Or maybe it was because the man was so tall. He had to be over six feet, judging by the sheer size of him. He wore sliders and a pair of light blue shorts paired with a white, button-down, short-sleeve shirt that had little blue pineapples all over it.
The clothing didn’t fit him. Oh, theyfitjust fine, showcasing what was without a doubt a very muscular body, but they didn’t seem to match the intensity of the man.
Jade could picture him in a dark suit and dress shoes. That had to be his usual wardrobe. Not this easygoing outfit. He wore it well, there was no doubt about that, but Jade could tell that the stranger would be more comfortable in uncomfortable clothing.
“Do you know who that is?” she whispered to Pippa.
Her coworker shook her head. “Nope. No clue. But I only leave the house to work and get groceries for my monsters. You should ask Lila. She would know.”
Lila, Moony’s owner and main waitress, stood behind the counter, talking quietly to the striking stranger.
“I wouldn’t kick him out of bed for eating crackers,” Pippa commented with her mouth full of fries. “But as much as I would like to sit here and drool over the new eye candy in town, we need to go. Lunch break is almost over, and you know Mrs. Francis will be waiting for us at the door.”
Jade nodded. The oldest woman in town … and one of the most respected elders in Half Moon Key … liked to do her banking right after lunch. She was usually sitting on the small wooden bench in front of the bank when Jade and Pippa returned to work.
The bank closed from noon to one every day because they were a small-town bank that could easily get away with strange hours.
“I’ll go,” Jade said, getting to her feet and dropping the money for her meal with a good tip onto the table. “You take your time.”
Pippa cheered her with a fry. “Thanks, girl. You know this is the only meal I can eat that is hot and not at all interrupted.”
“Enjoy,” Jade said, meaning it too.
On her way out of the door, she waved bye to Lila. “See ya tomorrow,” she called out.
“Have a good afternoon,” Lila shouted back.
Jade speed-walked down the street to the bank. Just as she had suspected, Mrs. Francis was sitting on the bench, holding onto a bright orange purse.
“Mrs. Francis, hello! How are you today?”
The old woman stood, holding onto the hand that Jade offered her. “I’m fine, I’m fine. You’re a bit early today.”
“I didn’t want to keep you waiting,” Jade answered.
Mrs. Francis laughed. “At my age, dear, you’re always waiting for something. Death, taxes, the next pee break.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to add to that list,” she said as she fought off a fit of giggles. Mrs. Francis was hilarious. Not that she intended to be funny. It was her view of the world after over a hundred years of life that made her an interesting character.
Half Moon Key would hardly be the same without her, and yet, there would be a day when Mrs. Francis wouldn’t be found in the diner eating shredded carrots or sitting on the bench in front of the bank.
Hell, there would even be a day when the town meetings wouldn’t be called and led by her. Jade pushed away the sad and uncomfortable thought.
Bad things didn’t happen in Half Moon Key. It was a strange but wonderful place where a little old lady could totally live until her hundred fifteenth birthday.
Jade had to believe that things couldn’t change in her hometown. She was happy here, and she liked that the place hadn’t changed at all during her life so far.
Steady and predictable. Just how she liked it.
THREE
PARKER
The summer sun was beating down hard on Half Moon Key, from the very top of the high trees of the forest that bordered the town and lake on all sides, to the sparkling water of said lake. The yellow rays were painting the small town with bright, cheerful vibes. It was so nice and warm that even on the main street, Parker could hear the sounds of the people gathered on the beach. It sure helped that the lake’s beach was only a very short walk from Main Street.
Maybe if he got all his errands out of the way before noon, he would go for a swim. What good was a lakeside cabin if he didn’t actually use it for swimming every now and again? That’s what retired people did, wasn’t it? They lounged around and had all kinds of fun.
Fun.