Chapter 3

The waiter returned with a glass of water as well as a selection of other beverages for Betty to choose from. She didn’t abstain from drinking and would occasionally have a glass of wine with a nice meal, but she planned on continuing into town later, so she refrained from sampling the local blends. Instead, she opted for a mango citrus juice blend to pair with the light dinner fare. The young man then left and returned with a plate of seared tilapia with a rice and vegetable blend. “Does everything look appealing to you, Betty?”

“Yes. It’s delightful, I appreciate it… I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name?”

“Bobby.”

“Thank you, Bobby. I’m sure it’s going to be delightful.”

As she finished her meal, watching the other patrons laugh and talk among themselves, an older woman with long blonde hair tinged with a silver hue stepped up to her table. Her hair, despite being long, was tied neatly behind her with a tight scrunchie. She was heavyset and wore an apron over a black short-sleeved t-shirt. Betty could tell the woman had been in the area from quite some time and had adapted to the climate by the deep tan she had. The woman seemed jovial and had crows’ feet beginning to form and tug on the corners of her eyelids. “Hi! How are you?! It’s so good to see you!”

Betty looked around in bewilderment. She didn’t expect anyone in the town to be waiting to meet her, but she graciously accepted the welcome. “I’m Mildred, the owner of the Cup and Saucer. Bobby came and fetched me from the kitchen, letting me know you finally arrived in town.”

“Oh. Well, it’s nice to meet you at… I didn’t expect anyone to be waiting on me, in particular.”

“Honey, I’ll tell you a secret…when someone new is in town, everyone waits on them. Haha. Trust me, not much happens here, so any news is gossip-worthy. I wanted to be the first to meet you, besides… I think someone placed a secret order you didn’t know about.”

She cleared her throat and held out a plate in front of her calling out, “Sirloin chop… well done…any takers?”

Beaux Jacques, who was under the table dozing previously, sat up and looked expectantly at Mildred. He didn’t grumble or growl at her. He then paused a moment, politely waiting, and woofed once. “Ha! See. I knew someone wanted this. “She then yielded to Betty, “Is it alright?”

“Out of the years I’ve been with our handsome Beaux Jacques, I’ve become accustomed to his spoiling. The gentleman always gets what he wants. Go ahead, he’ll be tickled. Thank you, by the way, for the warm welcome.”

Mildred sat the plate down for Beaux, who happily chewed his dinner, and placed her hand on the back of Betty’s shoulder, leaning closer to her. “I was new in town once too, and trust me… you’ll be the subject of debate, speculation, and much scrutiny in the days to come. If you feel the need to vent, or if you just need a friendly face to talk to, remember I’m here. While we have a peaceful community here, it’s the same as everywhere else…there are cliques and backstabbers in any walk of life.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. I’m heading to the park with Beaux Jacques next... is there anything I need to watch out for there?”

“Not really. I just wouldn’t drink from the fountain; I don’t think it’s been serviced for many years. Other than that, I don’t really know any of the crew that hangs out there. I know after midnight some of the teenagers probably go there to sew some wild oats, but beyond that, it should be fine.”

“I certainly thank you for the hospitality, Mildred. When I get my furniture and the apartment settled, you’ll have to come over for come coffee… or better yet, stop by the bed and breakfast whenever you want, and we’ll have lunch. I’m sure it’s nice sometimes not to make your own meals.”

“Yes… I’ll agree there, a break every once in a while is nice. I may take you up on that offer on some weekend, Betty. Thank you. I still can’t believe the Cornerstone has a new owner. How’d you find it anyway? We all thought someone local would take it over. There was even talk of one of the Parkers buying it for development purposes.”

“What’s that mean, development purposes?”

“Well, in the wake of progress… the Parkers use it as code for ‘tearing it down,’”

Betty frowned and furrowed her brow. “I’m grateful it’s mine now. It’s such a nice place. I like how nostalgic it feels. It’s as if the walls have their own stories. I can’t wait to get settled in so I can start managing it appropriately.”

“I’m glad you feel that way, Betty. There’s a lot of folk around here who wants to see the property thrive. Mostly old folks like me, mind you, but it has such a rich history here. In fact, the town itself owes it a debt. It’s provided jobs, tourist attractions, and of course, a fair share of myths and legends. I’ll have to tell you about them sometime. Well, I better go before Bobby burns the kitchen down. The boy is hard working, but I don’t think cooking will ever be his forte.”

Mildred walked away, yelling across the courtyard before she even reached the door. “Bobby!! What are you doing?! That is not how you make apple pie a la mode! A la mode is with ice cream, not sauce… mole is sauce!”

Betty laughed and looked down at her stuffed companion. “Ready to go now, sir?” Beaux Jacques grumbled and whined, but Betty persisted. “No…come one now. We’ve got to go for a walk. You can’t just lay there and sleep after that big steak. A moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips. Come on, Commander, let’s go.”

Beaux Jacques huffed and got to his feet as Betty left cash on the table and a handsome tip for Bobby and Mildred. As they walked to the dog park, she thought about bed and breakfast. She didn’t know much about running bed and breakfast per se, but she was confident she had the business savvy to make it successful.

As Betty and Beaux Jacques reached the dog park at the edge of town, she could see it was nicely manicured and well-kept. She closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh air as she smiled. It was nice being outdoors with Beaux on such a tranquil evening. The sun hung low on the horizon, and a cool breeze blew in, cutting through the humidity. Betty scanned the area and didn’t see many other residents in the park. There was an elderly couple sitting on a bench holding hands, talking in low whispers while smiling and pointing at a dog in the distance. Betty followed their pointing with her eyes and saw a man in the distance walking a large dog. Beaux Jacques finally winded the dog and started trotted in its direction. Beaux Jacques was particular about the people he allowed in his life, but when it came to his canine family, he didn’t know a stranger. He picked up the pace the closer he got to the animal, and Betty could finally make out the breed.

Beaux Jacques broke into a swift trot, and Betty looked down at him and smiled, briefly letting go of the leash and saying, “Race ya there, Beaux.” The older dog woofed happily and made a beeline for the other dog, and Betty wasn’t far behind her faithful companion. She relished the feeling of the wind on her face as she broke out into a sprint. Her career previously left her little time to be outdoors in nature, so she truly enjoyed the luxury of allowing herself a few moments to play outside. She giggled as they reached the other dog, whose owner seemed surprised to have company in the park. Betty gave a short command for Beaux Jacques to heel, and he obeyed, lying down at her side while she bent over, placing her hands on her knees and catching her breath.

She took a few moments then said to the man standing in front of her, “I’m sorry… he saw you across the park, and he loves other dogs. He doesn’t get to socialize with his own kind very much.”

The bemused man looked at her and smiled. His Irish wolfhound, which was almost as tall as his easy six feet, just licked his lips and yawned. “I suppose Bear and I can forgive a lovely lady for interrupting us, can’t we Bear?” Bear made no move whatsoever to acknowledge the man’s question. He did, however, walk up to Betty, still under Beaux Jacques’ watchful eye, and lick her hand. “See. No worries. Apology accepted.” She laughed at the dog’s antics, and the handsome man standing in front of her reddened, stammering slightly. “I’m sorry... where are my manners? Hi. I’m Brannigan. I haven’t seen you here before, is this your first time visiting the park?”

“It’s my first time visiting the area actually. I’m new in town.”

“Ah. A new resident, well, that’s a nice surprise. You’ll be seeing me every day, I’m afraid.”

Betty’s eyebrows shot up questioningly, and Beaux Jacques grumbled at her feet. “What I mean is you’ll probably see me in passing. I’m the mailman here, so I know pretty much everyone or everyone’s secretary by face.”

“Oh. Haha…well, it’s a pleasure to meet you. You will indeed be seeing me frequently. My name’s Betty… I just bought the Cornerstone.”

“Ah. That’s wonderful news! I’m glad to see the old building is going to have continued use.”

“Yeah. Oddly enough, that’s not the first time I’ve heard that today.”

“Oh, get used to it. The town absolutely loves that place. Hopefully, you’ll continue the tradition of holding many parties there. The old owners had a yearly soiree for area residents and business owners. Again, I apologize for the manners. My name’s Brannigan.”

Betty considered the slight touch of brogue in his voice and cocked her eyebrow. “That’s a rather unusual name, isn’t it?”

“Let’s just say my parents were big John Wayne fans.”

“Oh, I see. Well, I’m sorry to pry; you’ll find that’s one of my best qualities. I used to be a lawyer, so it’s in my blood now.”

“It’s okay… I used to be a playboy, so you’ll forgive me if I stare a little too long... it’s in my nature.”

Betty laughed and motioned for Beaux Jacques to rise as she and Brannigan strolled through the rest of the park together. Bear and Jacques were on their best behavior as their humans walked slowly, frequently pausing to take in the scenery. Betty commented on how she was learning to love the idyllic pace and laughed at Brannigan’s jokes, even if they were corny. She looked into his sparkling blue eyes and couldn’t help but feel pulled into them. He was so charming and nice, but she did have to maintain at least some level of responsibility. After all, even if she did move to a new town to escape the corporate grind, she couldn’t lose her mind and throw all caution to the wind. When they reached the end of the path, the sun was beginning to set, and the horizon changed color from its perfect blue to a shade of violet and pink mixed. “Well, Brannigan, it’s been nice meeting you, but I’m afraid that Beaux Jacques and I must be going home. My furniture should have already been delivered, and I have some more unpacking to do before I go to my office at the Cornerstone tomorrow.”

“Would you like Bear and me to walk you home? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

“No, that’s quite alright. My Beaux here takes good care of me when night falls. He’s constantly on alert for any predators. Maybe I’ll see you around town sometime?”

“Oh, I will definitely swing by and visit sometime…if that’s an invitation?”

Betty and Beaux turned and began walking the opposite direction when Betty called over her should to the handsome mailman, “We’ll see!” As she disappeared into the distance, Brannigan just stood and shook his head, exhaling a long sigh. “Haha, this town will never be the same now, will it, Bear? That woman is something special.”