Page 3 of Holding Ground

She’s probably two decades older than my thirty-four years, though that’s not the issue. She’s an attractive woman, and if I were a different man with a different life and different responsibilities, maybe I’d take her up on her offer. But I’m not, and I don’t fuck around just for the sake of it, and certainly not with a woman I share this town with.

Besides, I’m not naïve enough to think I’m the only man Dottie flirts with. Everyone knows she’s the town flirt.

So I do what I always do—make it clear I’m not interested without making it an outright rejection. “Well, now comes all the work of getting the camp ready for winter, so not that much extra time, I’m afraid.”

“Miss Dottie, can I have a strawberry and cream steamer?” Baylor interrupts.

I rest my hand on top of Baylor’s windblown hair from the boat. “Manners,” I say, but really, I want to kiss her for saving me from the conversation.

“Please.” She smiles across the counter.

“Of course you can. But only if you promise to bring your daddy in here more often.” Dottie winks at me before she straightens away from the counter.

Once Baylor has her drink, I say a quick goodbye and lead us toward the hardware store my uncle owns.

Time to figure out who our mystery guest is.

CHAPTER

TWO

Elliott

The Mercer Hardware sign comes into view after a minute. Right beside it is the Bait & Tackle shop, and sitting out front is the Thermos Crew—Jimmy, Clyde, and Sam. Not only do they hang out in front of the shop drinking coffee in their lawn chairs and gossiping like teenage girls, they’re also at my uncle’s place once a week for poker night. Since they’re my uncle’s best friends, they’ve been a fixture in my life since I was ten and came to live with him.

“Hey, guys.” I raise my hand as we approach.

Clyde nods. “Elliott. Finally bringing this cutie for a visit. How are you, Baylor?”

She thrusts her cup toward the old men, beaming. They’re old to her anyway. Now that I’m in my thirties, someone being in their early sixties doesn’t seem so old to me anymore.

“Daddy got me a steamer.”

Jimmy chuckles. “Down at the café, were you?”

“How is Dottie?” Sam asks with a teasing glint in his eye.

Baylor nods enthusiastically. “Daddy says Miss Dottie just wants someone to warm her bed.”

I put my hand over her mouth as heat floods my face, and all three men erupt in laughter.

She turns away from the guys and looks up at me, and I release my hand. “Daddy, how come she doesn’t use a heating pad like the one you give me when I’m cold?”

“Baylor, what did I tell you about repeating things I say?”

“But that’s what you said last time we were there. And you say to always tell the truth.”

It’s when things like this happen that I wish Kate were still around. I picture the two of us on the back deck after Baylor’s asleep, me recounting whatever hilariously inappropriate thing our daughter said that day, Kate’s laughter carrying out into the cool night air.

Sometimes I feel sorry for Baylor and myself—for her not having a mother and me not having a partner. But then I remind myself there’s no point. It is what it is. All I can do is make the best of it.

“Anyway, what’s new, fellas?”

“Let’s see…” Clyde taps a thick finger on his lips as though he can’t recite an entire list of gossip. “You know Greta Goldstein drove into the city and spent a couple days there a few weeks ago. The women in town are saying she had a little work done… you know, a bit of an enhancement.” He cups his palms up to his chest area.

“What does enchantments mean?”

“Guys,” I say, looking down at Baylor and back up at them. “Nothing for you to worry about.” I set my hand on the top of her head.