Page 46 of The Shell Collector
“If you think it does, then I’ll fix you something else.”
Hailey raised her eyebrows, liking the idea of being cateredto.
“I’m sure it will taste great,” Amanda assured Hailey.
“I see you were catching up on our claim to fame,” Maeve said. “The shells?”
“We fou—”
Amanda twisted Hailey around toward the table. “You and your brother zip on back to our spot. I’ll be right there.” She turned and smiled, glancing back at the shells on display. “Yeah, the stories about the shells are so interesting.”
“So, what’s your gift?”
“Mine?” Amanda sputtered. “I don’t have one.”
“Sure you do. Everyone does.”
She shrugged. “I got nothin’. What’s yours?”
“I’m an excellent listener. Took me a long time to realize that. Turns out it’s a rare gift too. Who knew?”
It was true. Maeve had proved that yesterday. Most people were so busy thinking about their response that they didn’t half listen to a conversation these days.
Tug leaned out over the counter. “She doesn’t forget anything either. Ever.”
Maeve shot him a look. “Don’t mind him. We’ve been friends forever. He was the best man in my wedding.”
“Still am the best man, if you ask me.”
“No one asked you,” Maeve said as she and Amanda walked toward the table where Hailey and Jesse sat pushing sugar packets around the table like cars. From somewhere beyond the room came a voice, “Who asked you, Tug?” followed by a cackling laugh.
“What was that?” Hailey raised up in her seat.
“That’s The Wife,” Maeve said with a look over her shoulder toward Tug. “Tug, you want to introduce them to her?”
He wiped his hands on his apron, then came around the counter. “I’ve got a minute. Let me take you to meet The Wife.”
Hailey and Jesse looked at Amanda and then Maeve as they all fell in line behind Tug and headed toward the back door.
“The Wife is a parrot,” Tug explained as he led them out to the deck.
There sitting in a cage in a gazebo, a dark-gray-feathered bird with a bright-red tail stared at them, then followed up with a resounding, “It’s about time. Where’ve you been?”
The kids’ mouths dropped wide, and then they scrambled toward the cage.
Tug said, “Say hello to our new friends.”
The bird bobbed her head up and down and made a car-alarm noise.
“That wasn’t very polite,” Tug reprimanded her.
“Hello, cuties.” The parrot lifted her black beak in the air, seemingly pleased with herself.
Amanda watched as Hailey and Jesse interacted with the bird. They were having a whole conversation. Tug treated The Wife to french fries for being playful, and the kids loved it.
“What’s a dog say?”
The Wife let out a series of barks. Jesse chimed in. “Bowwow. Woof.”
