HER

Chapter 19

Catherine had her day almost packed. She was ready to depart tomorrow and she had her things ready to go. After she got her things packed, she got a taxi straight to the super market and she made her way inside and directly to the counter.

"Hi Ben." She smiled at the old man across it.

"Cat, nice to see you today, heard you're leaving us real soon."

"Tomorrow actually."

"Going back home?"

She nodded.

"Good. My kids never visit me except the one that stayed back. Your folks must be lucky."

She felt her heart tighten at that. She only had a mum as far as she was concerned. Her dad died way before she was born and her mum never showed her a picture when she asked for one growing up, so she had given up and closed that black box.

"What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if I could speak to Cassie."

"She should be working the shelves in twenty-seven.'

"Thank you." She smiled and made her way to section twenty-seven and found the red head stacking items on the shelf. She winced at that; Liam her husband would go insane if he saw her right now. Liam worked at the precinct with Ian, they were partners and Cassie came into the B&B once in a while and they'd gotten to know each other and she found Cassie to be an amazing person, which was why she was about to do what she wanted to do.

She walked towards her.
"Need help with that Cass?"

Cassie turned and smiled when she saw her.
"Hey you."

"Hey."

"Heard you're leaving town."

She sighed.
"I am."

"Sad you'll be gone. I'll have no one to talk to when Liam's caught up at the precinct."

"Well I suggest you start attending the single moms."

"I'm not a mom...yet." Cassie placed a hand on her bulging tummy. She was close to six months and she wasn't giving up her duties as the store manager.

"Well I think if you need to work between now and then, you do something that isn't stressful."

"Yea, lifting a cereal box onto a shelf is hard work, you sound like Liam."

"A cereal box amongst other things."

Cassie sighed.
"What do you have in mind?"

"The B&B." Catherine smiled. "With me gone, old George wouldn't want to employ anyone and he'd get out back in the hospital. If you talk to Ben about it, he just might let you."

"Ben is as biased as Liam. Like father like husband."

"Your dad doesn't want you working here either?"

"No! He wants me in bed sipping ice-tea or doing whatever pregnant women are supposed to do at this stage."

"Well he wouldn't have a problem if you were working the kitchen at the B&B. You wouldn't have to take their orders. They give it to you before they take their seats and I bought this office bell; you tap on it and they come get their order."

"You have it figured out, don't you?"

She nodded.

"I like it." Cassie smiled. "So, by taking over from you, you'll kill two and a half birds with one job."

"Precisely."

"I'll start tomorrow then."

"Good." She smiled. "I'll inform George."

"You haven't told him?" She asked with wide eyes.

"He would have said not to worry and I would have done it regardless and he would have gotten over it in a second."

"He'll be there during lunch to help out if Ian isn't."

"Heard about that." She smiled. "I don't think Ian would be anywhere the B&B when you're gone."

The smile from Catherine's face fell.

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad but it's the truth."

She nodded.
"I know."

Cassie watched her in silence.
"I'll miss you Catherine."

"I'll miss you too." Catherine said.

"This is it then."

Catherine nodded and stepped forward drawing her in for a hug.
"Call me when the baby pops out."

"I will and every other day I need someone to talk to."

"It'll be a pleasure."

They pulled apart.
"Safe journey."

"Safe delivery."

Cassie smiled and Catherine walked backwards with a smile. She passed the counter.
"Bye Ben." She called.

"Goodbye Cat. Have a safe journey back."

"I will, thank you."

Catherine was out the door and inside the taxi back to the B&B to open up. It was her last day behind that counter.

Dana was up in the kitchen baking. She had started with cupcakes but finished with cookies. The T.V. was on in the living room, the volume turned up so she could listen all the way; she didn't like the silence. She got the last batch of cookies from the oven and placed them on the kitchen island.

She heard the front door open and then close. She hoped it wasn't Kevin here to whisk her away to yet another shindig. She had reached her weekly limit of shindig and she'd scream of she had to attend another one.

"Hey sister-in-law."

Dana sighed when Sebastian walked into the kitchen.

"Hmm, I smelled these from the driveway." He picked at the ones she'd just brought out of the oven.

"Don't, they're..." She was too late.

"Fuck!" He withdrew his hand and she smiled.

"I was about to warn you."

"Next time please do it sooner." He walked behind her and placed his now red fingers under the running tap.

"Those ones have cooled down." She pointed to the ones on the far corner near the cupcakes.

"Thank goodness." He went to grab at them, hopping on the counter he munched the cookies. "You really need to open shop."

She looked up at him like he was crazy but only because he had voiced her dreams out loud.

"They're so good."

She smiled.
"So..." She began. "How's your software developing going?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I have friends in RevTech."

"I need to figure out what I want the layout to look like."

She stared at him shocked.
"Don't you have to present it to my dad on Wednesday?"

"I do but I'll figure it out before then."

She nodded.
"If you say so."

He smirked and she knew he was up to something. He got that way when he was out to annoy Kevin or piss off his father. Either way, she knew what he was up to wasn't going to be good.