* * *
After a late lunch of delicious cider-baked ham and fresh bread, Lila decided to tackle the menu. Roast pig was sure to be popular, but she'd never roasted one herself. She was out of her depth and wasn't afraid to admit it. Although she considered firing up her laptop to do some research, she quickly discovered that there was no wifi in Mrs. Wheaton's rooming house. She'd have to find her recipes the old fashioned way, it seemed.
With a little looking, she discovered a stash of old cookbooks in Mrs. Wheaton's kitchen. She'd stacked them on the table, settling down to page through them slowly. Hours later, Mrs. Wheaton bustled around her, setting down a plate of warm food before her. Lila ate it gratefully as she continued to skim the cookbooks and make a list of any required ingredients. It was an hour until midnight when she finally stood, stretching to alleviate the soreness in her back.
The next morning she presented Tony and Jake with a list of needed ingredients. "If you can point me in the direction of the store, I can pick these things up."
Jake and Tony eyed each other, then Tony plucked the list from her hand. "No need," he said. "We'll handle this. I'd like to suggest that you get together with Mrs. Wheaton today. She's been hired to assist you."
Lila's brows rose in surprise. "Are you sure you can handle it? It would be easier if I went, since I'm probably more familiar with the ingredients I need."
Jake took the list from Tony and scanned it. "I've got this. No worries."
Lila gave them a bemused grin, then wandered off to find Mrs. Wheaton. The older woman was busy in her kitchen, as usual, and Lila took a seat at her table.
"I hear you've been hired to assist me."
Mrs. Wheaton turned around from the sink of dishes she was washing and gave Lila a smile. "Yep, I have. The boys figured it'd be easier if you had someone already familiar with the town to lend you a hand. We can do some of the cookin' in my kitchen today, then I'll help you get set up at the Grange Hall tomorrow morning."
Lila decided she should be grateful for any help that she could get, and Mrs. Wheaton was a talented cook. "Thanks for the help," she said, then proceeded to give the rooming house owner a run-down of her menu.
"That sounds great, Miss Lila," the older woman said with a grin. "I think we should concentrate on the pies today, and maybe set up the bread dough to proof overnight. Chucky said he'd be droppin' off the chickens later this afternoon, so we can get 'em all cut up too."
Mrs. Wheaton's advice ran parallel to her own thoughts, and Lila was pleasantly surprised, her anxiety about tomorrow's dinner beginning to fade.
All day long they worked together in Mrs. Wheaton's homey kitchen, and Lila felt some of the stress she'd been hanging on to since her business-destroying public disaster start to melt away, leaving behind the gentle warmth of comradery and a hard day's work.
Cooking had always made her feel more calm. Her concentration was focused only on perfecting a dish, and that left little time for the petty anxieties that could plague her every other second of the day. In the kitchen she could let go and just be.
Mrs. Wheaton was a treasure, full of gentle friendliness and an amusing sense of humor. She bustled around her kitchen, humming along to the country music coming out of her antique radio. Lila didn't consider herself a country music fan, but before long her head was bobbing in time to the songs. For some reason, the twangy strings and fast-paced beats made her tap her feet before she realized it. The music, coupled with the atmosphere and the company, served to relax her more than a hot bath and a bottle of wine could.
The pies were baked and cooling, the chickens cut, and the bread dough proofing when they finally knocked off in the evening. Lila finished off a late supper, being sure to thank Jake for his success at picking up her needed ingredients.
"I wasn't sure if you'd know what all the items on my list were," she told him as she polished off her glass of cold milk. "You surprised me."
Jake gave her a slow smile. "I've got some kitchen experience myself, although much more limited than your own, I'm sure."
Tony rubbed a hand across his companion's back. "He's being modest," he said, leaning toward Lila and giving her a wink. "Jake makes the best lasagna I've ever tasted."
"Then I'm jealous," Lila replied with a grin. "I've never been able to cook as good a lasagna as my mom." She pushed her chair back and stretched, appreciating the dull ache of her muscles. "I think I'd like to take a walk before I lay down. Try to get rid of some of this muscle tension before the big day tomorrow."
Tony's gaze shot to Jake, then back to her. "Are you sure? It's pretty chilly out there."
"It's not bad," she assured him as she rose. "I'll wear my coat and just walk around a couple blocks. Not that there's many blocks to this little burg."
Jake stood and took up a position in the doorway. "I don't think that's wise. It's getting late, and the visibility isn't very good out there. I'd hate for you to slip on the ice and break something."
Tony got up from the table and went to stand beside Jake. "I agree. Why not try a hot bath for sore muscles? It's much safer."
Lila gave them a wry grin. They were sure raising a stink over a quick walk. It was late, though, and, glancing out the window, she noticed a light layer of fog creeping up the street. Maybe they were right. "I think I'll take you up on that suggestion," she said, picking up their plates and making her way into the kitchen.
Was that a sigh of relief she heard as she walked away?
The next morning dawned bright, but Lila was out of bed before the sun was up. She was showered and dressed and on her way downstairs by 6 am. Mrs. Wheaton was already in the kitchen, and together they prepped the dough for the bread loaves and popped a few in the oven.
"We'll take the rest over to the Grange Hall with us. Chucky will be there at 8 to drop off the hog."
Chucky was there at 8, behind the old hall with peeling blue paint and a rusty swing set and slide in the small yard beside it. The SUV pulled all the way up to the drive so that the back door would be accessible, and then Tony and Jake proceeded to carry in the supplies as Lila and Mrs. Wheaton went to monitor the roast set-up.
"Finest hog in the county," Chucky said after getting it on the spit. Lila left Chucky to build up the fire beneath it as she went in the back door and into the hall's kitchen to dig out her salt, cooking oil, honey and some lemons. She mixed the oil, honey, and lemon juice in a pan and grabbed a brush, then returned outside to baste and season the pig.
By the time she and Mrs. Wheaton returned to the Grange Hall kitchen, the guys had finished unloading the supplies. Lila was excited to get started, but wanted to take a moment while she had time to check out the venue. Mrs. Wheaton followed behind her as she exited the kitchen into the large open space of the hall.
It was nothing like Brice's sculptured backyard or Alex's stately mansion. The Grange Hall had a simple concrete floor and white walls, the open part containing several wooden tables with benches, and a small stage at one end. The walls contained a few yellowing pictures that looked as if they'd been taken at various county fairs, most featuring children next to livestock, holding up ribbons.
"The decorating committee will be here soon," Mrs. Wheaton said, patting her on the shoulder. "They'll make this place look right nice for tonight's shindig."
Lila gave her companion a smile. "Then we'd better get busy too."