waving passively at us as we drove off. I wondered when Mallory would notice how sickly he was.
We got to Grady’s in record time and Mallory jumped out of the truck to socialize with her girlfriends, which left me with the task of trying to fit in with a bunch of high school kids. It was more than awkward, especially since most of the guys just wanted me to buy them beer. No matter how many times I told them I wasn’t twenty-one yet, they continued to ask. I was beyond frustrated by the time a few of the moms got us all lined up for a photo session. All the guys were against the railing with the ocean as a backdrop for the pictures.
“I can’t believe you almost made us late, Luke,” Mallory said, stepping in front of me.
She wasn’t quiet about her disappointment, either, which left me to deal with the glares from the teenage girls and the sympathetic nods from the young guys. I was pissed. How dare she treat me that way in front of all her friends?
“Smile, kids,” one of the mothers called out to us.
I put my arms around Mallory’s waist and gave my brightest smile. It was surprisingly genuine. Even with all the issues we had, I loved her. Nothing would change that.
I closed my eyes to ward off the memory. I didn’t want to think about the way we used to be or the close friendship we’d had during our four-year relationship. She’d been the love of my life and I would have done anything for her. If only she hadn’t pushed me away. That night was probably the worst of my life, bar none. I didn’t want to remember the break up.
I glanced at my watch and realized I was going to be late. I pulled off my tool belt and walked around the house to where I’d parked my truck by the barn. I tossed the belt into the toolbox in the bed of the truck and grabbed a clean shirt from the cab. At least, I assumed it was clean. I took a whiff and it didn’t smell foul, so I was safe. I climbed in my truck and drove to Penny’s.
Penny’s was the local seafood take out place. They boasted the largest lobster roll in the state, and anyone who could finish the whole thing in one sitting got it for free. I’d only ever seen one person ever eat the damn thing, and that had been my best friend Chris Baker, who everyone just called Baker.
Baker had worked at Penny’s when we were kids, so he’d worked himself up to eating the whole lobster roll. I told him it was cheating. I wondered what he would think about Mallory Wells waltzing back into town. I would have to call him later and find out.
Penny herself was at the counter when I walked in.
“The usual, Luke?” She smiled.
She was in her forties, but she always managed to look fantastic, even working at a fish fry joint.
“Yeah, but I need an extra serving of shrimp,” I said.
“Oh, got a date?”
“Not exactly. Mallory Wells is back in town,” I explained.
Her sharp intake of breath didn’t surprise me.
“Mallory Wells! It’s about time she came home to take care of that father of hers,” she said.
“She’s only here because he’s on the last leg of the cancer,” I replied.
I didn’t trust Mallory, probably because of our history, but she hadn’t exactly proven me wrong over the last few years.
“I’m sure she just wants the best for her dad.”
Penny was more optimistic than I was. I made a noncommittal noise and she seemed to accept it. She wrote down my order and went to give it to the cooks. There was a line behind me, so I made my way to one of the chairs set aside for takeout and had a seat.
Several minutes later, I was on my way to the hospital with a piping hot meal to share with Joe Wells and his daughter. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to it.
The hospital was in the center of town. No one came or went without someone noticing and reporting it to someone else, who told all their friends, and so on. I knew, before I even stepped onto the pavement of the parking lot, that there would be rumors about my visit to Joe while his daughter was home. People would talk. It was the way life worked in a small town.