall, this place is gorgeous. And the people are amazing. How did you manage to leave?”