THE CAMELLIA TAVERN

CHAPTER 19: WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU

Thursday, June 25

I woke up to the sound of my cell phone this morning. Anjali texted to let me, Merritt and Jacinda know that Warrick announced last night, he's hired a manager for The Camellia Tavern. I feel a bit nervous reading the news. I wonder if it's the beautiful strawberry blonde, Addie, he threw in my face the same day I woke up on his couch in Birmingham.

Ugh! Just last night, we were flirting via text and now I'm getting worked up thinking about what happened after we made out. My feelings for him are already so complicated. How is that possible?

We get back to Sturvis around noon since we all slept in (courtesy of our late night). I take a shower and head directly over to see Gramps for a few hours before my shift.

I'm surprised to find the front door open and only the screen door shut. I knock on the frame of the screen door and hear the television practically blaring. He really is so hard of hearing some days.

"Gramps?" I say as I open the screen door.

He doesn't hear me, of course, so I say his name a bit louder.

"Milly Sue, is that you?" he finally calls back to me.

"Your door was wide open, Gramps. What if I was a kidnapper or something?"

"Now what kind of a kidnapper is gonna steal an old man like me?" he chuckles at the mere thought.

"I'd steal you," I tease him.

I lean down and plant a kiss on his cheek as he pats my shoulder. I mean, Sturvis is a pretty safe place to live, but I'd feel a lot better if he would keep his front door closed and locked at all times.

"It's Thursday," he says looking at the watch I got him last Christmas at The Sturvis Christmas Market.

"And?"

"And I don't usually see you on Thursdays," he says, and turns the volume to the television down. He's right. I came here because I need advice and, as far as I'm concerned, he's the best person to get it from.

"Gramps, can I ask you something?"

He looks at me with his big brown eyes and smiles. He doesn't even say his usual line. As if he senses that my question is important this time.

"I'll do my best," he says then turns the television off with the remote. I plop down on the couch next to him.

"How can you make sure you don't fall for the wrong person?"

He furrows his brow, giving the question some deep thought then sighs.

"Well, I don't know that you can ever help who you fall for, Milly Sue, but you do start to learn what's good for you and what's bad for you. Well, at least some folks do."

I wonder if he's thinking of my mother, Corrine. Picking the wrong men, drinking herself to sleep every night, moving from town to town before she can organize any semblance of stability in any of them.  And, yes, a small part of me fears that I'll turn out to be as bad at picking the men in my life as she is.

"Does this have somethin' to do with that Travers fella?" Gramps says with a suspicious look.

I sigh, giving myself away.

"Thought so," he says, proudly as if he's uncovered some mystery.

"You're a regular Sherlock Holmes," I tease.

"So what's your trouble?"

"I like him. A lot. I'm just not sure that he likes me the way that I like him."