Knot on Your Life

by Betty Hechtman

  “Now that you all have them, feel how spongy they are. You can smell the sweetness.” He held his marshmallow to his nose and urged the audience to do the same. “But when you add fire, the marshmallow transforms.” He stabbed his marshmallow with a long fork and put it in the fire. He must have missed the lesson that it was roasting marshmallows, not burning them. Instead of turning a soft brown with an oozing inside, his caught on fire and in moments turned into black ash with maybe a dab of sweet fluff on the inside.

  “The final mindful moment comes with the tasting.” He blew on it until it was cool and prepared to put it in his mouth. “You savor the flavor.” He took a bite of it and was speechless for a moment. I don’t think he was savoring the flavor. It was more like choking on the ash.

  He lost control of the crowd as they moved toward the firepit, grabbing long forks and cooking their marshmallows.

  When the hot chocolate was passed out, he wanted everyone to take some in their mouth and swirl it around, letting their senses take in the flavor and the fragrance of the now lukewarm drink.

  “Hey, it’s not wine,” someone called out. Sky seemed dumbfounded by the heckler. If I were him, I would have turned it into a mindful moment that focused on the heckler’s bad manners.

  Kevin St. John finally stepped in and reminded the crowd of the movie afterward.

  Movies were a Friday night ritual as well. Hummingbird Hall was transformed into a movie theater complete with bags of popcorn. I wondered what the movie choice was. Had Kevin St. John found something that went along with the mindful theme? I laughed when he said, “In honor of the mindful retreat, tonight’s feature is A Beautiful Mind.”

  I heard Jackson laugh next to me. “Really? He’s a doofus, too. Does he think everything with mind in it is about mindfulness?”

  Everyone started to file out. I tried to see what Audrey and Elex’s hands were doing as they left, but I still couldn’t tell. When they’d all gone I approached Sky. He looked desolate “That was a bust,” he said. I couldn’t argue with him.

  “I was really trying to get the yoga business from Vista Del Mar. When people put on retreats and needed a local yoga instructor, I hoped Mr. St. John would recommend me. He talked me into being a facilitator for this mindful thing as an audition. He makes up a ridiculous program and then expects me to make it a success. Mindful marshmallows, really?” He shook his head with hopelessness. “My only hope is pulling off the Sound Bath.” I had the same question someone had shouted out before and asked him what it was. “Words can’t describe it. You have to experience it to understand.”

  I left him to gather up the roasting forks. I still had miles to go before I slept.

  I cut through the Lodge, which was quiet again. Apparently, the crowd had gone with the movie offer. The café was just closing and Jackson walked out holding a bottle of beer.

  “That was underwhelming,” he said, gesturing toward the firepit. After what Sky had told me, I wanted to somehow defend him. While I was considering what to say, Jackson continued. “His name isn’t really Sky, you know. I think it’s Bob or Robert. He told me he’d developed an app. Something weird like setting up dog playdates. Turns out he got angel funding from our own dead Tim. But it all crashed and burned. Hence his new name and new profession.” He smiled to himself. “Hence is such a great word. Don’t you think people should use it more often?”

  I was too busy thinking about Sky’s connection to Tim to answer.

  Chapter 21

  I was free to go, but my night was far from over. I was looking forward to the peace of baking at the Blue Door. Just me with flour, sugar, eggs and more. Who was I kidding? Ever since it’d become public knowledge that I was going to be there working on desserts and muffins, it had become a guessing game of who would show up. Last night’s visit from Deani wasn’t one that I would have even considered.

  Downtown Cadbury was a little livelier since it was Friday night and the restaurants stayed open a little later. The lights on the movie theater marquee went off just as I was parking my Mini Cooper.

  The first thing I always did as I walked into the restaurant was to check the front counter for the status of the desserts I’d made the night before. I was always relieved when there were just crumbs left on the pedestal-stand plates. It was silly, but I always worried something would happen, like the whole town would decide to go on a diet and give up dessert. I guess part of my fear was that nobody would even tell me and I’d walk in to find the whole cakes and pies I’d made the night before. I laughed inside at my own ridiculous thoughts.

  The main dining room was empty except for a pair of diners at the end of their meal. Tag was standing in a corner staring at the table with a tense expression. Lucinda was next to him and her arm was on his, restraining him. I glanced back at the occupied table and found the subject of his distress. The man had set his coffee cup on the table instead of back on the saucer. It was just the sort of gaff that drove Tag crazy.

  Lucinda gave in to his obsessive behavior most of the time, letting him follow behind the servers as they set up the tables and he straightened any knife or fork at a tilt. But when it came to his rearranging customers’ settings, she drew the line.

  I heard her sigh of relief as the pair left their table and passed me on their way to the door. Tag was on it before the door even closed. My boss and friend came across the small room to join me. She looked down at their story on the back of the menu sitting on the counter and shook her head. “If they only knew . . .”

  Even though it was the end of the evening, she still had fresh lipstick and every hair in place. Without actual knowledge, I assumed the same couldn’t be said for me. I didn’t even remember if I’d smoothed my hair after the boat trip in the morning.

  She added the menu to the stack and grabbed one of the recycled grocery bags that had my supplies for the muffins, and we went across the dining area. “I really could have used a yarn retreat this weekend.”

  “Sorry I couldn’t include you. I certainly miss your presence.” In the past Lucinda had been my partner in crime, or really partner in solving a crime. She was my sounding board, and on occasion my lookout when I went somewhere I wasn’t really allowed. That didn’t even cover all the times she acted as host at meals because I was otherwise occupied.

  “Did something happen?” she asked in a whisper, stopping on the sunporch.

  “So much,” I said. I was trying to figure out how to begin when Tag called to her from the door. He was suddenly frantic that he’d left the coffeepot on at home. She rolled her eyes at me.

  “The pot shuts itself off after an hour, but once he gets a thought that he’s left something on there’s no reasoning with him. I really want to hear about everything.” He had the door open and was beginning to hyperventilate. “Got to go. The kitchen’s all yours.”

  It was always a bonus when I didn’t have to deal with the chef. I continued on into the kitchen and put down the bags. I went back into the dining area to turn on the soft jazz I liked as an accompaniment.

  I glanced toward the glass portion of the front door after I’d adjusted the radio. Dane was standing with his face inches from the glass. I opened the door with anticipation, hoping he’d brought food.

  He was in uniform, so it was break time. He looked down at his hands but they were empty. My expression must have told it all.

  “What’s wrong?” he said, glancing around the interior for the source of a problem.

  “You came empty-handed,” I said.

  He smiled and rocked his head. “I knew it. It’s all about the food I bring.”

  I put up my hand to stop him. “You know I always love to see you, but remember when you came over and I gave you some cookies? Well, the couple that I ate were it for me today.” I told him how I only got a bite of dinner and the disappointment of the Roast and Toast.

  “What do you want?” he asked.

  “Anything but something sweet. Making all this sweet stuff has kind of t
urned me off to it.”

  “You do realize we’re standing in a restaurant.”

  “I’d feel funny about using any of their food.”

  “Do you really think your friend Lucinda would begrudge you some eggs and toast?” he said, taking the lead back to the kitchen.

  “You’re probably right. It’s just that—”

  “Oh, no, you, the dessert and muffin queen, don’t know how to scramble egg?” he said, incredulous.

  “I know how to scramble eggs in principle, but they never turn out.” He laughed and waved me out of his way.

  “Carry on with what you were doing and I’ll make the eggs.”

  Lucinda had requested my cherry cheesecake, which was fine with me. I went to the refrigerator just as Dane came away from it holding eggs and butter. We played the game of trying to stay out of each other’s way, but we kept ending up facing each other.

  “Is this where I ask you to dance?” he said with a merry expression. “If it is, you have to change the music. You can’t dance to jazz.”

  I put the cream cheese on the counter. “This needs to get soft anyway. The kitchen is yours.”

  He made delicious pasta and sauce for the kids who came for karate and for me, but his skills went way back. Due to her problem, his mother had been undependable, to say the least, and he’d taken over making sure they were fed. He’d made sure to tell me that no one guessed how he carried the responsibility of his family and that he had the image of a bad boy.

  “It’s kind of fun cooking in a restaurant,” he said as he swirled the butter in the pan to melt. Since I couldn’t get on with my duties, I set up a table for us in the sunporch.

  He brought out plates of eggs and toast with artistically sliced strawberries as a garnish. “This is what happens when you let me loose in a place with gourmet tools.”

  I ate my eggs and most of his. Like everything else he cooked, they were amazing. I let out a contented sigh. Then I turned to him. “As long as we’re sitting here,” I began. “You have your ear to the ground. You must hear things.”

  “Sure. When I’m not giving someone a ticket for littering.”

  “Do you have any updates on the lieutenant’s investigation? Like if it turns out to be a homicide, who he thinks of as suspects?”

  “I’m just food and information to you,” he said. His grin let me know he was joking. “Actually, I don’t know much of anything. When I saw the lieutenant earlier, he clammed up as soon as he saw me.”

  “I was considering if I should share some information with him that he might not know.”

  Dane suddenly looked serious. “Don’t do it. He won’t take it well.” He reached across the table and touched my hand. “How about we talk about something else, like why don’t you come by when the karate kids are there. We could use a feminine touch.”

  “Are you kidding? Do you remember how they teased us?”

  “Maybe they did. I didn’t care, but if it bothers you, how about this then. We work it out so we have a day off together. I know this place up near Santa Cruz with a forest of redwoods. So tall you can’t see the tops and they’re thousands of years old. It kind of puts things in perspective. There’s a river, too. And no one to tease us if we hold hands.”

  His mention of holding hands made me think of Audrey and Elex. “I wonder if they’re a couple,” I mumbled to myself. “And if so, for how long.”

  “What?” Dane said, leaning closer to hear. Then he blew out his breath. “You weren’t commenting on my offer, were you?” I shook my head with an apologetic smile. “It had something to do with what you said earlier, right?” I nodded. “You just can’t keep your mind off of crime.”

  “Guilty,” I said. “But the redwood forest sounds wonderful. Let’s work it out.”

  Dane’s radio crackled and there was something about an altercation at a fast-food restaurant over undercooked fries. “That’s the life of a small-town cop.” He threw up his hands as he got up.

  “Don’t you owe me a hug?” he said.

  “Probably,” I said with a chuckle. “I suppose you want to collect it now.” He nodded and opened his arms.

  I stepped into his embrace and one thing led to another. The hug turned into a kiss and then a hotter one. There was some touchy feeling stuff going on, too. I’m not sure what would have happened if there hadn’t been a knock on the glass. It brought me back to the present and I pulled away with a jump.

  He insisted on acting as my protector as we went back into the main dining area. The light on the porch illuminated two figures. Crystal and Madeleine.

  Dane opened the door and I invited them in.

  “Cora doesn’t even know I left the house,” Madeleine said with a giggle. Her eyes were bright with excitement. “Crystal said she’d show me the other side of Cadbury. What goes on when the town is asleep.” She looked at Dane with puzzlement. “Why is there a policeman here? Is something wrong?”

  Was Madeleine the only one in town who didn’t know that Dane and I were sort of an item?” Crystal held in a laugh and rolled her eyes.

  “No, nothing wrong here,” Dane said in an upbeat voice. “I just stopped by for a muffin report.” He turned to me. “I hope you can drop some by my place on your way home. There’s nothing like a hot blueberry muffin.”

  Madeleine seemed perplexed by his comment and I reminded her that in addition to the desserts for the restaurant, I baked muffins for the coffee spots around town.

  “I’ll leave you to it,” Dane said, giving me a cheeky salute. “Got to keep the streets of Cadbury safe for you ladies.”

  Madeleine watched him go. “He’s kind of cute. I think he likes you.”

  Crystal and I traded glances and I shook my head, hoping she wouldn’t tell Madeleine the real situation. I quickly tried to change the subject. “How did the two of you end up going out together?” They certainly made an interesting pair. Crystal had a shocking pink shawl over her outfit. She was still wearing the mismatched earrings that made her look lopsided. I assumed her socks didn’t match, but she had sheepskin boots on so it was impossible to tell.

  Madeleine wore faded jeans, a white shirt tucked in the front only with a jean jacket. She noticed me looking at the colorful shawl wrapped over the jacket. “It’s Crystal’s. She thought I might be cold.” Madeleine looked at the younger woman with a warm expression.

  “Cora is being a real pill about finding out that Crystal’s mother is our brother’s child.” She reached over and patted Crystal’s arm. “She can do what she wants, but it doesn’t mean I have to. I saw Crystal leaving the yarn store and told her that I’d like to spend some time with her. She suggested this adventure.” She glanced around the closed restaurant. “This is only part of it. We already went to the all-night grocery store in Carmel.”

  I was already behind schedule, but since the cheesecakes didn’t require baking, it was okay. “I’ll give you the grand tour,” I said, leading them back to the kitchen.

  Madeleine seemed mesmerized as I began to mix the cream cheese and whipped cream for the cheesecake and then she began to talk about Vista Del Mar. “The accident with that poor man dying was just terrible. I hope Kevin is handling it properly.” Madeleine made a tsk sound. “He insisted that he could handle putting together that retreat and didn’t need anyone in your position,” she said, looking at me. “I didn’t think it was a good idea, but Cora gave him the okay. She’s old school and thinks that men are supposed to run the world.” She smiled at her newfound grand-niece. “Crystal told me those people in the black clothes weren’t happy with what Kevin planned and that the two of you had to add some activities and provide them with some extras.” She made another tsk sound. “Wait until I tell Cora about that. Maybe that’ll give her something to think about.”

  I froze. Was I going to end up in the middle of a battle between all of them? I was sure to be the one who came out badly. I rushed to try to smooth things over and urged her to let things be for the weekend. “Ther
e’s no reason to stir things up now.”

  “You’re probably right.” Madeleine said.

  Crystal’s eyes were flaring. “You mean Cora lets Kevin St. John run things because he’s a man?”

  “Not totally. But he keeps saying that he understands how to run Vista Del Mar better than we do and she believes him,” Madeleine said.

  “Somebody needs to bring Cora into the modern age,” Crystal said.

  Crystal and Madeleine stayed until I’d made the graham cracker crusts and poured in the filling for the cheesecakes before moving on. Crystal was going to take Madeleine to the McDonald’s drive-through in Seaside for a soft-serve ice cream cone to cap their evening. Thankfully that was the end of my company and I was able to hustle through making the cheesecakes. Despite what Dane had said about blueberry muffins, I made more of the biscuit muffins. I hadn’t heard any feedback on them yet and hoped they were a hit.

  I rushed through distributing them to the coffee spots along Grand Street and then drove home. All seemed peaceful and quiet as I got out of my Mini Cooper. But before I could go to my back door I heard a rustling in the bushes that surrounded my house.

  My heartbeat kicked up, but then I figured it was probably Dane coming to collect his muffins. “I know you’re in there. Come out,” I commanded.

  A moment later Deani revealed herself. “Sorry if I scared you,” she said. “It was an automatic reaction when I heard someone drive up.” She looked toward the guesthouse. “I was just coming to check on Fifi.”

  I looked down at the tote bag she was carrying. In the dark I couldn’t tell if the dog was in the bag or the guesthouse as she implied, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt. She wished me good night and then hustled down the driveway and across the street.

  I finally went to my back door. When I opened it a slip of paper fell out. I waited until I was in the light to check it out. The smell of the marker lingered on the page. Sprawled in big letters it said: KEEP YOUR NOSE OUT OF WHERE IT DOESN’T BELONG. BAD CONSEQUENCES IF YOU DON’T.