Quinn and Ray’s do drop in Friday Aug 23

Bobbie got up and went down to help the kitchen get ready for the market the next day. In the morning, they dished out 2-cup take out containers, Bobbie had finally found compostable ones, of chili and baked beans and stacked them in the freezer. Then they were greasing up the garlic bread and slipping it into the foil packages and putting the brown bread into foil packaging sized for full loaves.

Bobbie finished things up as the crew got ready to serve lunch in SPOKES and then high tea in the restaurant. They had 200 containers of chili, 100 containers of beans, 100 garlic loaves and 50 brown breads. She hoped it would all sell at the market the following day. She grabbed a pizza and said goodbye and went back upstairs to snack on pizza and prepare for Quinn and Rays housewarming party.

Around two she got a text from Johnny. “Do you want to travel to Quinn and Ray’s with me. Are you taking your guitar?”

“I’ll text Eddie to tell him I’m going with you. He took the kids back to their mother’s. I don’t know if they’ll be there. I think uncles Donald and Stewart will be there so we better take the guitars.”

“I’ll pack my stuff and meet you at the back door and help you carry your stuff from the elevator.”

Bobbie had her chair, some seltzers and some smores stuff and her guitar. She put it in the elevator, stuffed a sweater and some jeans into a back pack and went down to meet Johnny.

He backed up his truck moments later. “Quinn said they have lots of food for the barbecues. Can we stop and get a couple boxes of wine?”

“Real classy Bobbie.”

Bobbie laughed. “We’ll pick good boxed wine.”

For an instant she thought about what it would be like to be getting ready for the party with Alex. Sometimes family events made her a bit nostalgic and she was quiet when she climbed into Johnny’s truck. Luckily, Johnny was pretty excited about the progress of his house and helped distract her. They had dug up a big part of his driveway on the building site to install the main waste drainage and septic field and the foundations were poured. The house was on a 4-foot crawlspace but Johnny decided to put the shop in a slab so there were plumbing piped laid before the slab was poured. “I can start building the structures next week Bobbie. I’m so excited. Things have worked out well so far and I’m not over budget, even with the pool.”

“How did you manage that magic, Johnny?”

“It was easy digging for the septic, so that saved money and my decision to put the shop on the slab did too.”

“So far so good. Do you think you’ll be doing most of the building yourself?”

“Not alone. I think Rocco is too busy to help but he might have a couple of guys that can help me.”

“I’m so happy for you. I can’t wait until you’re tiling and painting and doing stuff I can help with.”

“That’s still quite far away. Say, is this the turn off?”

They pulled into the farm and Bobbie noticed there was a nice big parking lot. It must be for the shop, she thought. They went out back and saw there were several people in the back porch. It was a good size so Bobbie figured that’s where party central was. They deposited guitars and chairs and took the booze into the kitchen. There were a couple big tubs of ice for the bottles and cans and Bobbie set the wine on the counter and poured a couple ounces in a plastic cup.

The two babies were sleeping in big baby chairs in the living room so everyone was speaking in quiet tones. Quinn walked in. “Hi guys welcome. There’s no need to be quiet the girls can sleep through a lot and are almost ready to wake up anyway. Can someone help me carry them to the den where they are out of the way?”

Bobbie put down her wine. “I’ll take Cora.” She peered at their earlobes and saw Cora and picked up her seat by the handle and headed behind Quinn over to the den. They put the babies down, drew the curtains and went back to the kitchen.

Bobbie wandered into Quinn’s home office. “So, Quinn, are you easing back in to work already? This office is nice, you’ve got a computer station and large layout tables on either side. You have so much natural light but you also have those motorized blackout curtains.”

“I am. We get up early and feed the twins and Amy goes and feeds the critters and I come in here and look at motel reservations and let the kids nap beside my chair. I am waiting for more details about the brunch but I’ve drawn up some sample signage and menus to start with. I’ll send those along to you on Monday.”

“Excellent Quinn. I want to make the boardroom rental automated and available on the Motel website too. But enough about Work. I think I hear Jamie out in the porch and Johnny is tuning up his guitar.”

Quinn hugged her. “It’s really good to see you. I miss being at the motel everyday.”

“Gee, it’s only been a week. Just kidding, it’s good to see you too and the twins have already grown a few inches.”

Strains of music were coming from out on the porch so Bobbie and Quinn went into the kitchen and Bobbie got herself some wine and went out the door and into the porch. Johnny was playing his guitar; her uncle Donald had plugged his Base guitar in and Stewart played guitar too. Jamie was playing his fiddle and Jarrod was playing a bodhrán. Bobbie clapped along. They played jigs and reels and strathspeys. Charlie was outside the porch dancing with his girls and Eddies girl, Laura and June were outside clapping along. Bobbie went outside and hugged June. “June, you look great, how are you feeling?”

“Thanks for asking, the pregnancy is going well and my morning sickness has slacked off. I’m able to go to work part time now that the nanny is getting along so well with Suzy. I do three quarters of a day and get home around 3 just after Niko and Laura get home. They are done earlier than the boys but Clay and Wally are so sweet they walk them home every day.”

“That’s a relief June. Oh, I see Barb out in the little parking area, excuse me.”

Bobbie walked towards her. Barb was getting her chair and a little cooler out of the trunk of her car. “Hi Barb, it’s great that you could come today. You should see Edie and Cora they are growing like weeds.” Barb was wearing a cute full skirt and a pretty halter top with a pair of espadrilles. “Barb, you look great. Are you losing weight?”

Thanks Bobbie. I’ve had this outfit for about 10 years and I haven’t ever worn it before because I started to gain weight right after I got it. I think that’s when I started perimenopause. Then Jeremy got sick and I kept gaining.”

“So, you’ve lost quite a bit.”

“Yup about 22% of my body weight; I weigh less than when Jeremy got sick. I’ve got so many clothes to donate. I wanted to prioritize my health now that I’m retired.”

As they were talking an SUV drove in. Bobbie recognized it as Mac’s and her eyebrows went up. It stopped and Clay, Wally and Jenny got out. “Hi Jenny, it’s nice that you could bring the boys I don’t think that Eddie can make it, he’s tied up at the hospital. Are you and Mac coming in for a burger?”

“Well, I, We… I don’t know.”

The Boys ran towards the house and Mac got out of the car. “I Bobbie I guess your whole family is here.”

“Most of us won’t bite but I can’t guarantee anything.”

Barb set her chair down and joined them. “Hi, I’m Barb, one of Bobbies oldest friends and kind of an Auntie to Eddie and Charlie.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jenny’s new friend Mac.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you.” And since Barb didn’t know what else to say she just turned and waked over to her car and picked up her stuff and headed toward the house.

Mac turned to Jenny and said, I don’t think it’s the right time to meet the family.” And went back to the car.

“So, Bobbie can you take Kids? Probably just the boys, Laura and Niko are inseparable. I want them to enjoy themselves.”

“Sure Jenny, I’ll take them back to the motel and check with Eddie when he expects them home.”

Jenny took a couple backpacks out of the car and gave them to Bobbie. “Thanks Bobbie.”

Jenny got back in the car and Bobbie stood with the backpacks and waved as they left. It was weird seeing her with Mac. Clay and Wally had seemed to take it all in step and when Laura was with her cousin Niko, she seemed fine. As long as the kids are OK, she thought. The boys can’t stay up too late. It sucks a little bit that we can’t stay late. Johnny will be grumpy about that.

She went back to the party and saw the burgers and brats were ready. She had a bratwurst on a toasted bun with sweet mustard, sauerkraut, chopped onions and a big dill pickle on the side. That soaked up the two glasses of wine she’d drunk a little too fast.

“Hey Johnny, we can’t stay too late; I’ve got the boys tonight. You can drink a bit more wine, I’ll drive us home.”

Johnny nodded. “Well get that supper into you, I want to sing a few songs with you before we go.”

Mark, Effie, and Roger came around the corner. Quinn rushed over. “Hi guys I’m so glad you could come. Come get some supper and then we’ll get a campfire going and make smores for dessert. Roger was all dressed up wearing a bowtie and jeans and sneakers and Bobbie’s uncles made a fuss over his bow tie

Bobbie and Johnny sang a few duets, they all sang a rounds of “The name song” for the kids and then most of them went up to the campfire for smores while the rest stayed in the porch and kept playing music. Around 11, the crowd was thinning out. Greg, Quinn’s Dad, helped his older brothers pack up and took them home. Bobbie and Johnny packed up and Bobbie drove a tipsy Johnny and sleepy grandsons back to her motel.

They got up to her apartment and she let the boys go to bed without brushing their teeth.

Johnny was leaning on the island in the kitchen. “Things broke up pretty early, didn’t they?”

“Quinn and Ray have to get up really early with the girls and Stewart and Donald are slowing down a bit.”

Johnny stood up. “I guess I’ll hit the hay too. When my place is done, I’ll have an entire weekend long house warming party.”

“And everyone can stay here at the motel so they don’t have to drive home.”

Johnny gave a thumbs up as he left.

“Goodnight Johnny.”