Thanks to the payment of that life insurance policy which she’d just received, she’d had the money to buy the materials they’d need. Jordan Alvarez-Kendall had already ordered everything, giving her a contractor’s discount.
“Adam have any luck finding out who attacked your poor defenseless fuel tank last week?” Laci asked.
It surprised her that Laci would ask that. As far as Michaela knew, Randy saw his sister-in-law every day, even if he was keeping her warm and happy every night. Maybe Randy hasn’t been keeping his family in the loop.
“He hasn’t. There were no fingerprints on the screwdriver used as a weapon, which the tank-mutilator had apparently brought with him, and no one in the area saw anyone except Lewis driving down the road during the time in question.” Michaela shrugged. “Personally, I think it was just some dumbass kid. I think that’s what Adam believes, too. Especially since we put a new lock on that barn just the afternoon before. Kid was likely pissed he couldn’t get into the barn for whatever, and attacked the tank as a way of striking back.”
“Adam does tend to believe that any open and not well attended barn is the setting for daily teenage orgies,” Laci said.
She had a twinkle in her eye when she said it, and Michaela snickered. “Kind of makes you wonder what his teen years were like, doesn’t it?”
Laci laughed. “It does, doesn’t it? I hear the cleanup of the fuel dump is going well.”
“It is. Jake insisted that the Town Trust has a huge contingency fund in case of vandalism—which this was.” Michaela shook her head. “When I pointed out that I didn’t live in Lusty, he said, ‘You’re near enough.’”
“That would have been Grandma Kate’s doing,” Laci said. “After that crowd greeted you at the clinic when you nailed yourself, you can’t really be surprised that everyone considers you as theirs.”
“I’m not surprised exactly. It’s just that I guess I’m not used to…such kindness.”
“I know exactly how you feel. I came here to apply for this job and to spend time with my bestie, Chloe, but also to escape some trouble in Abilene. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t family. They made me family and then helped me through that rough patch.”
Michaela had worked at the Roadhouse for nearly eight months, and she’d seen what the people of this town were like. She just hadn’t expected the inclusion to include her.
“You’re coming for supper tomorrow?” Laci asked.
“Wouldn’t miss it. Do you want me to bring anything?”
“Just yourself.” Laci tilted her head and kept her gaze fixed on Michaela. “Those two Benedicts behaving themselves with you? They treating you all right?”
She didn’t answer immediately because just thinking about Lewis and Randy made her smile.
“Wow. I think your smile reminds me of me not that all that long ago. Okay, you’ve answered my questions.”
“But I didn’t say anything?” Michaela couldn’t not laugh, even though she felt her cheeks heating.
“Girlfriend, I recognized that look because I saw it every day in the mirror, uh-huh I did! Still do.” Laci performed a bit of a butt wiggle as she finished drawing the beer. Then she chuckled, even as Michaela shook her head and picked up her tray.
“They are treating me very well.” And she raised her eyebrows twice in rapid succession as she did her best to imitate a leer.
Michaela turned away from the bar as fellow server Bailey was making her way over with an empty tray, her be-bop movements telling Michaela that her friend was enjoying listening to Garth and Blake singing about a dive bar.
Michaela didn’t actually dance to the music the way Bailey did, but she enjoyed it, nonetheless. She kind of understood Bailey’s rhythmic approach to her job, but it wasn’t a philosophy she herself could get behind.
There were always new faces in the summer, she’d been told, and she’d served a few of them tonight. One table held two women named Tammy and Kimmi, and they seemed to be having a great time. The sound of their laughter put a smile on Michaela’s face. Tammy was visiting from Mississippi, and apparently the two women had become fast friends over the love of books.
A newly engaged couple from Waco had spent the evening sipping on coolers and staring raptly into each other’s eyes. Peggy and Gregory were both students and planning a December wedding. There were some regulars in her rounds, too. Most were from Gatesville or the farms and homes stretched out on the state highway from there to here. Some were here on Saturday night date night and some for a late supper after an early movie.
Motion near the stage told her the band for the night had arrived and were beginning to set up. They’d start their first set around nine-thirty and play until midnight—later, if the house was rockin’.
Michaela finally arrived at Benedict Central and delivered a couple of beers to Warren and Edward Jessop. She set a Coke down for Carol, their wife, who appeared very happy to be tucked in between her men.
Michaela took one look at Carol’s grin, and the Coke she was drinking instead of her usual Chablis, and her eyes widened.
Carol put a finger up to her lips, a pantomime of “shh”.
In return, Michaela gave her a discreet “thumbs up”. If she had to guess, she’d say that the happy triad hadn’t yet told their parents—Anna, Craig and Jackson Jessop—that there was going to be at least one more soul added to the family.
“Where are Lewis and Randy tonight?” Sean Kendall asked. He, his brother, Noah, and their wife, Brittany, had come in a few minutes before. They’d ordered beer and supper. The food would be ready shortly.
“The guys should be here soon. They accompanied Jesse and Barry to Houston this morning.”
“Jesse and Barry were going to look over a few head of cattle, weren’t they?” Warren asked. “For their combined operation?”
“Yep. I don’t have any details, and don’t know a thing
