Hometown Reunion. Pam Andrews

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ beef with mashed potatoes?”

      Lori quietly sighed at her aunt’s comment about not telling the committee yet, but she didn’t say anything about it.

      “Either is fine. I’ll put them in the microwave for you.”

      The last time her aunt had tried to cook frozen dinners, she’d mistakenly used the regular oven directions and microwaved an entrée to the consistency of shoe leather.

      “Would you mind? I’ll just slip into some old clothes. Last time I was there, I couldn’t help but notice how dusty the café is, but don’t worry about the dirt. We have lots of volunteers for the cleanup.”

      Her aunt soon returned, her rust-colored, gray-streaked hair covered by a little flowered bandana. She was wearing faded jeans and a yellow-and-brown striped smock that went nearly to her knees, a drastic change from the sedate navy, forest-green and burgundy dresses she favored for teaching.

      Lori made a show of eating some of the bland turkey dinner, but she needn’t have bothered. Bess was so excited about the café that she scarcely noticed her niece’s lack of appetite.

      Bess still lived in the yellow frame house on Second Avenue that she’d inherited from her parents. From the front porch, Lori could get a glimpse of the church steeple, and it brought back happy memories of Sunday school, church picnics and the fellowship of the congregation. She was looking forward to meeting the new minister on Sunday, although she regretted that Reverend Green wouldn’t be there. He’d finally taken a much-deserved retirement.

      “I saw Scott Mara when I took a walk around town,” Lori said, trying to sound casual.

      “Scott was such a little rascal when he was in my class,” Bess said as she bustled around the kitchen, cleaning up their hasty dinner. “He was always the town bad boy, but he had a sweet nature for all that. Oh, dear, we’d better hurry. Carl will be waiting for us.”

      They elected to walk since it was only a few blocks, crossing Beech Street and approaching the café from the rear. The back door was padlocked, forcing them to cut between buildings to the Main Street entrance.

      “Oh, good! The lights are on,” Bess said. “Now you can get a better idea of what needs to be done.”

      A faded blue pickup like the one Scott had driven was parked at an angle in front of the café. Of course, there were probably a hundred like it in the county, but she couldn’t help wondering whether she would see him again while she was in town.

      “Come on in, ladies.” A portly man with a white beard and a matching mane of hair opened the front door and motioned them inside.

      “This is my niece,” Bess said. “Lori, Carl Mitchell is the man who’s going to help us put this place in order.”

      “Not by myself, I’m not,” he said, with a belly-shaking laugh. “That’s why Scott is here.”

      Carl gestured at the man who was stooped down, examining the front of the lunch counter, with a small boy beside him. He slowly rose, straightening to his full six feet two inches, exactly ten inches taller than Lori. It was easier for her to remember this than to look directly into his eyes.

      “Scott, this is Bessie’s niece—”

      Scott nodded. “Yes, I saw Lori in town earlier.”

      “Scott, I didn’t expect to see you here.” Lori’s voice didn’t sound as though it belonged to her.

      “Oh, you two know each other,” Carl said. “Splendid, since you’ll be working together until we get this place fixed up.”

      “Scott runs his own construction company,” Bess said. “He did some wonderful work at the school, so I know he’ll take care of everything that needs doing around here.”

      “Hi, Lori,” Joey said.

      Lori was enchanted when the little boy remembered her name and offered his hand for a very adult shake.

      “Lori has agreed to be our chief cook and manager,” Bess said.

      “Only until the café is up and running,” Lori added so quickly that the words came out sounding breathless.

      “I’d like to say that the place will be ready for business in a few weeks, but from what I’ve seen so far, there’s quite a bit to be done to get it up to code,” Scott said. “I’m going to have to rip out the wainscoting to see what’s underneath, and that window will fall out of the frame if someone blows hard.”

      “You’re making it sound expensive,” Carl said, his laugh not quite so hearty now.

      “I’ll give you the best deal I can,” Scott said, speaking to the older man but looking in Lori’s direction. “First, I’ll have to check out the basement and roof, but it’s the kitchen that really worries me. I don’t know how they ever got a gas range that big and heavy into the place.”

      “Old Amos Conklin was real proud of that monstrosity,” Carl said, talking about the café’s longtime owner. “Wouldn’t surprise me if he took out the front window to get it in.”

      “Yeah, that would work since you’ve got double swinging doors going into the kitchen. If it were up to me, though, I’d sell it for scrap metal.” Scott shook his head, and his eyes met Lori’s. “How does that sound to you?” he asked her.

      Lori looked around the dusky interior of the old kitchen with misgivings. The café had been in the same family for three generations, and the gas range looked to be as old as the original owner.

      “It’s not a decision I can make,” she said tactfully. “I’m only temporary help.”

      “Of course, you can, Lori. You know much more about running a kitchen than anyone on the committee,” her aunt said.

      “I think I can speak for everyone,” Carl said. “Whatever works for you is fine with us. We planned on making some big improvements when we pooled our money to buy it. We’re hoping you’ll work with Scott on this.”

      “I really don’t know anything about renovations,” Lori replied.

      “Maybe not, but you know how a restaurant should be. I think it’s a splendid idea for you to consult with Scott,” Bess said.

      “Splendid,” Lori repeated in an unsure voice.

      “I can’t do anything until Monday,” Scott said. “I have to finish a wheelchair ramp this weekend so the home owner can come home from a nursing home. Why don’t you meet me here Monday morning, after I drop Joey off at day care. Make it about eight-fifteen.”

      Scott scooped up his son, said his goodbyes and headed for the door.

      Her aunt beamed, Carl smiled benevolently and Lori felt as if she’d just stepped into quicksand. She wanted to do this favor for her aunt as quickly as possible and get on with her life somewhere else. Scott was the one person in Apple Grove who could awaken old feelings and complicate her life.

      What had she gotten herself into?

      Chapter Two

      Anyone СКАЧАТЬ