The Posse Read online

  “Hey, sleepy head,” she greeted her daughter. “Late night?”

  Meggie shrugged. “Not too bad. I’m just stocking up on sleep before I go back to school. I’ve got that early class every single day.”

  Jude placed her hand over her heart. “You poor child, having to get up before eight o’clock five days a week...”

  “Whatever!” Meghan’s grin softened the words. “Do you have any coffee back there?”

  “What do you think?” Jude filled a mug for her daughter and slid it across the bar before getting to work on her customers’ order. “Hey, Mack, would you make up a Ripper, please? I’ll take care of the breakfast order.”

  The bald man standing in front of the griddle waved his spatula in acknowledgement and pulled a beef patty from the fridge. Meghan’s nose wrinkled as the smell reached her.

  At her end of the stove, Jude poured pancake batter into a pan and broke eggs into a bowl. Her hand moved at lightening speed as she whipped them into a yellow froth. Meghan frowned as she watched. Her mother had always been slim, but the last two years had taken her past slender right into skinny. The khaki shorts she always wore to work were baggier than usual, and Meggie could see the boniness of her arms.

  Neither Joseph nor Meghan had inherited their mom’s dark hair, but they both had her eyes and her bone structure. Meghan was used to people commenting on how much she looked like her mother, but right now, she wouldn’t be surprised if she had a good ten pounds on the older woman.

  “Are you going to be okay, Mom?” Meggie blurted out the words, her eyes anxious. “When Joseph and I go back to school, I mean?”

  Jude flipped a pancake and glanced over her shoulder. Catching the worried expression, she flung one hand over her forehead. “Oh, Meghan, after you’ve gone, whatever shall I do?”

  Meggie scowled. “Shut up, I’m serious.”

  “Sweetie, you and your brother have gone away to college before. I’ve made it here without you. I love you, but I think I’ll survive.”

  “Yeah, but before, you had Daddy.” Even now, tears filled those green eyes, and Jude had to look away, busying herself with stacking pancakes and pouring the eggs into the hot pan.

  “I’ll be fine. I promise. Please don’t worry.”

  “Will you be lonely, though?” Images of her mother sitting in the big empty house flitted through Meghan’s mind.

  “Nope. First of all, if I were, I would call up Aunt Janet and Aunt Sam, and we’d go hit the bars. Maybe that new male strip club in Daytona.”

  “Mom!” Meggie covered her ears. “That I don’t want to hear.”

  Jude laughed. “And second, do you think the posse is going to leave me alone long enough to get lonely? Uncle Logan was here this morning when I opened. He claimed he couldn’t help waking up, but I know him. He was making sure I was okay.”

  “That makes me feel better. It was just that Joseph and I were talking last night, and it hit me that we’re really leaving you this time. Not just to come back at the weekend. I won’t be back home until Thanksgiving.”

  “And that’s the way it should be. I’m grateful that you came home about every weekend last year. And Joseph taking his classes this year at the community college was a blessing. But it’s time you both got on with your life. It’s what Daddy would want.” Jude paused to plate the eggs, add an orange wedge garnish and turned to take the burger plate from Mack. “Speaking of your brother, was he awake when you came down?”

  “Nah. I’ll go toss his butt out of bed.” Meggie rose as her mother carried plates to the waiting table. At the door to the stairway, she turned back around and dashed to Jude.

  “I love you, Mama,” she said, half-choking as she hugged her mother. She ran upstairs, passing Sadie as the older woman carried a tray of dishes into the sink area.

  “You got a special girl there.” Sadie wiped suspicious moisture from her eyes when Jude came back around the bar.

  “Makes you wonder how that happened, doesn’t it?” Jude teased.

  “Sure does, ‘cause you for sure were a mess when you were her age!” Sadie pulled the ball cap tighter over her grey hair.

  Jude stopped for a minute, thinking. “I was married and pregnant with her when I was Meggie’s age,” she reminded the older woman.

  “Yup. Like I said, a mess.”

  “Did I ever stop being a mess?”

  Sadie pushed a glass against the iced tea dispenser, refilling it for her customer. She tilted her head, considering.

  “Maybe you’re not so bad as you were. You gonna clean that egg pan or leave it there to get hard?”

  Jude shook her head and grabbed the pan. Some things never changed, she thought. She might own the Tide, she might be over forty, but Sadie still ruled the roost.

  ***

  Matt Spencer couldn’t decide what to do.

  He had walked back to the storage room at The Surf Line three times and returned to the main shop empty-handed three times. Karl, the high school junior who worked part-time at the store, glanced up when he stalked back the last time.

  “Uh, Mr. Spencer, everything okay?”

  “What? Oh. Yeah. I’m just trying to make up my mind about something.” He ran one hand over shaggy blond hair. “Karl, you got a girlfriend?”

  The boy grinned. “Nah. My mom says I shouldn’t get tied down. I just, you know, date. Meet girls, take them out. Why, do you have someone I should meet?”

  Matt stared at him blankly for a minute. “No. Who would I want you to meet?”

  Karl shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re friends with Meggie Hawthorne. I thought maybe you might want to fix me up with her. She’s hot.”

  “Meggie? My God, Karl, she’s like my niece. I’ve known her since before she was born. I’m not looking to hook her up with you. And she’s like four years older than you.”

  Karl smiled again, crinkling his blue eyes in his tan face. “I like older women.”

  Matt rolled his eyes. “I just bet. Well, Meghan went back to Savannah today, so you’re out of luck.” He moved over to fix one of the displays and then leaned out the door, looking down the sidewalk.

  “You looking for someone?”

  “I’m trying to decide—” He sighed and bit the bullet. “Karl, what do you say to a girl when you want to ask her out? On a date?”

  Understanding washed over Karl’s face. “Mr. S., you like someone?”

  Matt waved his hand. “None of your business.”

  “Well, you just asked me, so—”

  “Karl, you know how I let you do consulting with some of the customers? Give them advice on surfing? Think of it like that. I need to consult with you, but you don’t need details.”

  “Okay.” The boy nodded. “So when I want to ask a girl to go out with me, I say something nice first. You know, like she’s pretty, or she looks hot, or I like her hair. Girls like that. It softens them up. And then if I know there’s something we both like to do, I ask her if she wants to go with me to do it. Like, you know, we both play Xbox or we like the same music. And then...” He spread it hands. “It just kind of happens from there.”

  “It happens? What happens? No.” Matt put up both hands. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. I was seventeen once. About a thousand years ago, I think.”

  He glanced outside again and took a deep breath. “Karl, keep your eye on things here. I’ve got to go down the street for a little bit. I’ll be right back.”

  Matt strode out. After a few minutes, Karl rounded the counter and leaned out the door. He watched his boss until he turned in at the side entrance to the Riptide.

  “I’ll be damned,” he muttered. “Mr. S is sweet on Meggie’s mom. Huh.”

  Matt had been walking into the Tide for more years than he cared to remember. His dad had brought him to the restaurant for breakfast every Saturday when he was a little boy, calling it their man time, a once-a-week escape from a house full of females. Then when he was old enough to ride his bike to the beach, he ha
d joined Daniel, Cooper, Eric and Logan on summer days, dropping their bicycles near Mark’s in the side of the parking lot. Mr. Rivers let them sit up at the bar while he served them chips and soda. He would grouse about Mark getting distracted from his busboy job when his friends descended on the place, but then he always let his son leave with them and run down to the beach.

  He’d brought his first date to the Tide, too, Matt remember. Lonnie Severnson was the leggy blonde he’d finally asked out at the end of freshman year. He had been so nervous when he took her in, hoping against hope that none of his friends would be there that Friday night. As it was, only Jude and Daniel were in the restaurant. Jude was working tables and Daniel sat at the corner of the bar, books open. Even then, before they’d officially become a couple, neither of them had eyes for anyone else.

  But Jude had been kind that evening, talking to Lonnie and taking their order without any of the winks or leers Matt had dreaded. And Daniel only offered a grin and wave before his eyes fastened back on Jude as she wove between the tables with all the grace of a ballerina.

  Remembering that gave Matt the courage he needed to make his way into the Riptide. It was the afternoon lull. In the height of the season, the place would be full, but now, with everything winding down, kids going back to school, there was only an older couple, sitting by a window with burgers and fries, and a few locals at the bar.

  Jude was bent over the grill, scraping it with a long-handled blade. She stopped to blow a tendril of hair off her forehead and wiped the side of her face with the back of her hand. Spotting Matt, she smiled.

  “Hey, Matty! What’s going on?”

  The nickname was a leftover from elementary school, and Matt tolerated it from a select few. He eased up on a barstool and tried to remember the words he’d planned on the way over.

  “Not much. Quiet here.”

  She grinned. “Just a little. How’s it down your end of the street?”

  Matt lifted one shoulder. “About the same. We got a surfer meet this weekend, though, so it’s going to be busy.”

  Jude dried her hands on a towel, reached under the bar and pulled out a bottle. She popped the cap and slid it across to him.

  Yes. Liquid courage. Matt took a long swig and then tilted the neck toward Jude. “Join me?”

  “I’ve got another two hours before Emmy takes over for the night, so I’m sticking to water.” Jude lifted the bottle and drank.

  Matt watched her closely. He tried to figure out whether or not the slim column of her neck above the black scoop neck shirt struck a chord. Did he feel anything for Jude other than the warm affection they’d always shared?

  There was only one way to find out. He chugged down more of his beer and took a deep breath. “So the kids went back this morning? Both of them?”

  “Yes.” Jude sighed. “Joseph was supposed to wait until Monday, but he’s living in an apartment with a bunch of guys, and one of them decided to bring down a truckload of furniture today. He needed help moving it in, and I think Joseph was ready to go. So...yeah. The nest is empty once again.”

  Matt nodded. “Do you want to have dinner with me tonight?”

  Jude’s eyebrows rose. “Dinner?”

  “Yeah.” Matt worked hard to keep his tone nonchalant. “You know, it’s that meal at the end of the day. We can go over to that new Italian place in Elson. I’ve been wanting to try it.”

  She leaned against the bar, frowning. “Matt, you take out a different girl every week. Why haven’t you taken one of them there?”

  “You don’t take a date to an Italian place on the first date, Jude. Too much garlic. You got to wait until a month or two in.”

  Jude laughed. “Okay. And you never get that far in.”

  He had the grace to look a little uncomfortable. “Not recently, no.”

  “But I’m safe. I get it. All right, you got a deal. Can you give me until seven? Emmy gets here at five, and I’d like a little while to unwind, shower off the day.”

  “Sure.” Matt felt extraordinarily lighter. “I’ll pick you up at your house. See you then. Thanks for this.” He drained the rest of the bottle and pushed it across the bar.

  Outside in the sunshine, he walked back toward the store with more spring in his step. He paused just beyond the door to the Tide and squinted down the block at the bright yellow house that was fronted by scaffolding. It was going to be a bed and breakfast, the last project Holt/Hawthorne had undertaken before Daniel died.

  Matt caught sight of a familiar figure in a suit moving to the front of the house. Logan was making one of his frequent visits, checking on progress. He stood looking up at the second floor, and as he turned to point something out to a passing workman, he saw Matt.

  Logan stood completely still for a moment, and Matt imagined he could see his eyes flick to the door to the Riptide and then back to Matt himself. He raised one hand in a quick wave and then looked back at the yellow house.

  The relief Matt had felt moments before dimmed just a bit before he stalked back to the surf shop.

  ***

  Hiring Emmy Carter to cover Friday and Saturday nights at the Tide had been one of Jude’s more ingenious decisions. She realized that every week when Emmy strode through the door and took charge.

  Emmy was in her mid-thirties. She was a local girl who had married a pro surfer when she was barely out of her teens. Ten years and three kids later, he left her to move to Hawaii, where the waves were bigger and life was easier. Emmy could’ve moved back with her parents, but instead she started her own business, baking pies out of her kitchen.

  Jude was always eager to support local businesses, so it was a no-brainer to buy a few of the pies for her lunch crowd. One day Emmy delivered three peach pies on a late Friday afternoon, when the dinner rush was just getting underway. She stood for a moment in the door, watching Jude hustle as she shouted orders over the talk and music.

  The next day, she showed up during the afternoon lull, marched straight to the bar and leveled a determined gaze at Jude.

  “You open this place up at six AM. And how many nights do you close before midnight?”

  Jude raised an eyebrow. “We close at five in the afternoon except on Fridays and Saturdays.”

  “Okay.” Emmy nodded. “So those two nights you close when?”

  Jude shrugged. “Usually after one in season. Not as late during off.”

  “I have a proposal. Hire me to cover your night hours.”

  “I must have forgotten putting the help wanted sign on the window,” Jude said. “I’ve never had anyone managing here on a permanent basis except me. Why should I change now?”

  Emmy set her chin. “Because you deserve a break now and then. Because your kids are getting to the age where they need you around on weekends.” She took a deep breath. “Because I need a little extra income while I’m getting this business up and running.”

  Jude held her eyes. “All good points. I’ll think about it.”

  And she did. But giving up any control of the Tide was a hard thing. It was Daniel who gave her the final push.

  “It would be nice to go away for a weekend or even just over night once in a while. Plus, you know you want to help out Emmy. Give it a try. If it doesn’t work, no harm done.”

  Far from it. Emmy had taken the job and run with it. She added dinner specials, brought in local bands to play and streamlined their processes. From five to eight, The Tide was still a family friendly spot with kids-eat-free meals. But after eight, the lights dimmed, the music went up and The Riptide became one of the hottest restaurants on the beach.

  Emmy’s innovations brought in enough revenue to more than cover her salary, and Jude never looked back.

  Now she watched her night-time manager weave her way to the bar, a bright smile on her face. Emmy’s red hair was up in a messy bun, and she wore her usual green t-shirt and jeans.

  “Get going, boss-lady.” She bumped her shoulder against Jude’s. “You’ve got a quiet house and hou
rs of downtime. Go watch some Burn Notice or Buffy. You know I live vicariously through you.”

  “Ha.” Jude pulled her handbag out from under the counter. “Sure you do. Actually I’m going out to dinner with Matt tonight, so no quiet for me.”

  “Matt?” Emmy’s brows shot up. “Really?” She dragged out the word.

  “Yes, really.” Jude shook her head. “Emmy, I’ve known Matt Spencer for more years than you’ve been alive, probably. He and the rest of the posse are just keeping their eyes on me. He knew Meggie and Joseph went back to school today, so he’s trying to keep me from being lonely.”

  “Hmm.” Emmy’s skepticism wasn’t hard to detect. “Whatever you say, Miss Jude.” She swatted at her boss. “Now get out of here. You’re cramping my style. And you’ve got a date to get ready for.”

  “I’m telling you, it’s not a date!” Jude rolled her eyes as she rounded the bar. “I’ll have my phone if you need anything. Be careful, have a good night. Make lots of money.”

  It was her typical Friday night send-off, and Emmy waved her out the door.

  The house that Daniel had built Jude was only about five minutes from The Tide. They had lived in the apartment above the restaurant until a few months before Joseph was born, but Daniel was determined that their house would be one of the first projects undertaken by the new company he’d formed with Logan. Their friend had loved designing the house almost as much as Daniel had enjoyed making the plans a reality. It was simple and eminently livable, laid out on one story with lots of windows. They’d added the pool and landscaping when the kids were in elementary school, and for their twentieth wedding anniversary, Daniel had installed a sound system that ran throughout the entire house and backyard.

  “So you can indulge your love for what passed for music in the eighties,” he’d teased. Jude had pretended to be insulted, even as she began making play lists in her head.

  Jude dropped her bag on a chair and headed for the kitchen. She pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and wandered out onto the lanai.