Page 72 of Finding Yesterday
Jessie Mac pats my shoulder. “If your pig ever wants to see his parents, bring him on by. But you better hurry because his mama has one big belly. That’s a whole lotta bacon.”
“Oh, Jessie Mac, now don’t go upsetting her.” Daisy smacks him playfully. “We aren’t killing his mama—she’s the best whey eater we’ve got.”
I chuckle. “I’ll definitely bring Winston by. He’d love to see his family.” I usher them in, pointing to the tables. “Dishes go over there.”
“Where do the presents go?” Jessie Mac grins. “I’ve got a gag gift for Jack.”
“On the table in the corner.” I nod to it. “And I can’t wait to see what it is, Jessie Mac.” After a wave, he joins his wife who’s drifting into the crowd.
The place fills up, and Nate, Charley, and the rest of the band is all set to play on a makeshift stage in the corner. When every square inch of the restaurant is packed with people, it’s time.
Now we just wait until Pops brings Jack to the restaurant.
Edna, the front desk administrator at the county records office, approaches me. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Claire.” She gives me her warm smile, and I realize how much I’ve missed her.
“It has! But you haven’t aged a bit,” I say, pulling her into a hug. She would always help me the many times I’d go to the records office on some search about Blue Vine’s history.
Edna pats a hand on my face, her nails perfectly manicured. “You gotta come and see us. We finally got rid of that awful card catalog!” She sighs. “It only took us a decade to move into the twenty-first century.”
“That sounds amazing!” I’m actually really excited about this. I’d love to go on a research bender having the ease of the new computers. “I’ll definitely be by.” I look around. “Where’s Arnie?” Arnie is her husband of forty-something years.
She bats a hand. “Oh, he’s running late. You know he only has two speeds, slow and reverse.”
I laugh as Edna makes her way into the crowd. Then, through the window, I see Pops’s truck pull into the parking lot. “Hey, everybody, they’re here!”
People keep talking until Jessie Mac yells, “That means shut yer traps, y’all!”
“That means you too,” Daisy adds. “Especiallyyou.”
The place goes quiet and the lights are off by the time Jack and Pops walk in. When they get inside, everyone yells, “Surprise,” and the lights go on.
Pops is chuckling, but Jack is flushed. When Jack finally processes what’s happening, his face drops. Shaking his head, he says, “Oh, wow. This is…” He rubs his tattoo. “This is more than I ever imagined. Thank you, everyone. Y’all really are the best.”
“Let’s party!” Jessie Mac screams, and Nate gives him a nod. Notes of bluegrass music drift through the room, and it isn’t long before folks are dancing in the space by the stage.
A bit tipsy, I grab Jack’s hand, forgetting I’m not supposed to do that in front of anyone. I quickly let go, but say, “Come on now, you can’t escape town without a dance.”
He smiles and follows me to the floor. When he spins me around, I ask, “Where’d you learn to country swing, city boy?”
“My parents weren’t gonna let me grow up without knowing my roots, now,” he says with a drawl. He swings me into a dip before twirling me in close. Memories of last night rush back and I shiver. Then I lean into him, taking advantage of these last moments of being close.
He puts his lips to my ear. “I’m gonna miss you while I’m gone, Claire Millie Cole,” he murmurs, his baritone voice even lower.
I spin back out and stop dancing. I meet his face, eyes filled with sadness. “I’m going to miss you too, Jack Max Brady. Something terrible.”
He runs a finger down my cheek, staring at me for a few beats. “I’ll hurry back.” His voice is just above a whisper.
“You better. As you can see, this town knows how to throw a good party,” I joke, but I’m not joking. I can’t wait for him to come back for good. I know there’s a lot that has to happen first—he’s got to deal with the San Fran restaurant and his apartment—and he needs to talk to his parents about everything.
When he returns the smile, that starry twinkle in his stark eyes, I want to kiss him right here right now. My body inches closer to him as I take in his scent, and I can’t seem to stop it.
With Jack and me nose to nose, Cheryl from The Corner Cuppa says, “Well, look at those two. I hear wedding bells in Claire’s future. Again.”
I blink, and the spell is broken. I can’t kiss Jack here. It’s not worth screaming to the world that Jack and I are together, although the cat’s clearly out of the bag. Still, it’s best they don’t get wind of what happened last night.
I’m not sure if Jack heard Cheryl, but he hasn’t budged, so I pull away. “I’m going to go take the dessert out. I made you something special.”
“I have no doubt it is.” His smile is sparkling as I walk away.
