A cheer went up around the café. Celestine, beaming from ear to ear, walked over to Daryl and gave him a warm embrace. ‘That is wonderful news, Daryl. I cannot think of a single person more deserving than you.’
‘Why, thank you, Celly.’ Daryl wiped the trace of a tear from the corner of his eye.
‘What about Roberta Dutton?’ Tish asked.
‘She withdrew from the running,’ Augusta explained. ‘Told me that Daryl was the better person for the position and that she’d lied about his conduct in the past. She feels she’s been too competitive in her career and has decided to focus on her new life with John Ballantyne.’
‘I hope things work out for her.’
‘I do too,’ Daryl agreed. ‘Life is too short for unhappiness.’
‘Hear, hear,’ Edwin added.
‘On that note, let’s get this party started,’ Jules announced as he, Mary Jo, Kayla, and Gregory disappeared behind the counter to set out the trays of sandwiches and pastries created just for the occasion.
As Tish instructed them on garnishes and presentation, a vaguely familiar face appeared from behind the screen door. She was young, perhaps sixteen or seventeen years of age. Her slender frame was dressed in jeans and a logo T-shirt, and her dark hair was trimmed into a playful Pixie cut. She looked around the room, her face registering confusion.
Tish welcomed her to the café. ‘Hi, I’m Tish, the owner. I’m afraid we’re not open for business today, so I can’t give you a menu. But it’s our grand opening, so you’re welcome to help us celebrate by helping yourself to the food and drink we have available.’
The girl smiled. ‘Oh, no, I didn’t come to eat. I came here to see you. I’m Charlotte Ballantyne.’
Tish felt her jaw drop open. ‘Oh! Oh, it’s so nice to meet you, Charlotte.’
‘It’s nice to finally meet you too. My dad brought me up for a visit so I can help pack some things for the estate sale, but I wanted to stop by and say thank you.’
Tish looked at Charlotte in bewilderment. ‘Thank me?’
‘My mother told me what you did for her. She said she wouldn’t be alive if it hadn’t been for you,’ Charlotte declared.
‘Oh, I think you had more to do with that than I did. Your mother loves you very much.’
‘I know.’ Charlotte smiled. ‘I love her, too.’
‘How are you doing?’
‘I’m OK. I decided to stay at Williamsburg for now. With everything that’s happened, I didn’t feel it was the right time for another big change. I have lots of friends where I am and I can be close by while my dad sorts things out here.’
‘That sounds like a smart decision,’ Tish stated. ‘I’ve stayed in touch with your mom these past few weeks and she seems to be handling things OK, but if there’s anything I can do for you …’
‘There is, actually.’ Charlotte blushed slightly. ‘Um, I’m very much into cooking and art and creative things. My school and rehabilitation program has been going well, and my doctors have okayed me working a few hours over the weekend or during home visits. Do you think I might help out around here sometime when I’m in town?’
‘Absolutely. Celestine and I would love to have you on board.’
‘Awesome. There are some forms you need to complete,’ Charlotte added nervously.
‘No problem. Send the paperwork through and I’ll get to it as soon as I can. I do have to warn you that since we’re just starting out, the job may not be too glamorous at times.’
‘That’s fine. I don’t mind if I have to push a broom around so long as I can squeeze icing on the occasional cupcake.’
‘I think we might be able to work that into the schedule.’ Tish grinned.
‘Cool! Well, I’d better get back to Dad before he starts to worry.’
‘Oh, grab some sandwiches to take back with you,’ Tish ordered.
Mary Jo, having overheard the exchanged, ushered Charlotte behind the counter. ‘Come on. We’ll get some cellophane and I’ll introduce you to Kayla and Gregory, your potential co-workers.’
As a few locals wandered in, the café filled with conversation and laughter. Tish gazed around the room in wonder.
She had done it. Her own eatery.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure enter through the screen door. Still beaming with pride, she turned around to see Schuyler Thompson.
He was dressed in jeans and a blue plaid shirt, and he was carrying a pie.
Tish approached him, her face a question. ‘I don’t think I publicized this as a bring-your-own event.’
‘You didn’t. I felt the need to bring this along. It’s humble pie.’
Tish couldn’t help but smile. She took the pastry and placed it on the counter behind her. ‘Hmm, smells suspiciously like apple.’
‘OK, it’s a humble apple pie,’ Schuyler amended. ‘It comes with an apology and a request. Can we start over?’
‘I’m sorry, too, Schuyler. And, yes, I’d love a chance to start over. It would be nice to get to know you without there being a murderer on the loose.’
‘Or your café’s future in jeopardy,’ he added.
‘Or two well-meaning but slightly insane friends meddling in our business and accusing you of criminal activity.’
‘Or you scaring the bejeezus out of me by wrestling killers to the ground in their own living rooms.’
‘Or me violating attorney–client privilege.’
‘Or me withholding ill-timed men’s room visits from you.’
‘Um, no, you can still keep that a secret.’ Tish laughed.
Schuyler laughed with her. ‘I was also thinking, since this is our first official date, instead of the farmers’ market, maybe we should do something more exciting. Something with more’ – he drew air quotes – ‘razzle-dazzle.’
Something about the phrase ‘razzle-dazzle’ set off her internal alarm. ‘Oh?’
‘I was thinking maybe we can drive out to the wine country, see the mountains, enjoy some tastings, and then, for dinner, there’s this restaurant in Charlottesville that has great reviews. It’s not flashy or trendy or new, but it has good, fresh, well-prepared food, and a relaxing, cozy atmosphere.’
‘That sounds terrific.’ She held her arms open and the pair embraced.
From behind Tish’s back, Schuyler flashed Jules a thumbs-up sign. Jules immediately reciprocated.
‘Are you butting in again?’ Mary Jo asked upon spotting the secret signal.
‘I’m not butting in. I just made some recommendations to Schuyler to help give their date some sparkle,’ Jules explained.
‘Tish said she was fine without sparkles.’
‘I know, but the girl deserves them anyway.’
Mary Jo leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. ‘You’re irritating, but you’re sweet, Mr Davis. You know that?’
‘Stop!’ Jules waved her away. ‘You keep that up, you’re going to make me cry. Then my liquid bronzer’s going to get all streaky and I’m at the news desk tonight.’
Mary Jo took a step back. ‘Get out! You’re—’
Jules hushed her. ‘Not so loud. My boss loved how I handled the Whitley scandal so he’s letting me fill in at the news desk tonight as a trial run. I’ll tell Tish and everyone else later, but this is her time to shine, OK?’
Mary Jo nodded her head excitedly before planting another kiss on Jules’s cheek.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Schuyler and Tish’s embrace was interrupted by the sound of a camera clicking. The pair looked up to see Opal Schaeffer snapping away. ‘This is perfect for my next book cover.’
‘Opal,’ Schuyler warned, ‘I already told you that being a model would cause a conflict with my profession.’
‘I know. I’m just using the bodies and the pose. No faces.’ She turned the phone around and showed them the shots. ‘See? No faces, but total warmth.’
‘OK,’ Schuyler capitulated, ‘but—’
‘I know, I’ll show you the artwor
k when it’s done, OK?’
‘OK.’ Schuyler took her hands by way of greeting, then passed her to Tish, who gave her a quick hug.
‘This is so exciting,’ Opal declared. ‘I love how you’ve dolled up the place.’
‘Not as exciting as what I have to show you.’ Tish led her to a tray of roasted tomato sandwiches. ‘Morningstar Moonblush Melange.’
‘What? You named these after me?’ Opal drew a hand to her chest.
‘Not only that, but I made them with your homegrown tomatoes, which I roasted with thyme, salt, and a pinch of sugar overnight in a low oven before mixing with mint, olive oil, lemon, feta, and avocado. I spread that on to toast to make the sandwiches, but I have a serving of the veggies dressed with a bit of arugula, waiting in the refrigerator for you.’
‘Vegetarian and gluten-free? And it’s named after me. Be still my heart!’
‘Let’s hope not,’ Schuyler quipped. ‘There’s been enough of that in this town to last a long time.’
Tish retrieved Opal’s namesake salad from the refrigerator and then directed her to Jules for some punch. As she did so, she took note of Sheriff Reade entering the café.
‘Sheriff, how are you?’ she asked.
‘I’m good. I was going to make my obligatory “keep the noise” down joke, as I often do at functions like these, but I was afraid you’d go door to door hunting down whoever made the complaint.’
Tish laughed. ‘OK, I deserved that.’
The sheriff smiled. ‘Happy to have your business up and running?’
‘Happier than you can imagine.’
‘Good. Then I can expect that Mr Davis and Mrs Okensholt won’t be selling your food products across town any longer?’
‘No, we’ll be operating out of the café exclusively, except for catered events.’
‘Good, because I don’t think Mr Davis’s Mini Cooper is quite up to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s food-truck standards. I’m not one to say anything about it, but there are some with the sheriff’s office who might.’
‘Ah.’ Tish understood the gist of Reade’s words. ‘Well, thank you for the heads-up, Sheriff. It won’t happen again.’
‘Glad to hear it. By the way, the band and I have got a gig in Ashland a few weeks from now. They’re looking for a caterer and I recommended you.’
‘You did? Wow, thanks. You did tell them I do literary-themed events, right?’
‘I did. They may ask you to do something with song titles instead, but I figured I’d let you work that out.’
‘I’m sure I can come up with something. Thanks.’
‘Anything to keep you busy,’ the sheriff joked. ‘If not, I may soon be out of a job.’
The pair laughed and the sheriff went off to chit-chat with the rest of the crowd.
Tish grabbed a glass of punch from Jules, took a sip, and then clanged against it with a spoon. After thanking everyone for their help and for attending the event, she declared Cookin’ the Books to be officially open for business, and then turned the floor over to Celestine so that she might present the cake she had designed especially for the occasion.
‘Oh, I’m so nervous.’ She giggled.
‘Don’t be, Celly,’ Daryl soothed.
‘Yeah, your cakes are sublime,’ Jules complimented.
‘OK, well, inspired by the name of this here café, and encouraged by Tish here, who told me to think outside the box, I give you … Cookin’ the Books!’
Celestine pulled back the metallic cover to reveal a colorful fondant-laden stack of four books in bright primary and secondary colors, the spines of which bore titles from the genres of mystery, science fiction, romance, and western. The letters of these titles had been hand-cut from silver, gold, and black fondant in various styles of font and painstakingly applied to each book’s spine. From the top book of the stack emerged a tall flame in various shades of yellow, red, and orange.
The room fell silent.
‘Good Lord. It’s a book burning,’ Daryl gasped.
Celestine gave his arm a slap. ‘No, it isn’t. Look, the books are in a frying pan.’
Lo and behold, in a truly creative stroke, Celestine had placed the cake not on to a traditional platter but in a giant cast-iron skillet. ‘It’s cookin’ the books, see?’ she announced.
The crowd ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed’ and chuckled in comprehension as Celestine’s literal yet highly comical interpretation was made clear.
‘What do you think, Tish?’ the baker asked.
Tish stole a fragment of fondant icing from the edge of one of the books and tasted it, savoring the sweet frosting while gazing around the café – her café – and the faces of friends, both old and new, gathered there.
‘I think, Mizz Celestine’ – she smiled as her eyes finally settled on Schuyler Thompson – ‘that it’s perfect.’
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