揑抦 used to getting up before the sun,?Mary Nell said. 揑 had to make a living for Kevin. That meant working an early shift at the doughnut place, getting to my office job from nine to five, then hitting the bar on the strip for a four-hour shift after that. I抳e got my laptop in the back seat. Does it matter which Sunday school room I take over for my office??
揘ot one bit, and put yourself on payroll at whatever you made as an accountant in Nashville.?Jessica didn抰 care if they used every bit of the money Elijah had left her getting things set up and ready for the bar to open.
揟hanks,?Mary Nell said. 揂 job, a free place to live, three meals a day that I don抰 have to worry about cooking or getting yelled at if I don抰 make Kevin抯 favorite food. It don抰 get no better than this.?
揑 hope we抮e all as happy a year from now as we are right now today. You do know we抮e going to face a lot of . . .?Jessica searched for the right word.
揃itchin??Mary Nell finished the sentence for her.
Jessica nodded. 揥hat do you bet they ask us to keep our degenerate asses off the homecoming float for the cheerleaders??
揗aybe we抣l just make a float of our own.?Mary Nell did a head wiggle. 揥e抣l be a true local business.?
The morning breeze blew Jessica抯 blonde hair across her face as she went back into the RV and gave the bed a dirty look. She抎 thought the RV would be ideal when she bought it from her friends in Maine, but she hadn抰 figured in getting into and out of the loft bed. She got dressed in a pair of old jeans and a faded olive drab T-shirt, brushed her hair up into a ponytail, and took time to brush her teeth.
She was almost to the church when Wade fell in beside her. There were vibes again, sending sweet little sparks dancing all around them. Evidently, Wade didn抰 see or feel them, which was probably a good thing, since if he flirted, she might not be able to resist the temptation to flirt right back.
揟his remind you of going to the mess hall??he asked.
See there, the voice in her head said. He抯 not feeling anything. Talking about the mess hall is about as romantic as talking about weaponry or bombs.
揕ittle bit.?She opened the door and the scent of coffee wafted out. 揟hat does smell good, doesn抰 it? Did you get up for breakfast every morning when you were in the service??
揙h, yeah.?Wade flashed a brilliant grin. 揑 believe what they say about breakfast being the most important meal of the day.?
Jessica led the way through the foyer and across the sanctuary. 揇o you make a hot breakfast every morning??
揘ope, I just grab a bowl of cereal and add a banana to it if there抯 one layin?around,?Wade admitted. 揃ut that doesn抰 mean I won抰 be first in line every day that Risa cooks for us.?
揈ven after we don抰 get home until three o抍lock in the morning when we open the bar??Jessica asked.
Wade drew his eyebrows down into a frown. 揗aybe when that happens, it抣l be like working the midnight shift, and we抣l have breakfast at noon every day.?
揟hat抯 an idea.?Jessica followed her nose straight to the coffeepot.
揥hat抯 an idea??Risa cracked eggs into a bowl.
揟hat we have breakfast at noon when the bar opens,?Wade answered. 揥e抣l all be going home at three in the morning.?
揈xcept us,?Lily reminded them as she finished setting the table for eight.
揑抣l pick you girls up for school,?Mary Nell said, 揳nd after I drop you off, I抣l come to work in the office. Haley抯 place is right on the way from my house to here. You can have leftover biscuits for an after-school snack when your mama comes and gets you once school is done for the day.?
揧抋ll have got it all planned out, don抰 you??Daisy set a bottle of orange juice and a gallon of milk on the round table she and Lily had set up close to the kitchen.
揘ot yet, but we抮e working on it,?Haley answered. 揑 vote that we close the bar on Sunday and Monday nights. That will be our weekend and time for all of us to play catch-up with our lives.?
揟hat works for me.?Risa nodded.
揂nd we can fill in for each other if one of us needs to do something else during the week, like Risa going somewhere with the girls on a school event.?Jessica poured two mugs of coffee and handed one to Wade. 揜isa might want to be at a ball game on Friday night if the girls make the cheerleader squad.?
揟hat can be the night we just serve burgers,?Mary Nell suggested. 揑 can manage that, but don抰 expect me to do fancy cooking.?
揟his remind you of anything??Wade asked Jessica.
揙h, yeah.?She took a sip of her coffee.
揥hat??Mary Nell asked.
揟eamwork,?Jessica said. 揑 worked with a team, and I抦 sure Wade did, too. We depended on each other, had each other抯 backs, and after a little while, we could almost finish each other抯 sentences.?