Page 80 of An Adventure For Aster

His sister laughed. “I do know. Just picking on you.” She moved out and popped her head into the bathroom. “Bigger than the one we all shared at home too.”

“See,” he said. “Not that bad.”

“The best is outside,” Raine said. “It’s beautiful.”

The three of them went outdoors and walked to the bank of the water.

“Okay, I’m almost sold on this alone. Just how secluded and quiet it is. How do you sleep with no noise?”

“Pretty good now,” he said.

He looked at Raine and saw her frown but didn’t say anything more. It’s not a conversation they’d ever had. She rarely asked about his time in the service and that was fine with him.

It’s not like he had anything so horrible happen to him like Trace did. Losing his best friend in a bombing.

He’d seen men die, that is what war was about. But he’d like to think he could move on from it like Zane and Luke had. Even Trace.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Daphne said. “And now I’m starving.”

“Let’s go,” Raine said. “I thought maybe we could go to Mona’s. You know if you moved here and still wanted to work as a restaurant server, she is always looking for someone. Ivy’s sister is Mona’s daughter-in-law. I could put a good word in for you.”

He loved that Raine was helping. Not pushing for Aster to take care of his sister because Daphne was too independent for that, but helping her with job opportunities.

“Sounds good to me,” Daphne said.

“It’s a restaurant on the water. Part of a marina,” he said. “It’s a big venue for weddings and other events too.”

“Even better,” Daphne said.

He nodded to Raine and the three of them left and he drove the ten minutes there.

“There isn’t as much to do around here as you’re used to,” he said.

“It’s not like I do much,” his sister said. “I work and might go out with friends once in a while, but normally on the weekends I’m working.”

“The dating scene is pretty dismal,” Raine said. “But if you wait you can eventually find the right guy.”

“Very cute,” Aster said.

“What?” she asked. “It’s the truth.”

“Finding a man is the last thing on my mind,” Daphne said. “I’m trying to get my life figured out more and go from there.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Raine said. “I lived at home for a long time too. When I got my apartment I was waiting tables like you too on the weekends and doing it five days a week in the summer plus teaching summer school. It’s not easy.”

“Thanks for that,” Daphne said. “I thought of going into the service like Aster.”

“You never said that,” he said.

“Because it was a passing thought. I couldn’t do it. I’m not tough enough. Though when I’m watching six toddlers on my own and running in circles herding them up, I realize how tough I really am.”

“That’s right,” Raine said. “Some smart guy told me once that every job is important regardless of money. That teaching the youth is one of the most important jobs out there.”

“Sounds like a smart man I know,” Daphne said, her hand coming from the backseat and resting on his shoulder.

Aster was wondering how lucky he was to have two women love him this much.

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