Page 92 of Happy Harbor
Today she was working at the cakewalk, manning the music station. She had been standing there doing it for a while when her daughter appeared.
“Hey, honey. Where have you been?”
“I was helping Grandma with selling hot dogs. Now I stink.”
“Well, it’s for a good cause. Where is Scotty today?”
“He had to help his uncle down in his shop. I think he’ll be here a little later.”
“That’s good.”
“You know, this place is so different from anywhere I’ve ever been. It’s like another time or something. Like on those old TV shows you used to force me to watch.”
Josie laughed. “It is very different. Sometimes it doesn’t seem real.”
“You’re not going to make us leave, are you?”
Josie sighed. “Kendra, you know I’m not ready to make that decision yet. I’m enjoying myself right now, but no place is perfect.”
“Well, it’s perfect for me. I like school, I love our house, and there’s Scotty.”
“Scotty will leave for college soon. You can’t base your whole life around a boy.”
Kendra crossed her arms. “I’m not. But this is the first time in my whole life that I feel like I belong.”
That made Josie feel sad. If there was one thing she had always tried to do for her daughter, it was to let her know she was accepted and loved, no matter what. No matter how many mistakes she made.
“We have a lot of time left before we need to make that decision. Right now, things are going very well with your grandmother. I think we can save the restaurant. There’s every reason to believe that we’re going to stay, but I’m not making any promises just yet.”
Kendra uncrossed her arms and smiled. “And Walker?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, come on. Me and Grandma can tell what’s going on. Plus, I heard that a neighbor saw you kiss under the moonlight last night.” Kendra grinned with pride as she delivered the gossip.
“Oh... Well... What happened was...”
“Relax, Mom. It’s okay. You’re not a kid. He’s a nice-looking guy, even if he’s old. And he seems to really like you.”
“First of all, we’re not old. Second of all, it will take me a long time before I ever get serious with a man again. I’ve got too much else going on in my life. I also don’t make big life decisions, like where to live, based on a man.”
Kendra put a hand on her mother’s shoulder. “It’s okay to start your life again and trust people. Not everybody is going to let you down.”
“When did you get so wise?”
Kendra thought for a moment and then shrugged. “When I moved to Happy Harbor.”
Sometimes, Josie felt like she was the kid and Kendra was the parent. Having a child so young meant they really grew up together, but every day she tried a little harder to lead her daughter to her best life.
* * *
Josie had never seen such a large crowd in Happy Harbor, the main street being packed with people, most she was unfamiliar with. That didn’t include the people who were already inside the concert hall.
Somehow, inexplicably, she found Walker near the door. “What on earth?”
He grinned. “My marketing might’ve been a little too good. I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
“How many tickets have you sold?”
