The Chick Palace by Leslie David Guccione

Author:Leslie David Guccione
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781626810952
Publisher: Diversion Books

Chapter Eleven: Lilly

I heard the truck while I filled the coffeemaker in my pantry-sized kitchen, and the slam of its doors while I headed out to the porch. Even through the screens I caught Dean giving Johanna a look over the lowered tailgate: blue-eyed, clear and deep.

I let the screen door snap shut behind me. “Well hey, you two.”

Dean straightened his shoulders. “Well—hey.” He slid a tool box and nail gun from the open truck bed. “Mind if I play the radio out here?”

I picked up the loaned extension cord we’d coiled and brought to the work site after our festive evening. “Not at all. And thanks for sending your daughter over last night. She was sweet to drop it by.” I thought of the doorless Jeep and glanced at Johanna conspiratorially.

“We were about to search the boathouse for the right kind of cord of when she arrived,” Johanna finally added.

“Why don’t you go on and look for yours, Joho? Then soon as we get Dean settled it’ll be coffee in the Chick Palace.” Now that I’d kick-started some safe conversation I felt comfortable returning to my bean grinding. “Don’t you know, your name for the tree house nailed it? It’s perfect?”

The former lifeguard smiled.

Johanna headed off. I made my way back to the kitchen then returned with a mug of freshly ground Colombian roast. I offered it black since Dean struck me as a no-frills, straight up kind of coffee drinking guy. I’d guessed correctly. I blathered about letting me know if he needed anything. “There’s plenty more in the Thermos decanter on the counter,” I added.

“Will do.”

I headed back to the kitchen to pour Joho’s and my coffee but stopped at the faint but unmistakable Temptations melody wafting from the truck. “My Girl is playing,” I called to him.

“That’s Phoebe. Grab it, will you? Tell her I’ll be right there.”

His wife. I snapped the cover up, prepared to compliment her on the house purchase. “Dean Delaney’s cell phone. This is Lilly Covington.”

“Um, hi Mrs. Covington. It’s Phoebe. Dad’ll be really pissed that I’m bothering him, I mean he’s already pissed but I, like, have an emergency quick question.”

I absorbed this despite the speed with which she rattled it off. “Phoebe? As in the bike and the extension cord?”

“Well, yes. That was me.”

“Oh.” I watched Dean stand up and brush his hands on his jeans. “I’m sorry. I thought Johanna said your name was Lucy.”

“Lucy? That’s my dog.”

“Your dog?” I nodded, then shook my head, glad she couldn’t see me. “Well, Phoebe, Here’s your daddy. Sorry for the confusion.”

He took the phone. “Hi, kiddo.”

I feigned disinterest until the carpenter snapped the phone shut and stuck it in his pocket. “Phoebe’s biking over to borrow the truck.”

“Phoebe your daughter?”

He seemed oblivious. “She just woke up to discover the Volvo’s in the shop and she has a dentist appointment. Phoebe does.”

“She might could use Johanna’s old Jeep, Dean. Or one of us could drive her.”

“Thanks, but I’d be more comfortable just giving her my truck.

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