Page 35 of Happy Harbor
He rubbed his palms over his ruddy face. “If you don’t run the restaurant and live in the house for at least six months, the house and the restaurant will be donated to a school.”
“Oh, well, that’s not so bad. Any particular school?”
“It’s a unique school...”
“Just spit it out, Joe.”
“It’s a training school for mimes.”
She stood up and stared at him. “That’s not funny. Everybody in this town knows how I feel about mimes. I hate them. They freak me out almost as much as clowns.”
“They also train clowns at this school.”
“Joe, you cannot be serious! My nana wouldn’t do that!”
“Darlin’, she did. I promise. I have it in writing at my office.”
“Why?”
He laughed. “Your grandmother was a lovely, giving woman, but she was also stubborn as a mule, much like you. She wanted you to do this. She knew you’d never want all that money given to a mime school.”
Josie had to admit that it was just like Nana to do something so silly. What a great manipulation. She was correct that Josie would never allow that money to go toward bringing more mimes and clowns into the world. The more she thought about it, the harder it became to be mad. Laughter spilled out of her mouth until she was sobbing.
“I can’t believe she did this...” she said, laughing so hard she was afraid she’d wet her pants right there on Joe’s newly painted front porch. “What a crazy woman!”
Joe joined in the laughter until the two of them were spent. Josie sat back down and caught her breath.
“So, are you gonna stay, then?” he finally asked.
She thought for a moment, understanding that her answer was a commitment. “Yes. I’ll stay for six months, and then my work here is done.”
Joe smiled. “Oh, my dear, but Happy Harbor just might reel you back in.”
She shook her head. “Never.”
CHAPTERNINE
As Josie walked toward the house, she could see Kendra and her mother sitting in the rocking chairs on the front porch. Great, they were bonding now. The last thing she needed was for her daughter to get close to her mother and get burned, just like she did. She’d have to keep a watchful eye on their relationship just to protect Kendra.
Diane caught Josie’s eye as she approached, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Kendra stood up.
“Oh, hey. I’m just going to...” she said, her voice trailing off as she scurried through the front door and closed it behind her.
Josie didn’t look at her mother, but instead took Kendra’s rocking chair and sat down, staring straight ahead. There was a long, awkward, lingering pause between them.
“Look, Josie, I?—”
“No. Let me talk,” she said, holding up her hand and continuing to look out toward the street.
“Okay.”
“I spoke with Joe, and Nana made some stipulation that if I leave before six months, the house and restaurant will be given to...”
“To who?”
She looked at Diane. “A mime and clown college.”
Diane bit her lip, her eyebrows furrowing in an attempt not to laugh. Josie kept a straight face, having just laughed for several minutes straight at Joe’s.
