hair and a booming voice, he said, “The smoke alarm doesn’t work. The bathroom faucet drips. Only one burner works on the stove, and that refrigerator is as old as I am. Did you count the steps leading to the apartment? Do you really want to have to climb twenty steps at the end of a long day?”
“Walter, would you stop?” The only person who called Red O’Toole Walter was his wife. Ruby’s mother now joined them downstairs. The freckles scattered across Scarlet O’Toole’s nose gave her a perpetually young appearance, which was at odds with the streaks of gray in her short red hair.
“It isn’t too late for her to get out of this,” Red said to his wife.
Scarlet wasn’t paying attention. She was listening to Amanda, who was telling her about the near accident Ruby had witnessed and the driver she’d stopped to help earlier.
“Was he tall?” Scarlet quizzed her daughter’s best friend.
“I asked her that, too,” Amanda replied. “That particular detail has not been forthcoming. Yet.”
Ruby dropped her face into her hands.
“She needs to come home with us,” her father insisted, as if that was that.
“She signed the papers,” her mother said dismissively.
“I don’t like the idea of our little girl serving up hard liquor to a bunch of rowdy m-e-n.”
Ruby didn’t bother reminding them that she was standing right here.
“Driving a tow truck you were okay with.” Ruby’s mother had a way of wrinkling up her nose when she was making a rhetorical statement. She demonstrated the tactic, and then said, “She’s only a three-and-a-half-hour drive away.”
Ruby backed away from the trio—not that any of them noticed—and traipsed to her laptop, where she added another one-of-a-kind drink title to the top of her menu. Kerfuffle. If her life thus far was any indication, this one was going to be a big seller.
“It’s time for you to go,” she said loudly enough to be heard over the din.
All three turned to face her.
“What?” her mother asked.
“But I’m not finished—” her father grumbled.
“You’re kicking us out?” Amanda groused.
Ruby stood her ground. “Thanks for all your help these past two days. I mean that from the bottom of my heart.”
“You’re asking us to leave?” her six-foot-three-inch father asked incredulously.
“I’m begging you,” she said.
“See what you’ve done?” Scarlet said to Red.
“So I’m worried that my little girl is a barkeeper.”
Red O’Toole’s little girl was twenty-eight years old and stood almost five foot eleven. But she smiled at him as she rounded the bar to give him a daughterly kiss on the cheek and a heartfelt hug. “The smoke alarm probably just needs a new battery. One burner and a microwave is all I need. I can deal with the leaky faucet, and those steps will be a good workout.”
Heaving a sigh that seemed to originate from the vicinity of his knees, her father said, “Isn’t there some legal provision that allows you three days to change your mind?”
“Even if there was a provision like that, I wouldn’t back out of this,” she said gently but firmly. “I like this town and I especially like this bar. I feel a connection to this place. I can’t explain it, but I want to make it a success. It’s going to be a challenge, but I can do this. I know I can.”
“Don’t worry, dear, you still have me,” Scarlet said to Red. “And Rusty. If you want to worry about one of your children, worry about him. Our daughter’s right. We should be getting back to Gale. She’s going to have plenty to do putting her furniture back the way she had it. Isn’t that right, honey?”
Ruby pulled a face, for her mother knew her well.
“Are you coming, Amanda?” Scarlet asked.
“I rode with Ruby, remember?” Amanda said. “I either have to catch a ride home with you two or take a bus. But nobody’s going anywhere until she answers my question.” She spun around again and faced Ruby. “Details would be good.”
“Details about what?” Ruby’s innocent expression didn’t fool anybody.
“What was the guy driving that sweet Mustang like?” Amanda asked, sounding like the kindergarten teacher she was.
Even Ruby’s father waited for Ruby’s reply.
“What was he like?” Ruby echoed, seriously considering the question. “Let’s see. He didn’t slam his car door or kick the no-passing sign even though it took out one of his mirrors.”
She saw the looks passing between her mother and her best friend. There was nothing she could do about what they were thinking.
“Patient isn’t on my list,” Amanda said, “but it should be. What else?”
With a sigh of surrender, Ruby said, “He was blond and well dressed and understandably irritated but polite.”
“And?” Amanda stood up straight, as if doing so would make her less dwarfed by the three tall redheads.
“And that’s all,” Ruby stated.
“That’s all?” Amanda echoed.
“Isn’t that what she said?” her father asked gruffly.
“But, honey,” Ruby’s mother implored.
“Was he tall?” Amanda and Scarlet asked in unison.
Ruby opened her mouth, closed it, skewed her mouth to one side and finally shrugged. “I didn’t notice.”
“You didn’t notice?” her mother asked gently.
“But height is always what you notice first,” Amanda insisted.
“I told you. I’m not interested in finding a man. Maybe I’ll get a dog. Perhaps a rescue with a heartbreaking past and soulful eyes.”
“You’re bound to run into him again, you know,” Scarlet said, and very nearly smiled.
“Since you didn’t hear me, I’ll say it again. I’m finished with men. All men. For good.”
There were hugs all around and a few tears, but those were mostly from her father. Ruby promised her mother she would call. She promised her father she would keep her doors locked. When Amanda reminded her that the reunion was in two weeks’ time, Ruby reluctantly reconfirmed her promise that she would be there, too.
Finally, she stood in the hot sun in the back alley, waving as her parents and best friend drove away. Alone at last, she returned to the tavern and looked around the dimly lighted
