She reached for the to-go containers for the soup. “What brings you back to town?”
“I came back to help my sister out for a bit. She’s having a hard time after losing Kevin.”
“I miss him, too. It was all so terrible, and it happened so fast. I can’t imagine losing your husband like that, so young.”
“Natalie’s still reeling. I couldn’t make it back for Kevin’s funeral, I was halfway around the world. It took them a week just to track me down. I feel terrible about that. I wound up my assignment and came back as fast as I could, but I had to leave right away again. Commitments. But I got that all sorted out and I’m back for a while.”
Keely sighed. Life was sometimes so unfair. Her sister, Katherine, knew that. Natalie knew that. Yet, they both went on with their lives as best they could. And just like that, the pity party Keely had been having tonight whisked away into the night.
Kevin had been a great guy. Not only when they were all friends in high school, but later. He’d come by and fixed things for her at the cafe before, always offering to help with something. Never taking more than a free meal for payment.
“How are the kids?”
“Well, they miss their dad.”
“I bet. It’s really all so sad.”
Hunt and Kevin had been inseparable when they were kids. It must be hitting him hard now too, but nothing showed in his eyes. He’d always been able to keep his emotions under wraps. She’d always admired that about him.
Hunt raked his hand through his hair. “Now Natalie is sick, and I’m trying to figure out how to take care of the kids and her. Not my strongest suit.”
Keely handed him the soup. “Well, try this. Hope it helps.”
He stood up and smiled. Same rakish grin from his youth, that much hadn’t changed. “So how is Katherine doing?”
Keely never really knew how to answer that question when people asked her about her sister. “As well as can be expected. She finally graduated college this year. She’s really happy about that.”
“Good for her. I should drop by and see her.”
“She’d like that.”
“So, how much do I owe you?”
“Nothing. It’s on me. A welcome home present.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“Come by again soon and we’ll catch up.”
“Will do.”
Keely walked him to the front door. He nodded as he slipped back out into the night. The lights from the street lamps on Main Street illuminated the parking spaces. She watched him climb into a pickup truck and pull away. Traveling the world taking pictures. Now that would be the life. She wondered how long he planned on staying here in town. Not long she’d bet. Why would anyone stay here who had a better offer anywhere else in the world?
Keely turned back to the tables filled with the last of their customers. She paused and looked at the patrons all laughing and talking. Enjoying each other. Having lives. She sighed again, hadn’t she just told herself enough of the pity party?
An hour later, Keely pushed the door closed behind the last customer and told Becky Lee to go on home. Exhaustion washed over her. She wanted to total the days’ receipts, lock the place up, and head for home. Her mother was probably waiting there, playing cards with Katherine. Her mom no longer stayed at the cafe past about eight o’clock in the evenings. She always said Katherine couldn’t be left alone for very long. Then she’d shoot a meaningful glance Keely’s direction.
That left Keely to lock up. Every night. At least they were closed on Monday nights. One night a week to herself. Which she usually spent collapsed in a heap of exhaustion, or even more likely, buried in bookwork that she hadn’t completed. Bills, taxes, more bills, invoices, ordering food, more bills. It went on and on. Year after year.
She flipped the sign in the front window from open to closed. She figured she’d probably done that over four thousand times in the fifteen years she’d run the restaurant for her family. Well, and another four thousand plus times opening the cafe back up the next day.
This was not how she’d planned her life. It was how life had grabbed her and held her, imprisoned her in a grasp too tight to break.
~ * ~
Hunt drove the short distance to his sister’s house and pulled into the gravel driveway. The house was set back from the street, framed by two large live oak trees that shaded the deep Acadian porch. The house stood peaceful and quiet, a marked contrast to the raucous hotel he’d stayed in on his last assignment. He wasn’t exactly envious of her life. It was such a hard time for her now, full of the responsibility of raising her sons on her own.