Hometown Reunion. Pam Andrews

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      The aluminum ladder was probably stronger than it looked, but it wobbled as Scott climbed up. He disappeared from sight for what seemed like a long time, and when he threw his leg over to climb down, she was even more nervous for him. She automatically said a prayer that he would get to the ground safely, then wondered whether he would scoff at her if he knew. The boy she’d been head over heels for seemed less cynical as an adult, but Lori wasn’t sure.

      “Bad news and good news,” he said when he got to the ground. “The roof was tarred fairly recently. I think it’s good for now, but the chimney needs some work.”

      “Can you do that, too?” she asked, wondering what the extent of his skill was.

      “I can repair it, but I recommend a professional cleaning. The furnace was converted from coal. I suspect they may once have burned trash in it, too.”

      They’d burned coal? She had never known anyone who had a coal furnace. She was beginning to realize what a tremendous responsibility her aunt and the committee had undertaken in buying such an old building.

      She didn’t try to oversee the rest of his inspection. Some things she could see for herself: the poor layout of the kitchen, the shabby condition of the linoleum flooring throughout the building, the urgent need to repaint the old-fashioned tin ceiling and the peeling surfaces of chairs that had probably been painted half a dozen different colors over the years.

      “Wow,” she said, more to herself than to him.

      If it was God’s plan to give her a tremendous challenge, He’d brought her to the right place. She would give it her all, but she still fervently hoped that she could accomplish what was needed and get on with her life as soon as possible.

      After what seemed like hours of peeking, poking and probing, Scott sat across from her at one of the dusty tables.

      “It will take me a while to work out everything that’s needed and give you an estimate,” he said, still writing figures on a pad.

      “I understand.”

      He was all business, and she missed the easy friendship they’d had many years ago. She wanted to ask him about his life. Was he happy? Where was his wife? He’d yet to mention her, and she didn’t want to pry. She didn’t know where he lived or why he seemed to take sole responsibility for Joey. But nothing he said or did invited the kind of confidences they’d once shared.

      When he’d said everything there was to say about the renovation, he slipped his notepad into the back pocket of his jeans and retrieved his hat.

      He turned at the doorway with a twinkle in his eyes that she hadn’t seen in a long time.

      “When you cook, do you wear one of those chef’s hats?” He sketched a tall shape in the air with his hands.

      “It depends on where I’m working.”

      “Here, for instance.”

      “I suppose I could. Why do you ask?” She eyed him quizzically.

      “Just wondering how you’d look in a starchy white getup.”

      He grinned and was gone.

      Chapter Three

      Lori punched in numbers on her cell phone, looking forward to a long chat with her best friend from high school, Sara Bennings. They’d kept in touch via e-mail, but actually getting together in person was a treat and one of the benefits of spending the summer in Apple Grove. Sara had married her high school boyfriend and settled into life as a farmer’s wife and the mother of Sunny, her four-year-old daughter.

      “Hi. It’s me, Lori,” she said when Sara answered.

      She was rewarded by a squeal of pleasure, and she could almost see her excitable, red-haired friend go pink-cheeked with enthusiasm.

      “What are you going to be doing all summer, until the café is ready to open?” Sara asked after they exchanged recent news.

      “A woman I know is writing a cookbook of recipes that will appeal to preschoolers. She’s going to pay me to test some of them while I’m here.”

      “That sounds like fun.”

      “I expect it will be, and it will give me a little income before I take another restaurant job.”

      “Any prospects?” Sara asked. “I hate to think of you leaving again, but I can’t imagine any jobs around here that would interest you.”

      “One with good potential in Chicago, but I don’t need to make up my mind right away. The restaurant is still under construction.”

      They had so much to catch up on that Lori was surprised to see that they’d been talking for over an hour. She said goodbye, promising that they’d get together soon.

      One thing she hadn’t mentioned to her friend was working with Scott on the café. Sara was the only friend who’d known about Lori’s big crush on him in high school. Sara might get the wrong idea if Lori brought it up. Lori didn’t want her friend to think she was still attracted to Scott after all this time. He was, after all, a married man.

      

      “Daddy, wake up!”

      Scott reluctantly opened one eye and grimaced at his son.

      “How about letting me sleep a few more minutes?” he asked.

      “You said we’d do something fun today,” Joey reminded him, planting himself astride Scott’s chest and digging in with his knees.

      “What time is it?” He turned his head to look at the big red numbers on his alarm. “Seven o’clock! You don’t get up this early on day-care days.”

      He couldn’t help noticing that Joey was already dressed in jeans and a green T-shirt, with the tag sticking out in front.

      “I don’t have to go there today. Get up, Daddy!”

      “I will if you get off me.”

      Scott ruffled his son’s fine blond hair and growled in an imitation of a tiger. Joey tumbled off the edge of the bed and slipped his feet into the big work boots sitting on the floor. Scott reluctantly sat up while his son clunked the short distance to the kitchen area. Scott slept on a hide-a-bed in the trailer’s living area so Joey could have the only partitioned bedroom. It gave his son a private place where he could keep his toys, although they still seemed to spill out all over the place.

      Scott stood, his foot narrowly missing a plastic dinosaur. He really should make Joey pick up all his toys before he went to bed at night, but sometimes they were both too tired.

      Joey was rummaging in a lower cupboard, where they kept the cereal and crackers.

      “I’ll make you some oatmeal as soon as I get dressed,” Scott said. “Meanwhile, pick up your toys. I nearly stepped on Dizzy the Dino.”

      “Not oatmeal again,” Joey said dramatically. “Can’t we get some doughnuts?”

      “Maybe СКАЧАТЬ