Page 8 of Forever and Other Lies

Norm Brennan was Earl’s partner in crime. The two old men were notorious for their hare-brained ideas which often landed them in the emergency department.

“Is he okay?”Jayna leaned against the checkout counter. Absently,shestarted rifling through a wooden box filled with antique Christmas cards. Jamie found the most incredible, unique items for the store.

“Ithink he just hurt his leg or back, nothing serious. But he had to step down from the judging panel this year, and somehow Ophelia got his spot.”Jamie closed the lid on the cash register.

“Great!” Jayna exclaimed and then pointed. “Heads up! There they are.”

The four judges stoppedin front ofthe Christmas Vacation window, making notes on their clipboards.

“Just look at her,” Jayna dramatically blew out her cheeks. “She hates it! That woman wouldn’t know a good window display if it bit her in the ass.”

Ophelia sported an intense frown, shaking her head back and forth as she scribbled notes.

“Can’tyou cast a spell over her? Give her a sense of humor.”Jayna turned back to Jamie.

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Then how about putting a curse on her?”Jayna implored.

“I can’t do that either,” Jamie laughed.

“Where’sthe benefit of having a witch as a friend if shecan’tturn your enemy into a toad?”

“I’m not a witch!” Jamie exclaimed.

Jayna waved her hand.“Witch, empath, medium.It’sall the same.”

“It’snot all the same!”

“Could you believe Derek Brennan last Friday?”Jayna changed the subject as she continued to rifle through the cards, pulling out a couple that she wanted for herself.“Idon’ttreat men badly.”

Jessica chuckled as she stepped behind the counter to seta couplemore snow globes on the display shelf.“Yeah, okay.”

“Idon’t! Come onJamie, defend me here.”

Jamie coughed loudly.

Jessica turned back around.“You two are so much alike.”

Jayna’s mouth dropped open. “Pardon me? Are you saying that I’m like two-date Brennan?”

“Alittle bit?”Jamie grimaced as she said it.

“Not just a little bit,she’sthe female version of him,”Jessica stated bluntly.

“You’re both the worst,” Jayna barked out.

“Speaking of the worst bestfriends,and last Friday night,”Jessica leaned her palms on the counter, the teasing tone leaving her voice.“Can we discuss what you two were thinking? Todd has been lighting up my phone all week!”

“I’dchange my number if I were you,”Jamie offered.

Jessica’s head snapped to the left. “Change my number? If my FRIENDS hadn’t signed me up for that dating site, then I wouldn’t need to! And that’s another thing,” Jessica snapped her fingers. “My email is full of dating requests.”

“Maybe you should change your email and password whileyou’reat it,”Jayna giggled.

“It would probably be easier to change my friends,”Jessica grumbled.

“Oh, now that I would not recommend,”Jayna said and reached forJessica’shand, squeezing it. “Without us, your life would be miserably ordinary and terribly boring.”Jayna’slife would be empty as well without these women in it. They were her family.

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