Chapter 3
For the first time in weeks, I didn’t have the dream. I’m not sure whether it was the pain in my lip or the fact that Annie and I stayed awake talking most of the night. I didn’t care if it was a combination of both; I was thankful.
Thoughts of Jonathan Parker slid in and out of my mind as I readied myself for my most dreaded workday. Saturday mornings are toughest because of the draggers. They dally around, taking up the tables, chatting incessantly, and costing us money, but we treat them kindly, letting them occupy their chosen spaces as long as they feel it necessary to start their weekend with calmness.
I pulled the comforter up tight around Annie’s shoulders and tiptoed out the door. She’d yacked herself into a coma last night. It was probably the best time she’d had in bed in a long time. I frowned, thinking of the man she’d married. How did such a great person like my Annie ever become tied to a loser like Steven Stone?
~ ~ ~
On my short walk to the café, I took a few deep breaths to clear my head. Passing my neighbor’s yard, I smiled and waved at Lily, the nine-year-old autistic girl who lived there with her grandmother. I called out my usual greeting, “Good morning, young lady.” Today, like every day, Lily’s grandmother was outside, tending her beautiful garden as Lily rocked slowly in the old wooden rocking chair on the porch.
“Your peonies are stunning.” I continued to walk along her fence, envying the splash of vibrant white, pink, and red flowers. “The colors are amazing.”
“It’s those coffee grounds. I’m telling you.” The grandmother smiled a broad, toothy smile back at me. “If you have more, I’d sure love to have ’em.”
“Absolutely. I’ll drop a bag over your fence on my way home.”
“Appreciate that. You have a good day, honey.”
“You too.” I watched her deftly clip dead blossoms off the dark pink trumpet vine that covered half the picket fence surrounding her small yard. The scent of rose and lavender enveloped me as I passed, giving me a sense of much-needed calmness.
She was a kindly old lady, but when she got on the subject of caring for her granddaughter, she seemed a little put out. She obviously cared for the girl; one could hardly not notice this with Lily’s shining blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, and carefully maintained clothes, but a little touch of her grandmother’s disdain was definitely there. It made me sad for them.
“Lily’s her name,” the grandmother had told me the first time I stopped to introduce myself. “She never speaks, but she’ll wave if something strikes her fancy.”
I smiled and waved again in Lily’s direction, hoping today might be the day, but as usual, she just stared blankly past me.
As I reached the walkway leading to the café, I cautiously approached the soon-to-be Parker’s Antique Book Store, praying Jonathan Parker would let me pass without any questions. Thankfully, the lights were off, and there was no sign of anyone in the store.
When I flipped on the café lights, I immediately looked to where I’d made my graceful fall. Everything was in perfect order, all the way down to fresh beans in the clean grinders and filtered water in the tanks. Bless that Candy.
Saturday morning is our biggest morning for quiche, so I removed four different favorite varieties from the freezer and placed them in the warmer. Within twenty minutes, I’d filled pitchers with freshly squeezed orange and cranberry juices, placed healthy pastries and breads in the counter displays, and set three different blends of coffee to brew. I headed to the front to flip the sign from ‘Closed’ to ‘Open,’ and unlocked the door. I greeted four Saturday regulars, letting them inside. Each had books or newspapers in hand ready to spend their next few hours dragging.
Annie and Silvy walked in together a few moments later, neither looking rested.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Annie yawned and wiped the sleep from her eyes.
“And stop all that sweet snoring? How could I?”
“Shut up and get me some coffee. My stomach feels a little yuck this morning.” She plopped onto a stool at the counter. Silvy strapped on her apron and hugged me from behind.
“Silvy, what are you doing here already? You know you’re unbearable if you don’t do your morning yoga.”
“Did it at home, smarty. How’re you feeling this morning?” She held the back of her hand to my forehead, checking for a fever—something she hadn’t done since I was a child.
“Mother!” I yelped now, moving away to tend to my draggers. “I’m fine.”
“Ah, hah.” She gave her best impatient-mother grunt. “Hurry up and pour that coffee and come back over here. I have something to give you.”
“What have you done?” Annie asked her, raising an eyebrow.
“You’ll both see.”
“Silvy, if you’ve made me a doctor’s appointment, I’ll kick your butt. You’re already on my list.”
“What did I do?” Silvy, acting very innocent, directed her question to Annie, who just laughed.
“You didn’t tell her, did you?” My violence-opposing mother swatted Annie’s hand. “You little snitch.”
Annie’s laughter filled the café, instantly draining away the irritation I felt.
I filled coffee cups and served pastries, hoping to encourage the draggers along before I settled back in front of Annie and Silvy at the end of the counter. Before I had a chance to scold my mother, she shoved two airplane tickets at me.
“Maui,” she said, very proud of herself, “You’re going, and I don’t want to hear another word.” She held a fingertip to my lips, pressing down hard when I started to protest.
“Hawaii? Oh my God!” Annie squealed in excitement.
“There’s a ticket for you too, my dear, since Becka hasn’t seen fit to find a partner. I’m sure she’ll ask you to join her.”
“Mother, what are you up to?” I followed her eyes as they looked away. She was hiding something. That much I could tell. “What’s this all about?”
“You need to get away from here, sweetheart. You need time to discover what life is all about. You’re obviously overworking, or you wouldn’t have fainted yesterday.” She smiled her genuine smile which made me feel guilty for suspecting a hidden motive.
“Silvy, you can’t afford to send us to Hawaii,” I reasoned.
“You don’t know that, young lady. Your father set me up just fine.” She patted the counter. “It’s a gift of appreciation from Daddy and me for taking care of everything so beautifully.”
How can I argue with that? It will only hurt her feelings. “But, what about the café?” I tried to appeal to reason.
“Candy and I will take fine care of The Health Nut while you’re gone, so don’t you worry. Besides, Richie is always around.”
Annie broke into the conversation. “I wouldn’t count on Rich for much help for a while. He’s got a bee in his barrister bonnet.”
“Never you mind. We’ll be just fine. Remember, I ran this café long before you took over.”
The café would indeed be in capable hands, and I could really use the time away. Besides, I’d like to be away the next time Jonathan Parker made a visit. I wasn’t sure I could face him after such an embarrassing introduction.
“Annie? Will you come with me? What kind of luck will you have going without Steven?” I was curious to see if she could actually break away from him for more than one night.
“With you? To Hawaii? He’ll hate it.”
“That’s what I figured.” I frowned.
“But, he’ll get over it. We’ll just call it a belated senior trip.”
“Are you sure? I don’t wanna cause any trouble.”
She gave a weak smile which told me it would take all her strength to come along. “I wouldn’t miss this. It may be the last time you’ll choose me as a travel companion.”