Chapter Two

Kelsey hung her winter jacket in her locker and pulled out her apron. Tying it around her waist, she stifled a yawn, glad she’d have time for a quick coffee before her dinner shift started. She shouldn’t be tired. Yesterday a winter storm had struck right before the buses started their routes, and the district canceled school. She’d taken full advantage of the unexpected day off and spent much of the morning catching up on her sleep. Maybe that was the problem. Perhaps her body wasn’t used to so much rest, and now it didn’t know how to function properly. Whatever the problem, she had a shift to get through.

The door into the employee break room opened and Delilah, or Del as most people called her, walked in. Kelsey didn’t know the woman outside of Masterson’s restaurant, however she always seemed friendly and upbeat. She couldn’t remember ever seeing Del with anything but a smile on her face. Today the smile wasn’t present.

Further down the row, Del yanked her locker door open and pulled out her apron. Her jacket already hung on the hook inside, so Kelsey assumed Del had arrived early for her shift and grabbed something to eat in the dining room, something she often did as well.

Del slammed the door closed and looked over at Kelsey. “Have you looked at the new schedule?” She pointed toward the schedule attached to the large bulletin board.

Kelsey closed her locker door and slipped the combination lock back on. She knew and trusted most of the people who worked at Masterson’s, but better safe than sorry. “Not yet. I just got here.”

Rather than go straight to the board, Kelsey made a beeline for the single-serve coffee maker on the table. Lou Masterson, the restaurant owner, believed in keeping his employees happy. He always made sure there was plenty of tea, coffee, and hot chocolate in the room so employees could enjoy a drink away from the customers.

“Take a look. See if they cut your hours too.” Del moved to the bulletin board and waited for Kelsey to join her. “Since I started here, I’ve always gotten twenty hours a week. Next week I have ten, and the week after fifteen.”

Most weeks during the school year Kelsey was scheduled for twenty to twenty-five hours, although she often picked up an extra shift when someone called in sick or had an emergency.

“I was thinking about giving my notice soon and going to work for my cousin. This made the decision for me.” Del pointed at the schedule.

Kelsey checked the schedule. Sure enough, her hours had been cut too. “Penny?” She tapped the name below hers on the page. “Since when does she work the dinner shift? She usually only works when there are functions.” Penny Masterson was one of Lou’s granddaughters. She couldn’t recall Penny ever working in the restaurant on a regular basis. Instead she worked when a wedding or some other function took place in the banquet hall. Mara, Penny’s younger sister, was the one who worked at the restaurant several nights a week and on the weekends.

“Beats me, but she’s on the schedule at least for the next two weeks. After that I won’t be here. I just gave Junior my two weeks’ notice,” she said, referring to the owner’s son who helped manage the restaurant. “I expect to make more at the Purple Cat anyway.”

Kelsey depended on having at least twenty hours every week. If her hours remained low, she’d have to consider a new place of employment too. First, though, she’d talk to either Junior or Lou. She’d known them a long time, and both were approachable. The cut in hours might only be a temporary thing. Next month Penny might not appear on the schedule at all.

“I’ve never heard of the Purple Cat. What kind of restaurant is it?” She was familiar with most of the restaurants in both North Salem and the neighboring towns. The Purple Cat was a distinct name she’d remember. “Is it new?”

Del moved over to the coffee maker and popped a single serve cup inside. “It’s not exactly a restaurant. The Purple Cat is an upscale gentleman’s club. My cousin Roxanne actually owns three now. She took over the one in Boston after her first husband died. Since then she’s opened two more. One is in Providence, and the other is in Hartford. The one in Boston is the biggest though.”

A gentleman’s club owned by a woman, now there was something she never would’ve guessed.

“Roxanne is thinking about opening a similar club for women. Between you and me, I don’t think it’ll be as successful, but she’s got a way with business. Her new husband is behind her idea, and he’s got the money to throw at it.” Del took a sip from her coffee. “If you’re interested, she’s always looking for new talent at the club. I can pass along your name. The money is good, and the hours are flexible.”

Kelsey hated dancing fully clothed. No way would she ever consider dancing naked or close to it. “Yeah, I don’t think I’d be a good, um… exotic dancer.” Calling it that sounded better than saying stripper. “I can’t dance.”

“She’s always hiring waitresses too. Their tips aren’t as good, or so I’m told. From what I’ve heard, they’re better than here. At least most nights.” Del went back to her locker and opened it again. Reaching inside, she took out her purse. “Trust me, I don’t plan on staying there forever either. Just until I finish my degree in December.”

She hadn’t known Del was in college. “I hate driving in the city,” Kelsey said.

Kelsey wasn’t lying. She hated driving in Boston or any city, and only did it when she had to. Of course that wasn’t the real reason she didn’t want to work at the Purple Cat. She didn’t adore waitressing, but at least Masterson’s was a family-friendly place. A place she wasn’t embarrassed to tell people she worked at. It was also a place no one would think less of her for working at. She could already imagine what would happen if someone found out one of the town’s middle school teachers was working at a strip club, regardless of what she did there. The district might even fire her.

“Here’s Roxanne’s card. If you change your mind, give her a call. Tell her we’re friends, and she’ll take care of you.”

Rather than refuse, Kelsey took the card and shoved it into her apron pocket. Del meant well, but they had vastly different comfort levels when it came to earning money.

“Cora’s thinking about taking a job there too,” Del said, referring to a popular bartender at Masterson’s. Whenever Cora worked, the pub portion of the establishment was even more crowded than usual.

Kelsey raised her coffee toward her mouth. Before she took a sip, she said, “Thanks. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Thankfully, so far tonight she’d had a steady stream of customers. She didn’t often work Thursday nights, but she knew unlike Friday and Saturday nights, they could go either way. Since she’d specifically asked for this Saturday off because of the concert in Boston, Junior had given her a Thursday shift to help offset the missed hours. Kelsey appreciated it. In the years she’d worked here, Junior had always been accommodating when it came to working around employees’ schedules and giving them the number of hours they wanted. Why he’d changed the new schedule up so much she didn’t know, but assumed he had a reason. She’d hoped to ask either him or Lou tonight, but so far she hadn’t had an opportunity. Actually, she hadn’t seen Junior at all, and she wondered if maybe he’d left after Del spoke with him. She’d seen Lou, but he’d been busy each time, so a conversation with him would have to wait as well.

Passing by table three, Kelsey overheard the two couples seated there talking about Gage’s upcoming concert. She’d been overhearing similar conversations all month long. Each time she did, her excitement grew. Not so much because she loved concerts, although she enjoyed them, but because she hadn’t had a night out with friends in a long time. All her friends were in relationships. While she was happy for them, it made doing things together more difficult. Add her work schedule to the mix, and it almost never happened anymore. Saturday, though, it would just be her, Ella, Cat, and Jessie Ellsbury, another of their longtime friends. Yep, the weekend was going to be fantastic.

***

Drew stood in the formal dining room and looked around. No matter the true size of a house, when it was empty it looked even larger. He’d closed on the North Salem property this afternoon, less than a full month since he first looked at the place. Tomorrow the furniture he’d purchased so far would be delivered, but he had a lot more to go. It took a lot to furnish a seven-thousand-square-foot house. He also needed to look into hiring someone to come in and clean for him on a regular basis. The women who took care of his home in Weston wouldn’t want to travel out here. He already planned to hire the same landscapers the previous owners had used, when the time came. Winter in New England could be fickle. Sometimes snow fell as late as the middle of March. Other years it all came in December and January. Considering they’d gotten eight inches yesterday, he might not need a landscaper for a couple more months.

Food, though, was something he needed immediately. He couldn’t live here and not have stuff in his kitchen. Tomorrow, after the furniture delivery, he’d stop by the grocery store and pick up enough to hold him over until he hired a part-time cook to come in and prepare most of his meals. Thanks to his mom he could cook, but he preferred not to do it often unless he could do it on the grill.

Locking the house up, he climbed into his SUV. He much preferred driving his Mercedes convertible, but the SUV handled much better in the snow. Drew pulled onto the street, ready to tackle his first stop of the night: Kelsey’s house. He’d spoken with her in January but hadn’t made his usual monthly phone call yet. Since he was around, he’d skip the call and stop in and say hi instead. Depending on how long he stayed at Kelsey’s, he might drive over and enjoy a meal at Masterson’s before heading to his parents’. The furniture was scheduled to arrive around seven in the morning, so it made more sense to spend the night at his parents’ house rather than get up earlier and fight traffic on Route 128, a road no sane New England driver liked dealing with during the week.

Turning down Union Street, he looked over at the town common. In another few months it’d be a lush green space used for town activities. Residents of all ages would spend time there. Today it was the home of two large snowmen. He passed by Mack and Jessie Ellsbury’s house on his left. Light filled all the windows downstairs, and he watched a dog dart across the front yard, kicking up snow behind him before running up the front steps. When he reached Pleasant Street, he took a left and passed by Quinn’s Hardware. He’d worked there along with Ian all through high school. From what he’d heard, the owner had turned the day-to-day running over to his granddaughter, Jessie, but could still often be found inside the store. Once Drew got settled, he’d stop in and say hello to him.

Kelsey’s house was the first on Lincoln Street. He had no idea how old the house was, but he knew both her grandmother and father had grown up there. Mr. Bancroft had always kept it in pristine condition. Every five or six years he’d paint the exterior. Around the time Drew and Ian left for college, Mr. Bancroft had the entire kitchen remodeled, and over the years he’d refinished the hardwood floors and updated all the bathrooms. Mrs. Bancroft had done her share by tending to the landscaping. The woman had been able to get anything to grow.

In the fall, he’d noticed the flowerbeds had been devoid of any color and overrun with weeds, and the exterior looked in need of a fresh coat of paint. Both had been immediate reminders that his best friend and Mr. and Mrs. Bancroft, two people he’d viewed as second parents, were gone.

Unlike the other houses he’d passed today, only half of Kelsey’s driveway was plowed. Since she lived alone, it made sense she only cleared the section of the driveway she needed to get in and out of the garage.

The floodlight on the garage went on when Drew pulled in, and he put his SUV in park. He couldn’t tell if anyone was home, but the lack of any visible light inside made him think Kelsey was out. He’d tossed his winter jacket in the back seat earlier because he hated driving with it on. Drew didn’t bother putting it on before he climbed out.

Snow crunched under his boots as he walked up the walkway. Kelsey or someone she hired had cleared a path from the driveway to the front steps, but they hadn’t done a very good job. A light near the front door went on when he reached the steps, illuminating the Valentine’s Day wreath hanging there, and the fact the door needed a fresh coat of paint.

He pressed the doorbell and waited. When he didn’t get an immediate response, he tried again before rubbing his hands together. Damn, it’s cold. Right now he’d love to be back in Hawaii enjoying the beach and the sun. Maybe once he got his house settled here and figured out what kind of help Kelsey needed, he’d fly back and finish the vacation he’d started weeks ago. The one he’d cut short so he could not only check out the house here in North Salem, but also so he could get away from Melissa. He hadn’t seen or heard from her since he left their hotel suite and checked into a new room. If he did go back this month or next month, he’d go alone. He’d learned his lesson when it came to taking a new girlfriend on vacation. He wouldn’t ever make that mistake again.

Even after his second try, Kelsey didn’t open the door. If she wasn’t home, he had a pretty good idea where she was. Looked like heading to Masterson’s would kill two birds tonight.

Back inside the SUV, Drew turned the key in the ignition and put the heat on full blast. Yep, a return trip to Hawaii was in his immediate future.

A toasty fire burned in the fireplace near the hostess station, a welcome sight to everyone coming inside the restaurant, including Drew, because even with his jacket on now, he was cold. The thermometer outside might say twenty degrees, but with the wind chill it was in the single digits tonight.

A large heart-shaped wreath hung from the front of the hostess station, a clear reminder the love-inspired holiday was right around the corner. Personally, he’d always considered the holiday a little silly. If you loved someone, you should show them every day, not just when the calendar said February 14. Wisely, he’d always kept the opinion to himself and gone along with it.

“Drew, my boy. It’s great to see you.” Lou Masterson, the restaurant’s founder and owner, stood alongside one of his many granddaughters. It was the same granddaughter who’d been there on Drew’s last visit. “I heard you’re buying Dr. Tyson’s house.”

Drew nodded. Who needed the Internet to spread news? Tell one person in town and soon everyone would know. “Closed on it this afternoon. My furniture starts arriving tomorrow.”

“Excellent. Welcome back to town.” Lou picked up a menu. “Table for one tonight, or do you want to just go in the pub?”

Much smaller than the main dining room, anyone could go in and find a seat in the pub. Any other night he might do that, and chances were good he’d find an old friend or two inside. But Kelsey didn’t wait tables in the pub, and he wanted to see her, not just get something to eat. “Is Kelsey Bancroft working tonight?”

“She doesn’t usually work Thursdays, but she’s on tonight,” Mara, according to her name tag, said.

Good guess. “If it’s possible, can you seat me at one of her tables?”

“Anything open in her section, Mara?” Lou asked. While his granddaughter checked the seating chart, Lou looked back at him. “I heard Cody and his family moved back to town last month. I haven’t seen him yet. His son is in class with my great-granddaughter.”

Drew didn’t know Lou had great-grandchildren, but considering some of the man’s grandchildren were as old as him and his brothers, it made sense. “Yeah, Cody and his wife bought a house on Franklin. I haven’t seen it, but he told me they’re all settled.”

“Grandpa, table six is open in Kelsey’s section,” Mara said, before a real conversation could get going between Drew and the restaurant owner.

Lou passed the menu to Mara. “My granddaughter will show you over. And now that you’re living in town, don’t be a stranger in here.”

Drew promised to stop in often before following Mara to a table.

He spotted Kelsey before he sat down. She stood talking and smiling with the same dude she’d danced with at Sean O’Brien’s wedding reception. Much like then, the sight of her so friendly with the guy left him grinding his teeth together.

“I’ll send Kelsey right over,” Mara said, setting the menu down on the table and forcing him to look her way. “Tonight’s specials are listed inside the menu.”

“Thank you.” He managed to get the words out before his eyes darted back in Kelsey’s direction. While he watched, the dude said something, and Kelsey nudged his shoulder and laughed.

What the hell is his name? David, Derek? Whoever it was, the guy looked alone and rather friendly with Kelsey. In the fall, she’d lied to him about having a boyfriend. Had her single status changed since then? Nothing she’d said during their monthly chats made him think so, but she seemed very comfortable around the younger version of Dwayne Johnson over there. Dwayne, is that his name? It didn’t sound right. Dan maybe. He’d always been good at remembering faces but not always the names attached to them. Whatever the dude’s name, it started with a D.

He watched Kelsey speak again and then walk away and disappear around a corner. With her no longer in view, he opened his menu and read over the day’s specials.

Kelsey left Dakota’s table with a smile on her face. He cracked her up. On some level, she wished she were attracted to him. He was funny and sweet. The previous year, Jessie had tried to set her up with him. They’d gone for coffee and discovered they had a lot in common, but a romantic relationship hadn’t developed; instead they’d become friends.

Stopping at the beverage station, she filled mugs with coffee and added them to her tray.

“Hey, Kelsey. I just seated Drew McKenzie at table six.” Mara stopped next to her, excitement oozing from her voice. “He asked to sit in your section.”

She added several creamers to her tray before filling two glasses with root beer. How’d he know I was here? “Thanks. After I deliver these drinks to table four, I’ll check on him.”

“Come on. The guy specifically asked to sit at one of your tables. You don’t want to keep him waiting. I’ll bring the drinks over for you.”

On nights when the restaurant became crazy busy, it wasn’t unusual for Mara or one of the other hostesses to help out in a pinch. Tonight it wasn’t anywhere near that level of busy. “Mara, thanks but—”

“Is this everything table four needs?” Mara reached for the tray but didn’t pick it up.

Arguing with Mara would only waste time, and wasting time in a restaurant was a deadly sin. Kelsey nodded. “Everything except for the Irish coffee from the bar.”

“Got it. Now go and see Drew.” Mara nudged Kelsey with her elbow before walking away with Kelsey’s tray.

Kelsey tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear and wished she had a mirror handy. Please, I’m going to take his dinner order. What I look like doesn’t matter.

Drew still had his menu open when she approached his table. “Hi Drew,” she greeted, ignoring the butterflies zipping around her stomach. “Are you ready to order?”

He lowered the menu and gave her a smile. The very same smile she’d seen growing up, and the same one she’d fallen in love with at the age of ten. “Just the person I want to see.”

“That hungry tonight? Well, as soon as I get your order, I’ll bring over some dinner rolls.”

“You’re hilarious. I wasn’t talking about seeing you to put my order in, and you know it.” He leaned back and crossed his arms. “When you weren’t home, I assumed you’d be here. How’ve you been?”

He’d stopped at her house first? She hadn’t missed any of his calls. She’d learned from her mistake months ago. Had he been in the area and decided to swing by? “Good. Busy, but good. How about you?” She glanced around her section and made sure all her other customers still appeared happy. “I heard you’re buying the house on Blueberry Court.”

She’d actually heard the news from more than one source over the last few weeks. It was another one of those things everyone seemed to be talking about. After all, it wasn’t every day a town’s homegrown sports hero moved back.

“Closed on it today, and I have furniture arriving tomorrow. I’m staying at my parents’ house tonight so I can be there in the morning.”

Out of curiosity, she’d driven down Blueberry Court after she heard Drew planned to buy Dr. Tyson’s home. Anyone with two eyes would understand why he’d decided to purchase it, but despite its beauty, the location wasn’t convenient, considering where the Rebels home stadium was. She followed football, and she hadn’t heard anything about Drew leaving the team for another or retiring. Even if she didn’t keep up with sports, news such as that would’ve made the North Salem grapevine.

“Are you going to live here all the time?” She’d wondered about his intentions for weeks, and now she could get an answer.

“No. I kept my other house. It’s closer to the stadium, but I’ll be here a lot in the off-season.”

Well, if he needed to have a place in town, she’d rather he not live in it year-round. “So do you know what you want to eat?” He might have all the time in the world to chitchat, but she had other tables to look after.

Drew picked up the menu again. “Not quite. For now can you bring me an order of the buffalo chicken tenders, a club soda with lime, and a glass of whatever is on tap.”

He’d ordered almost the exact same thing on his last visit. A visit she remembered all too well because before then he hadn’t known she worked there. “Sure thing. Be back in a few with your drinks and some rolls.”

Kelsey put in his appetizer order and stopped at a few other tables before she headed back toward Drew with his drinks.

“Kelsey, I’ll see you later,” Dakota said as she passed his table. He already wore his winter jacket and was pulling on his leather gloves.

She paused and said, “Have a nice weekend. See you when you get back from Virginia.”

Turing away from Dakota, her gaze slammed into Drew’s. He’d put his menu aside, and all his attention was focused on her. He no longer smiled. Instead, his lips formed a definite frown. She glanced around, looking for whatever Drew found upsetting. All she saw were customers enjoying their meals and each other’s company.

Maybe he got an upsetting call after I left him. Whatever the problem, it wasn’t any of her business, so she didn’t plan on asking him.

“Here you go. The rolls just came out of the oven.” She set down his drinks and the basket of bread. “Have you decided on dinner, or should I come back in a few minutes?”

“What’s his name again?” Drew asked, rather than answer her question.

“Whose name?”

“The dude you were just talking to. The one you danced with at O’Brien’s wedding.”

“Dakota. He works with Mack and moved to town last summer.” She didn’t know why Drew wanted to know and didn’t really care. “So, did you decide on a meal or do you need me to come back?”

“I’ll have the chicken potpie.” He closed his menu but didn’t hand it back to her. “You and Dakota looked rather friendly. Are you together now?”

She’d reminded him once before that she didn’t need or want him playing the role of protective big brother. Judging by his tone, he’d forgotten, but now wasn’t the time or place to remind him. “Jessie tried to get us together, but we’re just friends. He’s actually headed down to Virginia for training. He’ll be back next weekend.” Kelsey reached out for his menu. “I’ll go put your order in. Do you need anything else?”

Drew shook his head. “Are you around Saturday?”

“Nope, I’m—”

He didn’t let her finish before speaking again. “Let me guess, working, right?”

“Wrong, Mr. I Know Everything. I’m not working at all this weekend. Saturday I’m going to Gage’s concert in Boston.”

“Mom told me about it. If I liked his style of music, I’d consider going,” he answered. “Since you’ve got Sunday off though, let’s get together. Give me a time, and I’ll be there.”

He wanted to get together? Something tells me Drew’s going to be visiting you a lot when he moves back. Ella’s comment weeks ago came back to haunt her. “Uh, well, I thought I’d work on correcting lab reports Sunday. Maybe we can get together some other time?” She went to take the menu, and her fingers brushed against his. Heat shot across her nerve endings, and she swallowed.

Drew flashed her a lopsided smile, and suddenly she felt like a teenager talking to a boy she liked. “C’mon. You can’t read reports all day. You’ll need to take a break at some point.”

“Maybe. I guess.”

“Good. How about I come over around one o’clock on Sunday? If the Celtics are on, we can watch the game and catch up. Maybe order some takeout.”

The woman at table three was waving in her direction. She didn’t have time to argue with Drew. “Yeah, sure whatever. But I need to get your order in and check on my other tables now.”

Finally, he released the menu. “Right. Sorry about that.”

“I’ll be back when your dinner is ready.” Kelsey didn’t wait for a response before making a beeline for table three. She’d worry about Drew and Sunday when the day rolled around.