thought it would be
about Craig.” She sat down in a kitchen chair and Sam handed her a
glass of iced tea. She took a sip.
“Oh, yeah… Craig was there.” Jeanne blew the
iced tea out all over the table. Sam looked at her like she had
lost her mind.
“Millie, cut the suspense and tell me.”
“Well, the basic facts are that Janie was
there with some guy, Craig walked in, had a drink at the bar, saw
her and went over to her table.”
“Yes?”
“… That’s about it.”
“Did he join them… run out of the bar…
collapse… anything?”
“He talked to them for a bit, not long I
think, and then left.”
“Huh…”
“Ah… One more thing…”
“You’re killing me, Millie.”
“Janie went after him. Then this guy went
after her. They eventually came back in, but we left before I saw
anything else. That’s it, Jeanne.”
“Thanks, Millie, for the report. I need to go
get my heart started now.”
Millie laughed. “See ya, Jeanne.”
“Bye.” She hung up the phone and looked at
Sam. Usually, he’d hang back and pretend not to be too interested
in the family gossip, but this news he wanted to hear. Janie was
the strong, silent type that he really admired. She was solid and
never gave anyone too much trouble… Except for people who didn’t
abide by the law, of course.
“Let’s have it, honey. What’s up?”
Jeanne’s mind was processing this
information. It was almost unbelievable.
“Okay… Here’s what I know. Janie went to
dinner last night with some man Millie didn’t know. That means he’s
not from around Naples.”
“So she finally went out on a date. What’s
wrong with that?”
“Nothing… I knew she was about to do
something… Anyway, another fact was that she was wearing her hair
down.” It took Sam a minute for that one to register.
“ Janie
without her ponytail? Whoa… that is big…”
“Ready for more?”
“Not sure. That last one was mind-blowing.”
He smiled.
“Craig’s back from Scotland and was there at
the restaurant too. Millie said he saw her, talked with her and
then left.”
“Okay, so he saw her. So what?” Sam was
confused.
“This isn’t fact, but I bet he was upset that
she was there with someone else.”
“Someone else… meaning not him?” She gave him
a stern look.
“Sam Cable, do you mean to stand there and
tell me you didn’t know that Craig was in love with Janie?” Sam was
completely taken by surprise.
“When did that happen?”
“I’m sure it happened a long time ago.
They’ve known each other since they were kids, and I bet he loved
her even then. How she feels about him is the unknown element here.
For him too probably.”
“Okay, I’m beginning to follow. Then it would
upset him that she was out with another man. I get it…”
Jeanne looked at Sam and sighed. “You know,
honey… We’ve been through every trial and tribulation that Sandy
and Lily’s kids have ever had. It’s exhausting…”
Sam laughed. “But there’s a silver lining
here.”
“What?”
“Janie’s the youngest…”
“Thank God…” And they smiled at each
other.
* * *
Craig had difficulty concentrating at work
the next day. His 9:00 appointment was late, so he fidgeted until
they arrived. He had to work straight through lunch, so he ordered
a sandwich and didn’t think the delivery guy was ever going to get
there. He fidgeted some more. Working on the Johnson Family Trust
finances for Sandy and Bill, his mind was preoccupied all day with
the Johnsons. His computer program with all the accounts went down
for some unknown reason. Silently giving thanks that he had backed
everything up, he waited for the IT guy to arrive to find out what
was wrong. In the meantime, he tried working up some figures with a
ledger and a pencil. Craig broke two pencils before giving up and
calling his secretary.
“Yes, Mr. Ferguson?”
“Did you call that IT guy?”
“Yes.”
“Is he going to get here in this
century?”
“He
about Craig.” She sat down in a kitchen chair and Sam handed her a
glass of iced tea. She took a sip.
“Oh, yeah… Craig was there.” Jeanne blew the
iced tea out all over the table. Sam looked at her like she had
lost her mind.
“Millie, cut the suspense and tell me.”
“Well, the basic facts are that Janie was
there with some guy, Craig walked in, had a drink at the bar, saw
her and went over to her table.”
“Yes?”
“… That’s about it.”
“Did he join them… run out of the bar…
collapse… anything?”
“He talked to them for a bit, not long I
think, and then left.”
“Huh…”
“Ah… One more thing…”
“You’re killing me, Millie.”
“Janie went after him. Then this guy went
after her. They eventually came back in, but we left before I saw
anything else. That’s it, Jeanne.”
“Thanks, Millie, for the report. I need to go
get my heart started now.”
Millie laughed. “See ya, Jeanne.”
“Bye.” She hung up the phone and looked at
Sam. Usually, he’d hang back and pretend not to be too interested
in the family gossip, but this news he wanted to hear. Janie was
the strong, silent type that he really admired. She was solid and
never gave anyone too much trouble… Except for people who didn’t
abide by the law, of course.
“Let’s have it, honey. What’s up?”
Jeanne’s mind was processing this
information. It was almost unbelievable.
“Okay… Here’s what I know. Janie went to
dinner last night with some man Millie didn’t know. That means he’s
not from around Naples.”
“So she finally went out on a date. What’s
wrong with that?”
“Nothing… I knew she was about to do
something… Anyway, another fact was that she was wearing her hair
down.” It took Sam a minute for that one to register.
“ Janie
without her ponytail? Whoa… that is big…”
“Ready for more?”
“Not sure. That last one was mind-blowing.”
He smiled.
“Craig’s back from Scotland and was there at
the restaurant too. Millie said he saw her, talked with her and
then left.”
“Okay, so he saw her. So what?” Sam was
confused.
“This isn’t fact, but I bet he was upset that
she was there with someone else.”
“Someone else… meaning not him?” She gave him
a stern look.
“Sam Cable, do you mean to stand there and
tell me you didn’t know that Craig was in love with Janie?” Sam was
completely taken by surprise.
“When did that happen?”
“I’m sure it happened a long time ago.
They’ve known each other since they were kids, and I bet he loved
her even then. How she feels about him is the unknown element here.
For him too probably.”
“Okay, I’m beginning to follow. Then it would
upset him that she was out with another man. I get it…”
Jeanne looked at Sam and sighed. “You know,
honey… We’ve been through every trial and tribulation that Sandy
and Lily’s kids have ever had. It’s exhausting…”
Sam laughed. “But there’s a silver lining
here.”
“What?”
“Janie’s the youngest…”
“Thank God…” And they smiled at each
other.
* * *
Craig had difficulty concentrating at work
the next day. His 9:00 appointment was late, so he fidgeted until
they arrived. He had to work straight through lunch, so he ordered
a sandwich and didn’t think the delivery guy was ever going to get
there. He fidgeted some more. Working on the Johnson Family Trust
finances for Sandy and Bill, his mind was preoccupied all day with
the Johnsons. His computer program with all the accounts went down
for some unknown reason. Silently giving thanks that he had backed
everything up, he waited for the IT guy to arrive to find out what
was wrong. In the meantime, he tried working up some figures with a
ledger and a pencil. Craig broke two pencils before giving up and
calling his secretary.
“Yes, Mr. Ferguson?”
“Did you call that IT guy?”
“Yes.”
“Is he going to get here in this
century?”
“He
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