“What? You’re leaving?” I asked, sounding more than a little disappointed.
“Yeah, we gotta get back over to the clubhouse for church,” Country answered. “Just stopped by here on the way.”
“I thought you’d be able to stay for a while.”
“We did, too, but we got the call on our way over here.” Rafe leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. “Hopefully, it won’t be too long. Either way, we’ll be back to help you close.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.” I didn’t want him to feel obligated to help. “We can handle it.”
“We’ll be back,” Rafe replied firmly, and I knew not to waste my breath arguing. As they started to leave, Rafe looked over his shoulder and said, “Try to keep a handle on Gladys, and don’t let her get too carried away until we get back.”
“I’ll do what I can, but I’m not making any promises.”
As soon as they were both out the door, I got busy catching up on drink orders. Since they seemed to be the rowdiest of the bunch, I started with the folks sitting at the bar—starting with Gladys. I walked up behind her and placed my hand on her shoulder. “Hey there, boss. You doing okay?”
“Never better.” She reached for the bottle of tequila, then motioned for me to come sit with them. “Come have a drink with us.”
“Love to, but I’ve got a little catching up to do first.”
“They can wait, child. You need to be enjoying yourself too.”
“Seeing you have a good time is the only enjoyment I need.” I gave her a quick hug, then said, “I’ll be back in a bit.”
I left Gladys to carry on with her celebration and got busy making drinks. After I was caught up at the counter, I made my way to the back of the bar and checked in on my tables. When I came up on my first booth, I was surprised to find Ford sitting there alone. He was wearing his usual denim overalls, farming cap, and worn-out boots. Ford had never been one to fix up for the folks at the bar, and tonight was no different. I gave him a friendly smile as I said, “Hey, what are you doing sitting over here all by your lonesome?”
“Just taking a moment to myself, I guess.” He motioned his hand to the empty bench in front of him. “Why don’t you take a load off for a minute? I’ve got something I’d like to discuss with you.”
“Okay, but I only have a minute. I still have a few tables to check on.”
“Won’t take long.”
Curious to see what was on his mind, I laid my drink tray down on the table, then slid into the booth. “What’s on your mind?”
“Remember how I told you about my wife Trisha ... How she was such a fine teacher and how her kids loved her so?”
“Yes, sir. I remember.” There was a somber look in his dark brown eyes—one that made my chest tighten with worry. It was clear Ford loved his wife. You could hear it in his voice whenever he talked about her. It was also very clear he missed her terribly—some nights more than others. I had the feeling that tonight was one of those nights. “You said she taught third grade. One of the hardest grades to teach.”
“That’s right, but it didn’t matter what grade she taught. Trisha loved all kids. Didn’t matter what gender, what age, or what race. She loved them all the same.” He let out a depressed sigh as he adjusted his worn-out cap, inching it down so I couldn’t see the emotion in his eyes. “That’s why it was so hard for her when we couldn’t have kids of our own.”
Ford was always so busy talking about Trisha and her kids at school or the trips they’d taken, I hadn’t thought to ask if he had any children. There was no hiding the surprise in my voice when I replied, “I didn’t realize you didn’t have kids.”
“We tried for years. Got pregnant a couple of times, but Trisha couldn’t seem to carry to term.” Tears welled in his eyes as he continued, “Nearly broke her heart.”
“I can only imagine. No one should have to go through that.” I reached over and placed my hand on his arm. “I’m truly sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was God’s plan for us. Just like it was his plan for her to teach and love her students like she did.” His eyes met mine. “I also believe it was in his plan for me to meet you. I can’t tell you how many long, awful nights were made a little better just by seeing that sweet smile of yours. You’ve always been so kind and thoughtful, and it’s meant a lot to me.”