It was if they were the only two people in the room. Sam’s answer was for Janie, in more way than one. “Friends,” her voice softened, “family.”

“Oh.” Janie reached for her hand, but the bell over the front door rang, breaking the moment.

Betsy cursed and began to rise. “No one shows up all day, but they interrupt our lunch.”

Janie stood. “I’ve got to run anyway. Do you want me to see what they need?”

“No, that’s all right. It’s probably Pamela. She usually comes in on Mondays, and I might as well see if I can work up a deal with her.” Betsy came around the desk and surprised Janie with a hug. “Come by anytime. The back door’s always unlocked.”

Sam’s embarrassment over her earlier confession was apparent on her face. She searched her mind for something to say. “I’m glad you came by.”

“Me too.” Janie followed her instincts and gently grasped Sam’s forearm. “I enjoyed last night.”

“So did I.” Sam’s eyes closed when Janie’s hand slid down to hold hers. “Janie, I—”

“Shh.” Janie kissed her on the cheek and moved away. “I’ll try to come by the bar tonight.” She squeezed Sam’s hand before leaving.

#

Hot, stale air circulated around the repair shop courtesy of an ancient industrial floor fan. The wrench Reggie was using on the lawnmower engine slipped and caused his knuckles to scrape against the metal. He cursed and brought the injury to his mouth and sucked on it to clean the wound.

“That’s disgusting, Pop.” Doug handed his father a filthy shop rag. “At least use something more sanitary.”

Reggie glared at his son as he snatched the cloth out of his hand. “What’s crawled up your ass today? I figure you’d be in a better mood after getting Janie back.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Before Doug could turn away, his father’s greasy hand stopped him. “Watch it. I’ve still got to mow the park today.”

“A little dirt never hurt anyone. Did you go see her?”

The pout that crossed Doug’s face was his answer. He headed for the office adjacent to the shop. Even though he spent his workday in the sun, his favorite place was at his desk in front of the air conditioner. When Reggie followed him inside and closed the door, he scowled. “Would you leave me the fuck alone?”

With a tired grunt, Reggie sprawled in the ratty chair. “Not until you tell me what happened.”

“She’s not interested, okay? Leave it at that.”

“Nope.”

Doug looked in the center drawer of the desk and brought out a paperclip, which he opened and began to clean his nails with. “I showed up, gave her the flowers, and she told me in no uncertain terms we were done. End of story.”

“And you gave up?”

“Look, old man, she had someone else there, all right? Even I know when to let it go.” Doug dropped the clip on the desk and slammed his hands on the top. “You and Harvey can figure out something else. I’m done.”

“I never figured I raised a quitter.”

Furious, Doug leapt to his feet and his chair slammed back against the wall. “Damn it! She’s made her decision. Leave her alone.”

Reggie stood, put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “You’ve turned into a whiny-assed piece of shit.”

“Fuck you.” Doug shoved by his father and stormed out of the office. Eager to get away from Reggie’s interrogation, he decided to start his afternoon mowing immediately, the midday heat be damned.

#

Janie didn’t make it by Danny’s Monday night, but it didn’t keep Sam from putting on a good show. Her music reflected her mood. Every song was upbeat and the few people in the bar seemed to enjoy the evening. Many sang along to several tunes and by the end of the night Sam’s tip jar was full. She played two encores before finally giving her voice a rest. She thanked the audience and headed for the bar, where Ray had a glass of ice water waiting. “Thanks.”

“Sure.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s barely ten. Are you calling it a night?”

“I think so. I’ve got some things to take care of at the gym before morning, unless you need me to hang around here and help.”

Ray acknowledged a customer two stools away and filled a mug with draft beer. He exchanged the drink with the cash left on the bar and looked around the room. “No sense in you staying. Crowd’s starting to break up.” Mondays were notoriously slow, and he was thankful for the people Sam’s music brought in. He waved to a couple leaving. “Y’all be careful heading home.”

Sam finished her water. “I can come in early tomorrow and take care of the floors, if you want.”

“That’d be great. Fred’s off and I’d appreciate all the help I can get. Are you still sleeping in your car out back?”

“No, only if I’m too tired to go home.” She caught her slip. It was too soon for her to consider Betsy’s place hers. “I mean, I don’t want to wake Betsy by coming in at all hours. Why? Do you need me to move it?”

“No, it’s fine where it’s at. I’m only worried about you being back there alone.”

She picked up a tray of dirty glasses. “I’ve been sleeping in my car for years, in places a lot worse than here. Haven’t had anything happen to me yet.” Sam shifted the tray to make it easier to carry. “I’ll do these before I leave.” Considering the conversation over, she took the tray to the kitchen. The small room was still clean from earlier, so it didn’t take her long to get everything washed and put away.

A short time later she went through the back door, hearing the metallic snick of the lock as it closed. A moment too late, she saw a silhouette in the darkness leaning against her car. It was too big to be Janie and Sam began to get nervous at the realization of who it was.

“It’s about time you got here,” Doug called out. “I saw you head to the back fifteen minutes ago.”

Sam suddenly regretted not accepting a door key from Ray weeks ago. She hadn’t wanted the added responsibility, since at the time she didn’t think she’d be staying for long. She noticed Doug’s muscled arms and inwardly cringed. Sam knew she was no match for him. His work outdoors kept him lean and strong. She quickly figured the distance between him and the mouth of the alley. He was too close, and running in her heavy boots was out of the question. Her only chance was to reason with him. “Yeah, sorry about that. I had to do a few dishes before leaving.” She edged closer to the alleyway. “What can I do for you?”

He pushed off the car and started toward her. “I never thought I’d see Janie spending time with someone like you.”

“It’s not—”

“She’s not like you.” He continued closer, causing her to change direction. “Janie’s a gentle woman who’s lived here all her life, and she’s very trusting.”

Sam held out her hands to keep him back. “Yes, I know. She was the first person outside the bar to even speak to me.”

“That’s how she is.”

As Doug moved within a step of her, Sam backed up too quickly and her boots slipped on the gravel, causing her to fall onto her back. “I don’t know what you think is going on, but we barely know each other.”

He bent and took a firm hold of her upper arms. “I don’t believe you.” Even as Sam struggled, he had no trouble lifting her to her feet. “Janie’s not the type to make friends easily.” His face was inches from hers. “I’d hate to see her get hurt.”

“I understand,” she managed to say through her fear. “But I swear to you—”

“Would you shut the fuck up?” He shook her. “I’m trying to make a point here.”

She didn’t seem to listen. “It was only dinner, nothing else.” Sam squirmed until she was able to get out of his grip then stumbled away. With distance between them, she found her normal attitude returning. “Janie’s a grown woman and I don’t see why she can’t choose her own friends.”

“That’s what I was talking about.” Doug scratched his head. “This isn’t going right.”

Sam rubbed her left arm, where his fingers had dug in particularly hard. “Why are you here?”

He tucked his hands into his front pockets. “Last night, when I saw you sitting at her table, it was more than I could take. I always thought we’d be together for a long time. Maybe settle down and get married. Hell, even her old man wants us together.”

“What about what Janie wants? Isn’t that important?”

“Yeah. You know, I didn’t sleep at all last night. I kept thinking about you and her.”

Even though Sam could say the same thing, she didn’t think it was wise to admit it to him. But she felt a need to explain. “We didn’t—”

Doug cut her off. “For the past few years, she was a good friend. But I can tell she hasn’t been happy.” He looked embarrassed. “What I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry.”