Read Online A Little Ray of Sunshine by Lani Diane Rich - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lani Diane Rich
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blue capri sweatpants notwithstanding.
“You know, for an angel, you can be kind of mean sometimes.”
“I’m just trying to communicate with you in a way you’ll appreciate. Now get off your ass and read the damn letter.”
“Wow.” I sat up, stretched to the far edge of the bed where I’d thrown my jeans, and whipped the letter out of the back pocket. “You’re a mean angel.”
Jess flicked on the lamp by the dinette table and sat down. I unfolded the letter in my hands and stared at it.
It’s just a joke, I thought. Just read the damn joke and get some sleep.
Still, my fingers wouldn’t move. A joke from Luke was never just a joke. Once I opened it, I knew I’d spend the entire night tossing and turning, looking for the hidden meaning. Shaggy dogs meant he was angry, and elephants were forgiveness and “two men walk into a bar” meant we needed to talk and... hell. I’d forgotten what the priest and rabbi ones meant.
“Do you want me to read it for you?”
I glanced up to see Jess looking down at me, kindness in her eyes. I handed her the letter and rested my head in my hands, listening as she tore the envelope open and unfolded the paper inside.
“Dear Eejie,” she read. “Enclosed please find a check for two hundred and thirty-three dollars and eighty-two cents, which is your pro-rated rent refund for that last month. I wanted to be sure you got it just in case you decide not to come to the wedding. Best, Luke.”
I raised my head to find Jess turning a check over in her hands. She looked mortified, but it was mortification on my behalf, which made it a thousand times worse. Her face cleared as she looked up and realized I was watching her, and she smiled as she tucked the check back into the envelope.
“Well,” she said. “That was very thoughtful of him.”
I stood up and took the envelope from her, pulling out the check and the letter.
“‘Best’?” I said. “What the hell does ‘best’ mean?”
Jess smiled. “It means he sends you his best regards. It’s affectionate... kind of. And it’s better than being all angry and bitter, right?”
“‘Best’ isn’t affectionate. ‘Best’ is what you write when you don’t care enough to say ‘drop dead.’ ‘Best’ is”—I swallowed—”ambivalent.”
Jess clasped her hands together. “You know what? Why don’t I make us some tea? We can sit and talk.”
I stuffed the check and the letter into the envelope. “‘Best.’ He can bite my ass for his ‘best.’ Thinks I need his stupid two hundred and thirty-three dollars after six years? And pro-rated, no less. Jesus. I’m surprised he didn’t calculate interest. What kind of guy, after six years, sends a pro-rated rent refund check?”
Not Luke, I thought . Luke would never, ever...
Except he did.
“So...” Jess said, motioning vaguely toward the stove. “Tea?”
“No,” I said. “Thank you. We’ve got a long day tomorrow. I’m gonna—” I interrupted myself with a forced yawn. “I’m tired.”
“Okay.” There was a long moment of awkward silence, and then Jess shut off the lamp by the dinette and scurried back to her bunk. I clutched the envelope in my fist, crawled back into bed, and stared at the ceiling of the Airstream until the sun rose.
***
“This looks like a nice place,” Jess said as I hopped back into the cab of the truck, which was parked in the lot of an RV park off Route 24, just outside of Colorado Springs. “Do you think you’ll be here long?”
I held up the receipt in my hand. “Just paid for a month in advance.”
She paused. “Is that a long time for you?”
I sighed, staring at the hanging wooden sign by the road that read Golden Acres Campground , the letters carved out in that faux-burned-in style that many RV parks out west were fond of.
“It’s nice here,” she said in sunny tones. “I think you’ll like it here. It has a nice country atmosphere. Do you know where you’ll be working?”
“I
“You know, for an angel, you can be kind of mean sometimes.”
“I’m just trying to communicate with you in a way you’ll appreciate. Now get off your ass and read the damn letter.”
“Wow.” I sat up, stretched to the far edge of the bed where I’d thrown my jeans, and whipped the letter out of the back pocket. “You’re a mean angel.”
Jess flicked on the lamp by the dinette table and sat down. I unfolded the letter in my hands and stared at it.
It’s just a joke, I thought. Just read the damn joke and get some sleep.
Still, my fingers wouldn’t move. A joke from Luke was never just a joke. Once I opened it, I knew I’d spend the entire night tossing and turning, looking for the hidden meaning. Shaggy dogs meant he was angry, and elephants were forgiveness and “two men walk into a bar” meant we needed to talk and... hell. I’d forgotten what the priest and rabbi ones meant.
“Do you want me to read it for you?”
I glanced up to see Jess looking down at me, kindness in her eyes. I handed her the letter and rested my head in my hands, listening as she tore the envelope open and unfolded the paper inside.
“Dear Eejie,” she read. “Enclosed please find a check for two hundred and thirty-three dollars and eighty-two cents, which is your pro-rated rent refund for that last month. I wanted to be sure you got it just in case you decide not to come to the wedding. Best, Luke.”
I raised my head to find Jess turning a check over in her hands. She looked mortified, but it was mortification on my behalf, which made it a thousand times worse. Her face cleared as she looked up and realized I was watching her, and she smiled as she tucked the check back into the envelope.
“Well,” she said. “That was very thoughtful of him.”
I stood up and took the envelope from her, pulling out the check and the letter.
“‘Best’?” I said. “What the hell does ‘best’ mean?”
Jess smiled. “It means he sends you his best regards. It’s affectionate... kind of. And it’s better than being all angry and bitter, right?”
“‘Best’ isn’t affectionate. ‘Best’ is what you write when you don’t care enough to say ‘drop dead.’ ‘Best’ is”—I swallowed—”ambivalent.”
Jess clasped her hands together. “You know what? Why don’t I make us some tea? We can sit and talk.”
I stuffed the check and the letter into the envelope. “‘Best.’ He can bite my ass for his ‘best.’ Thinks I need his stupid two hundred and thirty-three dollars after six years? And pro-rated, no less. Jesus. I’m surprised he didn’t calculate interest. What kind of guy, after six years, sends a pro-rated rent refund check?”
Not Luke, I thought . Luke would never, ever...
Except he did.
“So...” Jess said, motioning vaguely toward the stove. “Tea?”
“No,” I said. “Thank you. We’ve got a long day tomorrow. I’m gonna—” I interrupted myself with a forced yawn. “I’m tired.”
“Okay.” There was a long moment of awkward silence, and then Jess shut off the lamp by the dinette and scurried back to her bunk. I clutched the envelope in my fist, crawled back into bed, and stared at the ceiling of the Airstream until the sun rose.
***
“This looks like a nice place,” Jess said as I hopped back into the cab of the truck, which was parked in the lot of an RV park off Route 24, just outside of Colorado Springs. “Do you think you’ll be here long?”
I held up the receipt in my hand. “Just paid for a month in advance.”
She paused. “Is that a long time for you?”
I sighed, staring at the hanging wooden sign by the road that read Golden Acres Campground , the letters carved out in that faux-burned-in style that many RV parks out west were fond of.
“It’s nice here,” she said in sunny tones. “I think you’ll like it here. It has a nice country atmosphere. Do you know where you’ll be working?”
“I
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