Page 75 of Waitress at the Shadow Ridge Inn
I exhaled heavily. I think, in the back of my mind, I’d already figured that out, but had needed someone else to say it before I could fully accept it.
“Thank you, Jessie. I should have listened to Steve. I should have come to you earlier, and then we might have avoided all this.”
“There you go, second-guessing fate again,” she said with a small smile. “If you had come to me, would you have believed me?”
I thought about that. “Honestly, I don’t know.”
She nodded, as if I’d proven her point. “You needed to see her betrayal for yourself. You needed proof, just like the authorities did.”
“But why did so many people have to get hurt?”
She shrugged. “Bad things happen.”
That made me smile. “Seriously? All that psychic woo-woo stuff you’ve got going on, and that’s all you’ve got?”
She laughed. “Yes. Occam’s razor. The simplest answer is usually the right one. Besides, some good did come out of all this, yes?”
“Yes,” I agreed. “Speaking of, I’ve got one more stop to make before I go.”
“Tell everyone I said hi.”
“I will. Thank you, Jessie. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”
“Part of the process. I knew you’d come around eventually,” she said with a knowing smile.
“Goodbye, Jessie.”
“Nope. Not goodbye. We’ll be seeing each other again very soon.”
This time, I believed her.
27
I tooka minute to stare at the inn before I went inside. It looked much the same as it had the first day I came here. It was still regal. Still beautiful with its white brick and black shutters and abundance of carriage-style lamps. But it felt different. It was no longer just a building from a bygone era. It felt almost … alive. I had the oddest sense that the building was regarding me every bit as much as I was regarding it.
I shook my head. Now, I was starting to sound like Jessie.
“There she is,” Lou drawled as I entered through the back. “How are you doin’, darlin?”
“I’m doin’,” I said.
“Rough couple of days, huh?”
“You can say that again.”
I looked around at the multitude of warming trays. “Senior bus trip today?”
“You know it. Did you come to say goodbye?”
I nodded.
“Knew it was coming. Doesn’t make it any easier though.”
“Is Rose in her office?”
“If by office, you mean the bar, then yes.”
“Thanks, Lou.”
