was grinning like this was not his first time at this rodeo, so she said, “Okay, she’s right. Your wife went fishing, and I took the bait. I’m sorry.”
He kissed Ginger’s cheek and slid his arm around her waist. “That’s my girl, always toying with the customers.”
“I was just welcoming her to the Hog,” Ginger said sweetly. “Do you have any idea who this gorgeous blonde is?”
“Chloe. Mads just told me,” Conroy answered.
Chloe stood up and extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Uptown Girl,” she said as he shook her hand. “You might have heard of me. Billy Joel wrote a song about me before I was even born.” She sat back down and said, “And for the record, I don’t think I’m out of anyone’s league.”
Conroy laughed deeply and heartily. “You’re the gal who caught Maverick’s eye a long, long time ago. Well, this is a pleasure, Chloe. You have thrown that boy for a loop. And the nickname is all in good fun. You know, Mav’s quite a catch.”
“I’m sure Justin has a lot of women tossing him their fishing lines,” Chloe said more casually than she felt.
“All our Wicked boys do,” Conroy joked. “But Maverick’s not a catch-and-return type of guy.”
“Do not try to set her up, Uncle Con,” Madigan said. “Chloe is here to discuss work, not to be on The Dating Game.”
“Hey, I’m just an uncle bragging about my nephew. No harm in that.” Conroy chuckled and turned his attention to Ginger. “Any word from the boys?”
“Not yet,” Ginger said. “How is Leah doing shadowing Starr?”
“Is Leah the new waitress? I saw her with Starr when I first came in,” Madigan said.
“Yes. She just started,” Conroy said. “Leah is fast and capable, and she’s friendly enough.” He gazed across the room at a skinnyish girl with a mass of thick, curly brownish-red hair and a wary look in her eyes. “She’s not warm, and the verdict is still out on if she can handle the guys here or not. But it’s only her first week, and she’s doing a really good job of learning the ropes.”
“We’re a wild bunch, Con. It takes time to warm up to us,” Ginger said. “As long as she can hold her own and she’s fast and capable, it sounds like we’ll have a great employee. I’ll chat with her before she leaves tonight and see if I can help her feel more comfortable.” She turned back to Chloe and Madigan and said, “I’ve kept you girls waiting long enough. What are you hungry for?”
“Nachos would be great.” Madigan looked at Chloe and said, “Are you hungry?”
“No, thanks. I ate before I came.”
Conroy frowned at Madigan and said, “Nachos aren’t dinner, Mads. How about a burger?”
“How about Nachos with extra beef?” Madigan countered.
“I’ll see what I can do.” Conroy winked, and then he lowered his voice, giving Ginger a smoldering look, and said, “Meet me in the kitchen for a quick make-out sesh?”
“Uncle Conroy!” Madigan scolded, but her smile told Chloe she didn’t mind his playfulness.
Conroy chuckled as he walked away.
“He’s so bad,” Madigan said.
“That he is, and boy, do I love that man. Even after all these years, he still makes my heart go pitter-patter.” Ginger sighed and said, “Everyone should be so lucky. I’ll bring your drink in a sec, Chloe.”
As she walked away, Madigan called to her, “Stay out of the kitchen!”
“You’re no fun,” Ginger said over her shoulder.
Madigan flopped back in her chair and said, “I love them so much.”
“They seem happy. You’re lucky to have so many relatives in the area. I’ve never met any of mine.”
“None?”
Chloe shook her head, but she didn’t want to talk about her weird upbringing, so she said, “We’re not here to talk about me. I’d love to hear your thoughts on puppetry and the elderly.”
“I have lots of thoughts on that.” Madigan told her about the work she’d done with the elderly and what she’d learned. She explained the benefits of having residents create personal puppets, which would be good for their fine motor skills, and that encouraging the use of the puppets to create their own shows aided with social interaction and stimulated their brains. She told Chloe how the use of puppets could trigger memories and help break down communication barriers that went hand in hand with Alzheimer’s and dementia and that it was helpful for people who suffer from depression, too.
They talked for a long time, noshing on nachos and joking as often as they were serious.