“Where to?” Ron asks, his hands busy cleaning out beer mugs.
“Place where there’s a lot of sun and some horses.”
“Middle East then? Doesn’t your cousin Cane do a lot of horse business over there?”
I nod. “It’s a good market. They’ve got some solid thoroughbreds that are good for breeding and a lot of cash for our stock.” But that doesn’t sound appealing now that I think of it. Sad to say, nothing really interests me much these days.
“You need a woman,” Miller announces with a slap on the bartop. “The cure for that kind of boredom is a woman. They’re always causing a ruckus.”
“If they’re so interesting, why you hiding out here, Miller?” Ron asks.
“Cuz they are so interesting. My life is full of interesting shit, so I got to take a break now and then. Keeps the excitement alive,” he bullshits.
I smile into my mug. Sitting here shooting the breeze with Miller and Ron is nice. Contrary to what everyone says, I don’t need a woman. No, sir. I’m a happy single man.
CHAPTER 2
REESE
I ’m starting to wonder if I’ve made a mistake. I don’t only mean the dating app I signed up for either. The town of Edison is turning out like nothing I thought it was going to be.
Then again, nothing in life has for me. I always think I know where I’m going but end up in the wrong places with the wrong people. It’s the same old story this time but a different location.
I reach up and run my fingers along the pearl necklace I have on. It doesn’t go with the jean shorts and blouse I’m wearing, but I’ve had them on since I found them in Grams’ jewelry box. Every time I see them, I think of her, and it calms me. She always had that effect on me.
“Meow.” Henry jumps up onto the bathroom counter, nudging me for a pet.
I give his white fluffy head one. I actually think Henry is Henry the second, who my grandmother replaced in hopes I wouldn’t notice. Henry has been around since I could remember. At the age of twenty-two, I’m thinking this can’t be the original Henry.
I’m guessing he was swapped out when I was around sixteen. Not that I ever called Grams out on it. I always spent six weeks of my summer with her growing up. I miss her something fierce. It was always a nice change of pace from the city where I lived with my mom.
My mom and stepfather Jacob would always go on a trip during that time, taking Angel, my half-sister, with them. Grams was my birth father’s mom. I don’t have any memories of him. He died when I was still a baby. What I know of him was all through Grams. Jacob is the only father figure I could ever recall, but he did marry my mom when I was three, and Angel came along quickly after.
I thought coming back here to Edison was a good idea to try to start over—or I suppose at twenty-two, it might not count as starting over. I guess I’d consider it more of a reboot. My whole world was already falling apart before I got the call that I’d lost Grams too. I packed what I could in a few suitcases and left immediately. I hadn’t even told my mom until I was already gone. I haven't been back since. That was seven months ago now.
Henry the second lets out another meow. “I miss her too.” I kiss the top of his head before I go in search of my sandals. I hate nothing more than being late, and I need to leave soon or that’s exactly what I’ll be.
How I let Linda talk me into signing up for one of those dating apps I’ll never know. She has a vast knowledge of all the different dating apps out there. She even has a few accounts of her own. All the Sew Be It ladies do. Since moving here they’ve all tucked me right in under their godmotherly wings. All of them were friends with my grams. It might be weird for me to have best friends almost four times my age, but those ladies know how to have a good time.
I slip on my strappy sandals and change out my purse before I head out the door. Growing up in the city, I never really needed to know how to drive. The Sew Be It ladies took the time to teach me. Living in a country town, you have to drive if you want to get around.
The duplex my grams left me is close to town so I could walk to work, but a vehicle is a must if you plan on sticking around. I finally got my license a few months ago, but it still can be a bit overwhelming at times when I get behind the wheel. Especially with driving Grams’ fancy convertible. She loved this car. I have so many fond memories of her taking us into town with it.