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Jo looked at Dare carefully. “You and I have been friends for so long, I guess I just never talk about it much. I don’t even know if I understand it all. But I think I messed up her life somehow and she’s never figured out how to deal with that other than to resent me.”
“Messed up her life? How? You’re her daughter, like the only child, and you’re smart and hard-working and, you know, pretty damn cool. What’s to mess up?” Dare asked.
“One time, when I was a teenager, like thirteen, I think, we had a big argument,” Jo began. Then she paused and took a breath. “I was home from boarding school. You knew I was sent away to school, right? From first grade. Rarely saw my parents during the school year and then you know I was here for a month in the summers with Gran. On either side of that month were camps and stuff like that. Mom and me, I don’t know, we just didn’t really know one another. I couldn’t understand how the other girls at school talked about their moms so much and how great they were and the things they did together. Dad tried to make up for it, but he’s my dad, not my mom. Anyway, we were really shouting at each other and she said…” she let her voice fade to silence. Shaking her head. “Doesn’t really matter right now, but I just couldn’t ever forget what she said. And I still haven’t. It hurts like hell, but I just put up a wall. We’re civil to one another for the most part. And Dad still tries to mediate.”
She stopped and Dare brushed a tear from her face.
“Whoa, that’s a lot. I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. But I mean, she just said one thing one time and your whole relationship got fucked up due to that? Can’t you try to make it better? My mom and sister fight all the time but they get over it. Maybe if you –”
Jo cut him off. “Dare, don’t go there. This is my thing with my mom. Your fantastic family with perfect grandparents, two for each parent, and you and your sister have it made. I can’t compete with your perfection, so don’t tell me what to do.”
Dare sat back a little stunned. “OK. I’m gonna just forget you said all that because I’m not sure where it came from. I get it that you’re tired, really tired, and that your parents are coming and you’re pretty anxious about that. So, let’s try this. I was going to ask you if you wanted to go down to the docks to hear Jamie and the Hanks in a bit. They’re playing a Hurricane Eva relief mini-concert for the locals.”
“You know, Dare, I just don’t feel like it. Why don’t you go yourself? I wouldn’t be good company.”
“Suit yourself,” he said getting up from the bar. “If I thought there was something in that lemonade, I’d give you a pass on what you just said, but since it’s just lemonade and you didn’t say you were sorry, I guess I will go. Sorry I asked.”
“Just go, Dare,” Jo responded wearily. “Just go ahead and go.”
Dare dropped some cash next to her. “This is for my beer, your lemonade, and leave Marcie a nice tip. Have a good evening.”
Jo didn’t acknowledge him. She looked away until she saw him walking across the parking lot. Then she shed another tear, turned her back to the doorway, and sat staring at the glass of lemonade.
ChapterFive
Jo sat for a long time deep in thought. Why had she lashed out at Dare like that? He’d never been anything but understanding and kind to her. She never realized how much she envied him for what she saw as a “normal” family arrangement. He had wonderful parents, doting grandparents on both sides – Jo had met them on many occasions during the summers when they would visit the island – and he had a younger sister who was as sweet and kind as she was determined and smart. But none of that was because of Dare’s doing. She knew she was wrong for allowing her anger and hurt to color their friendship by trying to hurt him. She shook her head and decided she would text him first thing early in the morning to apologize. Then her heart skipped as she realized he might not accept it. But deep down inside she knew while she might be crazy emotional at times, Dare was rock steady. He was truly a special guy.
“Excuse me, but is this seat taken?” asked a deep voice and Jo looked up to see someone who, in a brief instant, looked vaguely familiar to her. She realized he was speaking to her because she’d set her backpack on the adjacent bar stool after Dare left, hoping to be alone in her thoughts. Clearly, the bar was slammed as every other seat was occupied, and the servers, MaryAnn and Carolyn, had all they could handle with the tables, so there wasn’t much she could do but move the pack.
“No, please, it’s OK,” she shrugged.
“Hey, if you’re waiting for someone, I can go sit outside or something,” he said. “Looks like everything in here is taken.”
“Nah, I was just being a little selfish putting my bag there. Have a seat,” Jo replied.
Marcie came over and asked him for his order. “What’ll it be Mr. new to my bar?”
“Name is Jonathan. I’ll take a burger and fries, please. And whatever the local brew is these days,” he said.
“That would be a ‘Wild Whelk’,” she replied, and the man broke into a big smile.
“Well, that’s a new one on me,” he chuckled.
Again, Jo had the strangest feeling she should know him, but he clearly came in alone with none of the locals. So maybe he was one of the contractors who came in today. He seemed at ease, though, like he knew his way around.
“Hey Jo, come back to earth.” It was Marcie again. “Do you want another lemonade?”
“Yeah, ‘cause I’m gonna order food for me and Gran to take home. I’m too tired to cook tonight and I know she loves your fried shrimp basket. And I’ll have a burger like my next-door neighbor here.”
“You got it,” said Marcie and she hustled back to the kitchen with the orders, and then went for their drinks.
She looked over and gave the man a smile. “I’m guessing you’re a contractor, since it’s only been locals since Eva paid us a visit.”
“You’re pretty sharp,” he replied. “Yep, that’s my van out there. JCS Roofing. From just outside of Baltimore. My crew came down too, in another truck. We’re hoping to help out.”
Jo turned and looked back out through the doorway where she could just make out some of the lettering on a burgundy van.
“That’s really nice of you, assuming you’re legit,” Jo said.
