Callie takes her hand. “I’m Callie, and it’s lovely to meet you, too.”
I place Callie’s vodka in front of her. “I’m rationing these tonight. Now tell me, why was your day bad?”
She takes a long gulp. “Mrs Harper had a fall. I had to get her to the hospital, which meant I had to leave work early, which means I’m behind on my article. I’ve got a long night ahead of me now.”
I frown. “Mrs Harper?”
“My neighbour. She’s about ninety. They’re keeping her in hospital for a few days at least to monitor her because she hurt her hip pretty badly.”
“Ah, so no roast for you tonight,” I say.
She pokes her tongue at me. “No roast, smarty-pants. And no dessert either.”
I smirk again. “Definitely no dessert. You’ve had a rough day today. Nothing good for breakfast and no dessert.”
She takes another long gulp of her vodka. “Oh, screw you, Mr Hardy. I might go home and make my own dessert. And send you a photo.”
Mum chokes on her drink. “Callie, you and I must really get together one day. Any woman who is willing to take on my son is a woman I need to get to know.”
Callie holds her drink up to clink my mother’s glass. “We can drink cocktails and swap notes.”
“Jesus,” I mutter.
I leave them to their conversation to go and take care of some waiting customers. When I return twenty minutes later, Avery has made them both another drink and they’re getting on like a house on fire.
I pull Avery aside. “No more drinks for either of them.”
She pulls a face. “Really, Luke? You’re going all caveman now?”
“If I see them with a drink after this one, I’m gonna be pissed off, Avery. Mum’s had enough for today and Callie needs to get home to do her work.”
She rolls her eyes and wanders away muttering some shit I can’t hear.
“Well, look at this cosy little party.” I turn to find Tyler standing between Mum and Callie; his arms draped over their shoulders.
“Have you called your father, Tyler? He’s been looking for you this afternoon,” Mum says.
“No, I’m avoiding him,” he says, annoyance flashing across his face. “And you should stop seeing him if that’s what is going on.”
“I’m not seeing him. Why do all my sons think I’m seeing him again? I’ll have you all know right now that I have a new man.”
I lean on the counter. “Really? Why haven’t we heard anything about him?” Whenever she has a new guy, we’re the first to know.
She sips her drink. “Because I’m serious about this one and I wanted him to myself until I knew for sure.”
“Knew what for sure?” Tyler asks.
“That he’s the one.” Her shoulders straighten as she says this and her face lights up with happiness. I’m not convinced, though. Estelle Ashcroft meets “the one” at least twice a year.
“How long have you been seeing him?” Tyler demands.
“Four months and seven days.”
Tyler scoffs. “That’s a blink. How can you know anything in four months?”
Callie joins in. “Time means nothing when love is involved.”
Mum raises her glass to Callie. “Thank you, Callie. I wholeheartedly agree with that. I met Luke’s father when I was nineteen and knew within a week that I loved him.”