high ground here and therefore the winning argument.
“What happened to the Keith’s tap?” Mr. Lawson asked Benjamin as he came back over.
“I swapped in KLB Raspberry Wheat for the festival,” Benjamin said. “I’ll bring it back when the KLB is gone.”
“I’m surprised you chose the Keith’s, though. I don’t think we’ve ever not had Keith’s on tap, even in your grandpa’s time.”
Hooboy. Maya didn’t think Mr. Lawson meant anything by his comment, but she could see what Law meant about the whole legacy thing.
Mr. Lawson moved down the bar to serve a customer who had just arrived, and Maya noticed the new sandcastle trophy sitting behind the bar, next to the ones Benjamin had won in previous years. She pointed at it. “I guess congratulations are in order. Bitter congratulations. I have to say, you deserved to win this year.”
He smiled. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, and to her surprise she meant it.
Chapter Eleven
The weather was perfect for a boat ride. Warm and clear and not too breezy. Law finished shuttling the life jackets off the boat and laid them on the hood of his car. Usually he had people put them on in the boat, but with the geriatric crowd, he planned to get them outfitted first.
His phone rang. Eiko.
“Law, hon, there’s been a bit of a mix-up.”
“What’s up?”
“The Whispering Pines crew isn’t coming.”
“Oh. Okay.” Truth be told, he was a little annoyed. Not only had he left Carter alone at the bar, he had really been looking forward to getting out on the lake.
And he wasn’t even minding the prospect of listening to Maya give a lecture.
“The bus was double-booked. There was a long-scheduled trip to the casino in Rodham that no one told me about.” Law had a view of the parking lot from his slip, and he turned when he heard a car pulling in. It was Maya’s ancient rust bucket. “I was going to shuttle people over myself,” Eiko said, “but it turns out everyone went to the casino. I guess gambling wins out over theater. Sorry!”
He watched Maya get out of the car. And then lean back in and rummage around in the back seat. The way she was leaning made it impossible not to, well, look at her ass. Which was encased in a pair of denim shorts. Short shorts. And instead of her usual sneakers, she was wearing flip-flops—a historic day. Well, at least he had nothing on hand with which to burn himself as he’d done last time he’d seen her.
“Well, okay,” he said to Eiko. “I’ll head back into town.”
“Listen, I wasn’t able to reach Maya, but I think the two of you should still go. I, well…” Eiko was acting oddly. She wasn’t the type to hesitate over speaking her mind. “I’m not sure if I should…”
“What?”
Maya emerged from her car with a bag slung over her shoulder and started across the parking lot.
“I shouldn’t say anything,” Eiko said.
“Yes you should.”
“Well, I ran into Maya this morning, and…” She lowered her voice. “She told me how much she was looking forward to seeing you.”
“She did?” Maya spotted him and froze in place, halting her progress across the lot. She scowled. “You must have heard wrong.”
“No, I don’t think so! I think…”
“What?” He was starting to feel a little unnerved. Eiko was being vague, and Maya was looking at him like she wanted to murder him. “You think what?”
“Nope, I’ve said enough! You kids enjoy the lake—and each other’s company. You’re already out there! It would be a shame to waste such a beautiful day!” She hung up.
“Hi,” he said warily as Maya resumed her approach. Her hair was in a long braid down her back. He’d never seen it like that before.
“Hi.” She jammed a big, floppy sunhat on her head. That probably explained why she didn’t have her hair in its usual topknot—it wouldn’t fit under the hat.
“What’s wrong?”
“What do you mean what’s wrong?”
“You looked like you were sucking on a lemon just now.”
“Well, Benjamin, maybe that’s just my natural face.”
Right. It was her natural face when she was looking at him, anyway. He just hadn’t seen it for a while, had been lulled into complacency by the recent thaw between them. “I just got off the phone with Eiko,” he said. “There was some kind of mix-up. The Whispering Pines people aren’t coming.”
“I heard.”
“You did?” Eiko had said she couldn’t reach Maya. But okay.
“I ran into Pearl on my way out of town.”
Right. So she’d run into Pearl,