The Pink Iguana Saloon

By Kelly Papyrus

Years after becoming a young widow, Courtney Handwick is finally on solid ground. Her bar, The Pink Iguana Saloon, isn’t exactly a jumping hotspot, but it’s enough to make ends meet and feed her daughter. Working side by side with her sister in law Crystal and raising her daughter with help from her mother in law Mrs. Violet, it almost feels like she’s got things under control. Until Rory Davidson comes back to her small New Mexico town. Rory is here to attend the memorial celebration for Courtney’s husband, but he’s also come home to remind Courtney of the person she used to be, and the feelings they used to have. Torn between the life she’s built in her small town and the globetrotting one Rory talks about, Courtney has to finally face the past to move forward.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bryant Street Shorts
• Release date: Aug 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781094423326

Kelly Papyrus

Kelly Papyrus is a writer whose stories feature diverse characters and people of color. She loves learning about new cultures and writing about them. She lives in Florida and loves dogs.

Book preview

Chapter One

Why aren’t these tables cleaned? I thought I asked Jackie to do this last night before close! I scanned the bar’s main room for someone to direct my rage at, but no one else was here this early.

Now, Courtney, you stop all that yelling. Mrs Violet’s voice rang out strong in the empty bar, and I turned sheepishly to face her.

I’m sorry, Mrs. Violet. But nothing gets done when I talk nice. Only when I yell, I pulled my hair up into a loose ponytail and reached to grab my sleeping daughter out of her arms. At three, Savanna was getting too old to be carried everywhere, but she was getting over a bug, so I didn’t mind if her Grandma babied her a bit. She take all her medicine?

Gave me the devil, but I got it down her. You sure you don’t need me to watch her tonight? Mrs. Violet asked as she ran a napkin along the top of the bar and inspected the dirt that came up with it.

No, Mama, she’s having special auntie time tonight and you know that. Now run along, Pastor said he needs all those pantry boxes for the needy done by tomorrow morning. Crystal grabbed her mother by the waist and eased her towards the door. You don’t want to be here when we open and all the sinners start gathering.

All right, I’m going. But before I forget, I got one more late RSVP for the celebration. Mrs Violet picked up a couple of the coasters off an empty table and slid them into her purse. It’s Rory Donovan.

I felt the air rush out of my lungs all at once and my feet start to slip. Hearing his name was like stepping into a time warp back to the worst time in my life. I reached out with my free hand to steady myself against the bar, waking Savanna up with the unsteady movement.

Sorry, baby, there was a wet spot on the floor and Mama slipped, I said. She looked at me, her blue eyes staring right through me. Her little face seemed to say yeah right, Mama. Then she plopped her head back down on my shoulder with a sigh.

It will be nice to see him again, won’t it? I heard Crystal say as she marched her mother towards the door. Mrs. Violet had every right to invite anyone she wanted to the memorial celebration for her son, who had been tragically killed just after being deployed. But as his still grieving widow, I had to be there, to thank everyone and shake their hands. It would be nice if she’d at least give me a heads up on who she’d invited.

Crystal came back, hands extended towards Savanna. Lemme see my baby. She grabbed Savanna and started kissing her cheeks as Savanna giggled. You ready for tonight? Need anything?

I forced myself to nod and smile. No, I’m good. Should be a slow night. I’ll see you girls in the morning. Bye, my baby.

Crystal headed out, flipping the switch on our neon OPEN sign as she left. I picked up my phone, chose the jukebox app, and turned on a classic rock playlist. Then I stood watching the door, waiting and praying to my dearly departed husband for strength. Rory would show up. I knew he would.

Since the day I’d decided to join forces with my sister-in-law and invest my husband’s life insurance to buy the Pink Iguana, I’d known this day would come. One day, Rory would show up and I’d have to talk to him.

Section Break

It turned out to be a much busier night than I’d predicted thanks to the college football game being closer than predicted, and by 9 p.m. I called our best server in to help. Angie arrived with her work boots on, fresh from her day job as a welder. Side by side, we popped bottle caps and mixed sodas with liquor as the game went into overtime. Finally, things died down and I sent her to break while I chatted with AJ Sommers, the high school football coach.

Kids are out of control these days. Half of ‘em never seen the inside of church. Half the rest got parents who aren’t married. And every last one has a cell phone. He punctuated his point by slamming his fist on the bar for emphasis.

Sounds like you got your hands full, AJ, I said as I wiped the bar. God only knew what I’d be up against by the time my girl was in high school.

Can’t focus worth a damn, he said. Always playing those stupid mobile games.

The irony of AJ bemoaning how games distracted kids from football, which was itself a distraction from academics, made me snort a little with laughter. But I knew AJ didn’t much appreciate irony, so I played it