Chapter 6

In fact, Rose was right. Hayden did have some good furniture and many nice things. His alarm went off at eight a.m. and as he opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling, he let out a big sigh. He had to get up and get ready for the day. He looked over to the box and grabbed his cell phone and turned off the alarm. Placing the phone back on the box, he reached for the picture he and Malcolm had taken almost a year ago. He pulled it down and held it at arm’s length.

“Good morning, baby.” He stared at Malcolm’s deep brown eyes lit up in a smile. They were sitting on the deck of a friend’s house, pulled close together, both smiling broadly. Malcolm sat behind him, his hand over Hayden’s shoulder, and Hayden was holding his hand.

He closed his eyes, trying to remember the feel of Malcolm’s hands, the warmth of his body, and the smell of his skin. Sometimes, if he lay still enough, he could almost do it. The light coming in from the curtainless window in the living room invaded his thoughts and he smiled wistfully, placing the picture back on the box.

“Have to get ready for the day,” he said. He got up, got dressed, and answered the phone when it rang. It was the moving company telling him they would be there around noon. Good, he thought; he was hungry and had a few errands to run in town.

* * * * * * * *

That had been earlier in the day, before he’d met the creepy ladies at the post office. After leaving there, he’d come to the Maple Leaf, a little restaurant, to have breakfast, where he sat in a tiny booth near the window.

The sky was overcast today, rainy, and wet. As he sat there, droplets splattered on the windows and ran downward. He watched as the windswept leaves down from trees and rolled them across the street of the tiny town.

“Hey there, handsome.” A woman’s voice startled him. He turned his head to find a waitress standing at the table, grinning from ear to ear, and despite his mood, he grinned back. Her red hair was pulled up in a ponytail and her green eyes seemed to have a light all of their own. She was thin, waif-like, with large hoop earrings. Hayden put her age at thirty, maybe more. Her smile was gorgeous, and it warmed his heart.

“Hi,” he said.

“What can I get for you?” she asked, pen at the ready.

“I… You know, I don’t know. I’d like some breakfast, but I didn’t even bother looking at the menu. Any suggestions?”

“Hmm…how about two eggs, over easy, sausage, toast, some hash browns, and orange juice?”

“Sounds perfect.”

She winked at him and sauntered away. He watched her as she put the ticket in the window and finally noticed there wasn’t anyone in the restaurant other than him. Fans on the ceiling rotated lazily, and through the window, he could see the short-order cook getting to work.

The waitress grabbed a coffee cup, glass of orange juice, the pot, and sashayed back to the table. “You look like you could use a pick-me-up. You’re new to town, right?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I just moved in. Well, almost moved in, my furniture will be here in about an hour.”

“Oh, okay. Where at?”

“On the lake, right off Mason Road.”

“The old Woodbridge place. It’s about time someone bought it. The Woodbridges really loved that house and took good care of it,” she said. The cook shouted for her, and again, she walked away and brought back several plates.

“Brought you some pancakes, too. This area is known for our syrup. It’s on the house.”

“Oh, wow, thanks.”

She nodded and looked down at where he had placed his car keys and the little baggie full of stamps. “Oh no. You poor thing. You stopped by the post office.”

“Yeah,” he said as he tore into his food. “What’s up with that? I felt like I had walked into a religious ceremony.”

She laughed, loud and deep, and sat down across from him. He laughed along with her. “It’s almost a religion. Anybody who wants to know anything about anyone heads down to see Ms. Rose Demeter. That lady has been working behind that counter for almost thirty years.” She put out a hand. “I’m Suzanne Miller. You can call me Suzie.”

He put down his fork and shook her hand. “I’m Hayden. Pleased to meet you.”

“You’re from Boston, huh?”

He was surprised. “How can you tell?”

She grinned. “Vermont gets a large number of tourists, it’s sort of a game I play. Name the accent.”

He laughed as he took a bite of pancakes. The syrup was amazing, and he chewed happily. His stomach growled its appreciation.

“Well, you’re very good at it. You wouldn’t happen to know any contractors, would you?” he asked.

“You’re in luck. I do. The owner of the company is a good friend of mine. His name is Tommy. What kind of work are you looking to do?”

He liked Suzie immensely; her bubbly personality reminded him a little of Amanda.

“There are some cosmetic things that need to be done, carpentry mainly. It’s a little above my pay grade. I’m repainting and sanding the floors and stuff. I really want to keep the integrity of the house, but there are places where some of the crown moldings and banisters have rotted through.”

“Okay, sounds right up his alley.” Suzie pulled out her pad and jotted down a number. Ripping it off, she handed it to him. “There ya go, hun. When he asks, tell him Suzie gave you the number.”

“He’s reputable?” Hayden asked, feeling sort of silly doing so.

She laughed. “Oh yeah. Tommy’s the best you’ll find in town.” She walked away and let him finish his breakfast. His phone chirped at him to remind him that he had to be back at the house in thirty minutes. He finished his meal and left cash on the table, along with a great tip.