Page 78 of Here and Now
“Yes, that’s beer. I’m assuming we’re going to drink it.”
“Beer.”
He chuckles. “That kind of day, huh?”
“Lots of beer.”
The day ended with having to do another round of interviews, because we did not find anyone worth even a second interview. So, yeah, beer. That’s all I got.
“Ainsley!” Lachlan calls. “We have company.”
She pops around the corner and smiles. “Miles! Hey! What are you doing here?”
I grab the six-pack and lift it. “Beer.”
“All right then. You’re going to drink beer.”
Lachlan steps in. “Yes, apparently that’s all he can say. Are you cool if we head out to the falls?” he asks her.
“Have fun. I’ve got Rose and Kai.”
“Kai is here?” I ask.
“Oh, now he has words,” Lachlan says with a snort.
Ainsley smirks. “He is. Penny will be here in about fifteen minutes. Maybe don’t drinkallthe beer before then.”
“How about we hang here?” I suggest.
Lachlan’s stupid grin tells me he knows exactly why. “Yeah, I saw that coming.”
We head into the living room, and Rose and Kai come running in. “Coach!” Kai yells and then launches himself at me.
I catch him and chuckle. “Hey, little man.”
“I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
“I didn’t either,” I tell him.
“Hi, Uncle Miles,” Rose says with her hands behind her back.
“No hug?” I ask.
She rushes over and I get the best hug. “Kai is my friend, and Daddy said I can tell him the town secret.”
“Good call, he does live here.”
She giggles and the two of them head out. Lachlan sits in the recliner, and Ainsley plops on his lap. “So why all the beer?” Lachlan asks.
I fill him in on my day, having to go back and explain the sudden departure of Megan Hunt and how if she’d told us this months ago, we could’ve planned.
“It’s part of my job, I get it, but the people today were just absolutely a mess. I mean, crying? Because of Mercury being in retrograde? What the hell does that even mean?”
Ainsley grins. “I, for one, am enjoying the story.”
“Clearly.”
“I’m sure you’ll find someone, Miles. You just need to get through the unqualified candidates.”
