Page 24 of The Calendar of New Beginnings
“This time home will be good for you, Luce. And the calendar will be a fun change.” He gave her a wink, shaking off his own emotions. “Then you can decide what the incredible Lucy O’Brien will do next. I can’t wait to see what that will be.”
She knew how much that cost him to say, fighting his worry and all, so she stood and kissed his cheek. “I love you, Daddy.”
Hegave her a butterfly kiss like he’d done when she was little. “I love you too, Lucy Lu.”
By the time happy hour officially rolled around, the noise level in the bar had risen to concert-level. Lucy found herself wedged against the bar while her dad built beers like a pro with Mike, his main bartender, and reconnected her with his local patrons. Of course, she’d seen many of them during her brief visits home, but those visits had typically been limited to a few days at a time, meaning there was usually only time to connect with family and close friends. It felt good to get reacquainted with a wider net of people. Some of them were long-time Dare Valley residents she had known since she was a little girl. A few of her dad’s friends chucked her under the chin, joking that maybe his hair would finally grow back now that she’d returned. Like she’d made it fall out in the first place.
She even chatted with a few people she’d grown up with. Patrick O’Shaughnessy, a fireman, still had a crooked smile and streaky blond hair. He was a couple years younger, but he’d lived on their block and played Ghosts in the Graveyard with her and the other neighborhood kids.
Her dad also introduced her to several newbies, who’d moved to Dare Valley from bigger cities, seeking more time with their families and less time commuting. She’d never remember everyone’s names, but it turned out they knew hers. According to the bar patrons, her dad talked about her frequently.
One of the newbies, a young doctor who knew her parents, explained that many of Dare Valley’s new arrivals worked in the town’s expanding medical industry. Dr. Jeff Geller was easy on the eyes, but his faux hawk—perfectly gelled to a point in the middle of his forehead—made her want to giggle. He’d signed up for a three-yearstint at Dare Valley General to lower his student loan payments since it was technically still categorized as a rural hospital.
“Medical practices are popping up everywhere to support our patients,” he told her. “You heard General won an award for being a leading regional hospital, right?”
Lucy shook her head, keeping an eye out for Andy and Danny, who were due to arrive any moment now.
“No, I hadn’t heard that,” she said, soaking in the view of her dad building beers and laughing at something one of his regulars was going on about. She really had missed this place.
“Of course, there’s some like your pal, Dr. Andy Hale,” Jeff said, giving her a sly smile, “who left because of the insane hours in city hospitals.”
“How do you know Andy is my pal?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
“Your mom talks about you,” Jeff said, making her frown.
Was her mom hoping to set her up with this cute, too-young doctor? Sure, her mom might want her to hook up with Andy, but Lucy wouldn’t put it past her to consider back-up options. When it came to getting grandchildren, Ellen O’Brien would pull out all the stops.
“What exactly did my mother say about me?” she asked.
“Besides the fact that you’re wicked smart, funny, and pretty?”
That line didn’t much surprise her. He’d been looking his fill as he sipped his Guinness, and in all honesty, Lucy had been enjoying his eyes on her. Sadly, it had been a while since she’d had a pleasant encounter with male admiration. The last one had been with two frisky chimpanzees in Uganda, who had pounded their massivechests upon seeing her. It had made her chortle to be the subject of that kind of male admiration.
“I’m all that and more,” she said, grabbing a handful of her dad’s spicy peanuts from the bowl on the bar. “What else did my mom say?”
He brushed closer, like he thought he was scoring points, which was sort of annoying. “Ellen said you have the biggest heart out there and that any man would be lucky to have you.”
Lucy tried to appreciate her mother’s compliments. She really did. “That’s nice of her.”
“I have a secret to tell you,” he murmured.
She edged back as his breath tickled her ear. She was almost afraid to ask. “What’s that?”
“April’s recruited me for the calendar. I have some ideas for you to consider.”
Great. Dr. Faux Hawk was part of the hot dog crew. “Oh, really?”
His head darted closer, making her think of pigeon feeding in a park. Any earlier excitement she’d felt faded.
“My mom died of breast cancer three years ago,” he said quietly.
Great. Just when she was about to kick him to the curb, he had to go all vulnerable on her. “I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged, straightening and giving her space again. “Shit happens. I’m just glad to be part of something that helps. Plus, it’ll be fun.”
Fun might be stretching it, but Jeff had driven home something important. Even though her mom and April had told her everyone doing the calendar had lost someone, Lucy hadn’t really registered what that meant. Sure, her mom and April might like to joke about cantaloupes, but there were plenty of deeper emotions behind thisenterprise. Lucy knew all about joking up a storm to cover pain. Right then and there, she decided she was going to give everything she could to this calendar.
“I’m glad you’re on board, Jeff,” she told him with a smile.
