Page 15 of Barry
“What gossip do you have?” Kathy followed her back to the tiny area that held two chairs and a coffee pot.
“Edna Michaelson has another Bigfoot picture, or so she says.” Allison poured her a cup then put in some creamer and sugar.
“I know!” Kathy’s laugh bubbled over. “I saw it this morning. But, girl, I couldn’t tell what it was. It could have been a Bigfoot. It was weird. The thing was all covered in … Well, it could have been fur. It wasn’t really in focus.”
“The one she had last time was way far away.” Allison sat down with her. “That woman, I swear, she’s got to have some type of situation brewing.”
“Well, it keeps her motivated and doing things. So as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, I say live and let live.” Kathy took a sniff of her coffee. “Oh, this smells good.”
“Cinnamon,” Allison said as she took a sip. “I love the smell of adding cinnamon to the grounds.”
“Where did you learn that?”
“Brian.” Allison put her cup down. “How about a loaf of bread to take home?”
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Kathy put her hand on Allison’s arm and stopped her from leaving. “Sit down and spill.”
Allison groaned but plopped back down in the chair. “There isn’t really anything to say.”
“Oh, really? I think there’s a whole lot to say! Like, who’s Brian? How did he teach you to put cinnamon in your coffee, and why haven’t I heard about him before?”
Her friend smiled a bit. “Brian is a friend of Alex and Kayla’s.”
Kathy nodded. She loved Kayla and Alex. The woman was Phil Granger’s niece and owned the seamstress-slash-clothing store next door to Allison’s bakery. “But how did you meet him?”
“I met him a long time ago. When he first got out of the military, he came up here to talk to Doc Wheeler. Kind of like Barry.”
“Jeremiah is wonderful, but you’re not going to distract me. Go on.” Kathy leaned forward.
“We talked a couple of times back then. He’s, well, he’s huge.” Allison shrugged.
“Huge? You mean … fat?”
Allison snorted out a laugh. “God, no. He’s tall and muscled, tatted up, and a biker.”
Kathy blinked. “A biker?”
Allison nodded. “What I meant by huge is he kind of, like, consumes all the air around him. You know what I mean?”
Kathy narrowed her eyes. “Not really.”
Allison sighed. “Okay … so, when he’s around, there isn’t room for anything else, you know? He’s opinionated, strong-willed, and bossy.”
Kathy sat back. “Oh, you mean he’s just like you.”
Allison’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
“Oh, I love you, girl, but you have to know that about yourself, right?”
Allison huffed. “I’m not bossy.”
Kathy crossed her arms over her chest and looked at her friend.
“What?” Allison stood up and grabbed a towel from the coffee cart, folding it. She glanced back at Kathy and then groaned again before plopping back into the chair.
“You like him.”
“He doesn’t live around here. He lives in Rapid, and no, he’s too bossy. And that take-it-or-leave-it attitude of his. He just thinks it’s going to be his way or the highway.”