Port Hope: Book 5 in The Jerry McNeal series (A Paranormal Snapshot) by Sherry A. Burton

Author:Sherry A. Burton [Burton, Sherry A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-05-27T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

The moment he saw the waitress heading their way, Jerry knew he’d screwed up. The burger had two beef patties, each looking to be an inch thick. Though the patties looked uniform in their structure, he could tell they were not your run-of-the-mill preformed patties. Each patty had been hand-pressed in a ring, cooked to perfection, and now sat on a bun with lettuce, tomato, and onion, the whole of which was nearly as tall as the beer bottle sitting in front of him. The sandwich was accompanied by a full basket of crisp shoestring french fries.

Jerry eyed April’s single burger, a sizeable offering in its own right, and Max’s chicken tender basket, then lifted a fry and pointed it to each in turn. “The joke is on you, ladies, as I intend on eating every bite.”

Max dipped a tender in barbecue sauce and took a bite. “Do you think you can?”

April dabbed her mouth with the napkin. “Max, don’t talk with your mouth full.”

“Oh, I’ll finish it, but it won’t be pretty. In fact, I may need a bib.” Jerry turned the plate, trying to plan his attack, then pressed the whole thing with his hands. He lifted the beast and, after several attempts, finally managed a bite. He closed his eyes, enjoying the flavor, finished the bite, then started to take another and hesitated. “I’m going to be a while. Since you don’t approve of talking while eating, maybe you should tell me about your town. Have you lived here all your life?”

Another look passed between April and Max. It was April who finally spoke. “We moved here two years ago after I divorced my husband.”

That she hadn’t referred to the man as Max’s dad wasn’t lost on Jerry. “Why Port Hope?”

“My friend Carrie lives here. We went to the same school just outside Detroit. She met a guy and moved here shortly after we graduated. I never pictured her as a farmer’s wife, but he adores her, and she seems happy. They have a nice-size farm just outside of town. About the time I left Randy, Carrie’s grandmother moved into a facility. Carrie was trying to figure out what to do with her house. The moment I told her what was going on, she insisted we come.” April looked over at Max and smiled a grateful smile. “I don’t know how we would have managed without her help. Carrie rents us the house for way less than she could get from anyone else. I found a job where I can work from home. It’s not the most glamorous job, but it pays the bills.”

Jerry took a sip of his beer. “What do you do?”

April’s mouth was full, so Max answered for her. “Mom’s a computer geek.”

April shook her head. “I don’t really work on them. I troubleshoot. When people call in, I have a list of things to have them try. If those things don’t work, I arrange for them to have their computer looked at by a professional.

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