Page 85 of Into the Mountains
“Back in the day?” I ask. “So you’ve known each other for a while?”
“Frank and I go way back and not all of it is pleasant.”
Frank pulls her in by the hip and plants a quick kiss to her cheek. “Let’s not go down that road again, please. I don’t think my old ticker can take that.”
She swats at his chest. “So dramatic.” Turning back to me, she explains, “We dated years ago and it didn’t end well. I married and had kids, grandkids, the whole shindig and my husband passed away a few years ago. No sympathies needed.” She stops me from doing just that as my mouth hangs open and my eyes soften.
“Anyway,” she continues. “Frank reached out when he passed and again a bit ago after we ran into each other, here actually, and we decided to get together again and here we are on our third date.”
“Fourth actually, but who’s counting?”
“You are, because you’re hoping to get lucky, darlin.’”
“I’m plenty lucky,” Frank responds and with the way he’s looking at Bea, I’d say he means it. “I get a second chance.”
Bea smiles and gently pats his cheek before turning back to us. “We’ll let you two get to your date. Have a beer for us, okay?”
“You got it, Bea. It was great to meet you.”
Before Frank walks to the front of the restaurant with Bea, he closes the distance between him and Eli and whispers something in his ear too low for me to hear. Eli pats his arm, in thanks I think, as he pulls back and follows Bea.
“What was that about?”
He shrugs. “Just Frank being Frank.”
We sit down at our table and the aroma from the lit candle in the middle of the table surrounds us. The woodsy scented smoke mixes with the aroma of the restaurant, the lighting dimmed enough to give it a very calming effect.
“I can’t believe he’s out.”
A dark-haired waitress comes by the table and takes our drink order while we decide to take a few minutes to figure out what we want to eat for dinner.
“Yeah,” he agrees. “I don’t really remember the last time I’ve seen him outside of his bar to be completely honest. But I’m happy for him. The two of them seem like a good match.”
“They really do. And this is their second chance.”
The words that resonate with them and us. Neither of us say anything about the coincidence. I don’t think it’s necessary. A second chance is a second chance at any age and I think we are both happy we get ours now.
After our drinks come and we order our food, I grab my glass. “To Frank and Bea?” I ask, raising my glass of beer.
“To Frank and Bea,” he echoes.
A buzzing sound interrupts Eli’s sip of beer and he fishes his phone out of his pocket. He answers and I catch the smile playing on his lips. The one he automatically gets when he’s talking to or about his son.
“Ethan,” his voice is stern, but his smile doesn’t falter. “Three is plenty. Hobbles doesn’t need a three-legged friend. He has two four-legged friends that treat him just fine.”
He pauses and listens to his son explain all the while trying to hold back his laughter at whatever explanation Ethan is coming up with.
“You’re right, Sable and Erebor don’t know what it’s like to be a…tripod. But they still love Hobbles and don’t treat him any differently.”
I don’t think Ethan took that answer either, because I can almost hear his negotiation skills from here and I can see them working. To have the negotiation skills at his age, I don’t think I would have known what to do with myself.
“I do see what you’re saying. Okay, let me at least talk to Jacob first before we decide, okay? I do appreciate you callingme first this time. I promise I will talk to Jacob and make sure he doesn’t let her get adopted until we make a decision. Does that sound good? Okay. I will see you tomorrow.”
Ethan says something that makes Eli laugh and rub a hand down his face in disbelief or hilarity or both. Either way there is so much love behind it, I already know, with or without him talking to Jacob, Eli is going to cave and they are definitely a four kitten household now.
When he hangs up the phone, Eli takes a long swig of beer.
“Everything good over there?” I ask.
