Page 14 of Like A Daydream
He pushes off the counter, grabbing his plate of toast and taking another sip of coffee, ignoring the glance that JT and Ainsley exchange.
“Feel free to help yourself to anything that’s in the fridge,” Ainsley says, “if you come up and we aren’t here. We have a funeral in a couple of hours that we have to get ready for.”
“I’m sorry,” Andrew says, eyes moving between the two of them. “Who was it?”
“Someone we went to school with,” JT says, “and her husband.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah,” JT replies. “They had a daughter. She’s five.”
“Well don’t I feel like the world’s biggest ass,” Andrew says. “Are you guys okay?”
“I’m more worried about Danielle,” JT says, Ainsley scoffs from the counter. “Relax, hot shot. Emerson was her best friend, you’re worried about her, too.”
“Worried isn’t the word,” Ainsley says, biting into a slice of toast. She’s layered it with eggs and bacon and Andrew’s stomach rumbles. He looks down at his own plate, wondering if he can take a bite without having to free one of his hands to do it.
He’s already stood up, sitting back down two minutes later would just be embarrassing.
“Alright, but you do care.”
“Yeah, I care,” Ainsley says, heavily.
“See? Progress.” JT says, offering her a smile.
“I’m worried about what’s going to happen to their daughter.” Ainsley says, sighing heavily. “She’s such a sweetheart, I’d hate for her to leave Lake Placid.”
“I doubt that’ll happen,” JT says, “but I guess we’ll find out.”
“Is someone going to try to take her away?” Andrew asks, unsure why he cares about a woman and child he’s never met before. It’s not like it matters in the grand scheme of the dumpster fire that is his life.
“Emerson and Jack’s parents aren’t really… around.” JT answers. “No one knows who’s going to get custody of her. Emerson has a brother who would probably be the logical choice, but the town has been in a tizzy because of it.”
“Why is it such a big deal?”
“If you knew this little girl, you’d understand,” Ainsley says. “Jack and Emerson were really big influences around here. I’ve only been back for two years, and I knew it. If Harper wanted, she could run for City Council and win, and she’s only six. Everyone loves her, and everyone knows her. If she leaves Lake Placid, I don’t know what people will do.”
“Fall into depression, probably,” JT says with a shrug. “I’m going to go get changed. Andy, I’ll see you when we get back? We can go to the rink and shoot around if you want?”
“Landry said he would personally end my career if he heard I was skating,” Andy says, shaking his head. “And to be honest, I don’t know if I’m ready to get back on ice, yet.”
“That’s a pretty Landry thing to say,” JT says, rolling his eyes. “How about a tour of Lake Placid instead?”
“Yeah, sure,” Andrew says with a nod. “You know where to find me.”
“In the basement,” JT says in a terrible British accent, “making no noise and pretending you don’t exist.”
“There’s only so many places you can go in this house,” Ainsley says with a smile. “If you need a map, I can draw you one.”
“This is nothing compared to his place,” Jamie says, nodding his head in Andrew’s direction. “He’s got seven bathrooms.”
“You’ve got to be joking.”
“I swear on my life.”
“It’s not seven,” Andrew says, huffing and shifting his coffee so it’s balanced on his plate of toast. “It’s four full bathrooms and three half baths.”
“Pretty sure four plus three is seven, jackass,” JT says, but there’s no malice in it.
