by SUE FINEMAN
“I thought we’d better leave room to add on, if necessary. If we don’t need it, we’ll put some landscaping in there.”
She doubted that would happen anytime soon, especially if this new buffet idea didn’t take off. The business had been built on friendly service, and if they took that away, they could lose the customers they already had.
The special table Luke ordered was already in place in the café. They had to remove two tables to make room for it. Luke glanced around. “It’s cramped with that table in here. We’ve got to get moving on the sunroom. Do you know what you want?”
“I have a picture in my mind, sort of.”
“That’s a good start. The designer should have some ideas, too. I’ll ask Jay to find someone to paint the outside.”
“Charley Fenderman is a painter. He’s here nearly every morning for breakfast. Why don’t we see what he can do?”
“Okay, ask Charley for two estimates, one on the café and another on the motel. Not pink, Laura.”
“How about off-white with blue trim, to match the roof? With the tinted windows on the sunroom and the landscaping, that should be enough color outside. The flowers will add color, too.”
Luke nodded. “Okay.”
There were times when Laura found it hard to believe that this was still Queenie’s Café, the dump she’d inherited from the mother who wasn’t a mother. If Queenie had let Dad borrow the money to improve the property, the motel might have done better, but Queenie could never have done this well in the café unless she let someone else run it. Her surly personality and greasy food chased customers away.
Carmen gave Laura one of her old real estate open house boards. Jay painted it and Laura stuck on the plastic letters:
OPEN TUESDAY
all you can eat
B U F F E T
Laura carried the sign out and propped it by the street. The sun was bright and hot. Someone beeped at her. She didn’t see who it was, but she waved. The town of Kingston was so small, she knew nearly everyone.
She cleaned up the litter along the highway and looked back at Queenie’s. The new roof looked great, but the walls were a mess. The stucco was faded and streaked. She’d tried to wash off the brown streaks, but that stuff wouldn’t come off. The walls were an ugly color anyway. They had to get the outside painted, and soon.
On Monday, she bought fresh flowers for the tables, started the cinnamon rolls, and made several salads for the lunch buffet. She wasn’t sure how much food they’d need, but she didn’t want to run short. If they made too much, they’d use it the next day.
Laura’s stomach fluttered with nerves. It was risky to try something this different, but opening the café in the first place had been a risk. If the buffet didn’t work, she could go back to the old way.
Maybe.
Queenie’s voice echoed in Laura’s mind. You’re lazy... lazy... lazy... lazy.
Queenie was wrong, and Laura had to prove it not just to herself, but to her father and Florence. And Queenie.
<>
Billy called Laura that afternoon. “I found a connection between Florence’s husband and the man in Tennessee.”
“Is it the same man?”
“No, but listen to this. Hank Peters, the man in Tennessee, is an old friend of the Ralston family. Florence’s husband, Hank Ralston, was named after him.”
How did Queenie know him? Or did she?
“Laura, Hank Ralston didn’t drown. Peters said Ralston got mail from some woman in Florida. He forwarded it on to him in California. I asked this guy if Ralston was still in California. He said he didn’t know, that he’d lost touch with him years ago.”
“Then he could still be alive.”
“It’s very possible.”
If Dad and Florence knew Hank didn’t drown, that explained why they didn’t get married when Queenie died. But it still didn’t explain why Dad stayed here in Kingston with a wife he despised.
As Laura hung up the phone, Judy burst through the door, calling, “What can I do to help?”
“I made four big salads – potato, pasta, tuna, and lettuce – but I’m not sure how much more to fix.”
“Plenty,” said Judy, “especially if you expect Jay and Charley.”
Feeding her two favorite customers would definitely eat into the profits.
“Is your mama comin’ back?”
“In a couple weeks. She and my dad are both coming. I hope we can talk them into moving back for good, but I don’t know. Florence is afraid she’ll embarrass me if she stays here.”
“Why?”
“She was a prostitute. I thought everyone around here knew.”
Judy didn’t even blink. “She ain’t doin’ it now, is she?”
“No.”
“Than it don’t matter to me. Can she cook?”
“I think so. She said she worked for Queenie a long time ago, but I didn’t ask what she did.”
“Whatever she can do, we can use her if we get real busy. If this buffet works out like we think it will, we’ll need to hire a couple more people anyway.”
The thought of having Florence work here lifted Laura’s spirits. They’d spent so little time together, and she wanted a chance to get to know her mother.
“Where’s Luke?”
“Orlando. He’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.” Laura planned to stay in one of the new apartments that night. It would be the first night she and Luke had spent apart since they went to the beach. She missed him, but she had so much on her mind, she wouldn’t sleep well anyway. Luke said he didn’t want her staying here alone, but she didn’t think Earl would dare show his face around here again, not after what they’d done to him. Besides, he was still hiding out from those reporters.
Earl should have been arrested by now. He should have been arrested the night he’d attacked her, and that was weeks ago.
A man like that shouldn’t be allowed to walk around free.
<>
Laura was excited about opening again, but she was also worried. What if this new buffet didn’t work out? Would her current customers like it? If they didn’t, she could be taking a giant step backwards.
Tuesday morning she unlocked the café at five-thirty, started the coffee, and baked the first two pans of cinnamon rolls. Meg came in and started the bacon while Laura put the flowers on the tables. They turned on the OPEN sign at six.
As people arrived, Laura and Meg filled the buffet table with scrambled eggs, French toast, bacon, fresh fruit, juice, and cinnamon rolls. They’d vary it some every day, maybe have pancakes instead of French toast and sausage instead of bacon.
The coffee pot still sat on the counter between the kitchen and dining area, where Laura always kept it, where her customers had come to expect it.
The regulars all came, and others came, too, twice as many people as they usually served for breakfast.
Meg said, “Well, this is impressive.”
“You watch the front. I’ll cook.” They were already running out of food.
Charley and Jay both piled their plates high, but they ate every bite. Charley was ready to leave when Laura called to him. “Charley, can I have a word with you, please?”
“Sure.” He walked back toward the kitchen.
Laura walked out to meet him. “Are you still working as a painter?”
“Off and on. Why? You want the café painted?”
“I want an estimate on the café and another on the motel. Labor and materials. The stucco needs to be repaired in a couple places. Can you do that, too?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll give you a good price, Laura.”
“I know you will, Charley, but I need an estimate first. I only own half this place now, so I need to clear it with my partners first.”
Laura went to help Meg in the kitchen. For the first time she could remember, breakfast blended into lunch. Judy came in around eleven and, as the rest of the scrambled eggs and bacon disappeared, they replaced it with chicken and ham for sandwiche
s. Laura filled the empty slots with the salads she’d made the day before. She heated a big pot of chili and put it out with a stack of bowls.
Judy said, “We can’t wash plates fast enough and we’re runnin’ outta clean glasses.”
“This can’t keep up.”
“Don’t bet. Look at the door. There’s more people comin’.”
Laura groaned. “We have to hire more people and get that sunroom on.”
“And buy more dishes and glasses and find someone to make salads at night, when there’s room to work in the kitchen.”
Luke came in at three. Laura collapsed into a chair. “This is the first break I’ve had since five-thirty this morning. I didn’t even have time to go to the bathroom until a few minutes ago.”
“So things are working out?”
She ticked the items off on her fingers. “Charley can start painting next week. He can repair the stucco himself, and he’ll give me an estimate tomorrow. We need more dishes and glasses. We can’t wash what we have fast enough. We have to get that addition on, Luke. And we have to hire someone to help make salads. Judy said we needed a night shift, since there’s no room for another person in the kitchen in the daytime.”
Luke’s eyes sparkled. “Is that all?”
“No, sir. This partner is tired. It’s your turn.”
“Go put your feet up and rest. You’ll burn out if you keep this up.”
“I’ll be back in an hour or two. Someone has to make salads for tomorrow. I thought we’d have enough for two days, but—”
“You did that well?”
“Ask Judy. We need at least two people here all the time, maybe three. The till got so full, we had to pull money out. It’s in the drawer in the storeroom if you need some of it for change.”
Luke leaned back against the counter. “I knew you’d do well, but I didn’t think you’d do this well this quickly. Good thing the designer is coming tomorrow afternoon. We need to get started on the sun room extension right away. We should also have him design another addition, maybe a party room or meeting room, something we can close off if necessary. If business continues to improve, we’ll need it.”
“Maybe it’s just opening day curiosity. Maybe this won’t keep up.”
“I wouldn’t bet on it.”
She wouldn’t either. It wasn’t just regular customers today. They also fed truckers, business people, families on vacation, kids wearing Mickey Mouse ears, and townspeople who’d never before set foot in Queenie’s.
Judy was right.
Nobody was shy about helping themselves.
Chapter Seventeen
Barbara was concerned about Ivy. Supporting her wasn’t a problem, and she knew the girl liked it here, but she didn’t want Ivy to cut her ties with her family for good. Even though Barbara’s parents had thrown her out when she was pregnant, she’d stayed in touch with them. Eventually they came to accept Luke as their grandson. It was a painful time for Barbara, and she knew it was for Ivy as well.
Ivy brought her a plate of Maria’s cookies that afternoon. It was a good time to have a little talk. “Honey, don’t you want to tell your mother where you are, so she doesn’t worry about you?”
“Billy said I didn’t have to tell her.”
“What about your sisters?”
“Rose left. It’s just Lily now, and Brandon.”
“How old is Lily?”
“Eight. Brandon is Rose’s baby. She dumped him on Mom before she left. Mom was really pissed about it, too.”
“Would you like to call Lily? Go right ahead, honey,” she said, pointing to the phone.
Barbara tried not to listen, but Ivy sounded so excited to be talking to her little sister. They talked for nearly an hour before Ivy hung up and told Barbara, “She’s baby-sitting for Mom all the time. She missed two days of school last week.”
“To take care of the baby? But she’s just a baby herself.”
Ivy shrugged. “I took care of her when she was little. I’m the one who potty trained her.”
“Where was your mother?”
“Probably out with some guy. Lily wants to know if you want another kid.”
She hadn’t considered having kids this way. “I’m sure your mother would miss—”
“No, she wouldn’t.”
“Ivy!”
“Well, she wouldn’t. She’s never there anyway. She’s always off in some bar somewhere. Sometimes she’s gone for three or four days at a time.”
“Oh, honey. That’s not good.” Did Child Protective Services know about the situation? No, probably not. The kids would have been put in foster homes by now, which might not be a bad thing. They sure didn’t belong with their mother.
Ivy went back to Maria’s house, and Barbara called Billy. “Did they pick up the man who killed Jerry?”
“He’s in police custody now. Ivy identified his picture. She’ll have to testify at his trial, but he won’t be out anytime soon.”
“That’s good.”
“The custody hearing is next week. Tuesday morning at ten. I’ll pick you and Ivy up at eight-thirty.”
“We’ll be ready.”
Barbara walked over to Maria’s and told Ivy about the hearing. “Why don’t you call your sister, Ivy? If she wants to come back with us for a few days, it’s all right with me. Tell her to make sure it’s okay with your mother.”
After her phone call, Ivy told Barbara, “School’s out the end of this week and Rose came back, so she can take care of Brandon.”
An eight-year-old taking care of a baby.
What a frightening thought.
<>
Ivy’s little sister, Lily, had unkempt brown hair, big brown eyes, and the deepest dimples Barbara had ever seen. Cute kid, but she looked like trouble looking for a place to happen. She resembled her mother, except her mother had a hard look about her. She came to the hearing with Lily and a brown grocery bag filled with the little girl’s clothes.
“You can have ’em both,” their mother said.
Billy looked at Barbara, his eyebrows raised in a questioning look.
Barbara couldn’t send the little imp back any more than she could send Ivy back. “Would you like to live with me, Lily?”
“Yeah.”
Barbara left the courthouse with custody of two children – a very pregnant teenager and an eight-year-old she’d never seen before.
When they got home, Maria met them at the door. She smiled at Lily. “Well, who are you?”
“I’m Lily.”
“She’s my sister,” said Ivy.
When Ivy explained that she lived next door with Carlos and Maria, Lily asked, “Am I gonna live here or with Ivy?”
“If you want to stay with Ivy, that’s okay with me,” said Maria.
“I’d rather have you stay here with me,” said Barbara. “My son is gone most of the time and I’m lonesome here all by myself. You can go see Ivy anytime you want, but I’m the person who has custody, so I’m responsible for you. That means I want to know where you are all the time. If you want to go for a bike ride or go visit a friend, you have to check with me first. You, too, Ivy. I want to know where you are and who you’re with all the time.”
“We don’t have bikes,” said Lily.
“You don’t?”
Lily shook her head, a solemn look on her face.
“We’ve never had bikes,” said Ivy. “Mom said they cost too much.”
“We don’t have any bikes around here,” said Barbara, “but we have a dog.”
“A dog?” Lily’s eyes widened.
“Her name is Molly. She’s outside with Carlos,” said Maria. “Why don’t you go outside and see if you can find them?”
The girls went outside to find Carlos and Molly.
“Cute little girl,” said Maria.
“Yes, she is. It’s been awhile since I’ve had a kid that age around the house.”
“I can take her if you want.”
“You’ve got your hand
s full with Ivy. I don’t know what we’re going to do when that baby comes. There’s no way Ivy can take care of a baby.”
“I don’t think she plans to keep it. She’s been talking about finding someone to adopt it. She knows she’s not old enough for that kind of responsibility.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That there are plenty of nice people out there who would give anything to have a baby to love.”
Barbara had considered adoption herself, but as her baby grew and she felt him move inside her, she knew it wasn’t an option. When Luke was born, she was overcome with love for the precious bundle the nurse handed her.
They didn’t have much money when Luke was a boy, but she loved her son with an intensity that she’d never had for anyone before.
She still did.
<>
Jay came for dinner that night. He brought a huge stuffed bear and a small one. He handed the small one to Ivy, “For the baby.” Then he turned to Lily. “Now, I know you’re probably too big for a friend like this, but the lady in the store told me he was lonesome.”
Lily giggled. Jay teased her and played with her all through dinner. That evening, Barbara helped her get ready for bed, and then Jay pulled her onto his lap to snuggle. She leaned back and sighed, and fell asleep in his arms.
Barbara put her hand on the silky skin of Lily’s arm. How long had it been since someone had hugged and loved this child? She drank in attention, especially from Jay, and Ivy blossomed under the love she received from Carlos and Maria.
Jay kissed the top of Lily’s head. “Wouldn’t mind havin’ a young’un like this.”
Ivy asked, “Is she gonna stay here?”
“Is that all right with you?” asked Barbara.
“Yeah.”
“Do you want to stay with her?”
“No, I’ll stay with Maria. She’ll be all right. She’s used to being alone.”