Advice to the Lovelorn

Miss Peeg plugged in her kettle and got her tea things out, “I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the BBQ and spending the day at your station Mr. McGee.”

Travis turned from the window and found a chair, “Thank you, I’m glad you did, we had a nice turnout.”

“Indeed the whole village was there and I do so enjoy your mother, Sarah’s friendship.”

“I’m happy she met you, it was quite a change for her moving out here from Sydney.”

“I expect it was for you too.”

“Yes but then I was ready for it,” he fidgeted with the cuff of his pants as he crossed his legs, drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair. Miss Peeg missed nothing of course.

“Does it still suit you Mr. McGee, are you happy here?”

“It still suits me however happiness seems a bit elusive right now.”

“Forgive me,” she poured water into her tea pot, “but I am acquainted with Michael Stanley and he told me of his daughter’s problems and that she spent some time at your place.”

Travis looked up at her as she spooned tea into her pot, “Yes she did, I will assume also that you know she has gone back home.”

“Indeed I do.” He smiled at him, “I believe you’ve had a rough go of it as of late.”

Travis was silent for a minute, “I have, some of it my fault some of it not.”

She would try, “There’s not much goes on around here in this little village that is not common knowledge Mr. McGee, I have never and do I ever intend to be a carrier of gossip but you must know your friendship with Jean Sheppard is on the street so to speak.”

A little spark of anger flared in his eyes and went out, “I don’t expect anything I do to be private anymore. I can’t buy a beer without it being reported somewhere that Travis McGee is on the skids again. If I take somebody for a ride on my boat then it must be a big love affair going on, this must be what broke my marriage up, I don’t like it Miss Peeg but I’m not going to live my life behind closed gates all the time.”

“You shouldn’t have to, do you take milk, sugar?”

“Both, I’m trying to be as discreet as I can. Once the divorce papers are settled I can do what I damn well please.”

Miss Peeg handed him his cup and saucer, “But Mr. McGee, none of us can do as we damn well please. If you will pardon me, there is always someone else to think of. I can drive my automobile down the highway as fast as I want to until I meet another vehicle and I have to slow to his speed, I can’t drive in the middle of the road because then no one else would have room to pass. Would you like a biscuit?”

Travis blinked his eyes and accepted the proffered biscuit on a plate. “I don’t like people telling me what I can and cannot do, I won’t be confined in somebody else’s idea of what I should do or be. I don’t mind rules, I follow them and enforce certain things on myself but I’m not interested in pleasing the general population .”

Miss Peeg tilted her head, “If you were twelve years old or so I should send you to your room until you learned to be considerate of other people’s feelings. I will tell you this right now because I heard it from Mr. Jessup who heard it from two of the girls that work at Andy’s, you are pushing your way with Miss Sheppard and it’s not going to work out like you think it is. I believe the word I heard was gilded cage. Now I know without a doubt this is not any of my business and you may think me a nosey parker for putting my foot in. As I said before your mother and I are friends and I know she would love to see you settled and happy and so then would I.”

Incredible, “I stepped into it today didn’t I?”

“Yes, Mr. McGee I believe you have, more tea?”

Travis handed her back her cup wondering why he hadn’t left at the first go, “Are you about to hand out advice to the lovelorn now Miss Peeg?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, I don’t believe you’d listen anyway. If I told you to slow down and let it come to you instead of trying to make it happen all the time you wouldn’t pay me any mind. No not at all Mr. McGee, I’m an old maid of my own choosing what would I know about lovelorn advice?”

The smile lit his eyes before it touched his lips, “I don’t know but I’m interested enough to find out.”