First and Again

by Jana Richards

  Celia laughed. “You want some coffee while we’re waiting?”

  “Sure.”

  Celia brought her a cup of coffee and pulled up a chair to sit next to her. “If you don’t feel comfortable asking Jane or Mom, and you’d like someone a little more mature than a high school kid, there’s only one person I can think of who might be able to help you.”

  She sat up a little straighter. “Who?”

  “Tina Wilson.”

  She nearly fell out of her chair. “Are you kidding me? There’s no way I’m going to work with Tina. In fact, she’s the last person on earth I’d work with.”

  “Tina has food experience,” Celia argued. “She worked at the Harvest Moon for several years and she organizes the community Fall Supper every year. I think she’s even taken some of those safe food handling courses.”

  “Bully for her. We’d be at each other’s throats by the end of the first hour.”

  “She’s a hard worker.”

  “She’s a pain in the ass.”

  Celia frowned. “You said you wanted someone more responsible than a high school kid.”

  “Megan and Rebecca are more grown-up than Tina,” Bridget pouted.

  “Now who’s being immature?”

  Celia was right. She wasn’t exactly being rational about this. She was letting her feelings for Tina, most that went all the way back to high school, get in the way of her work. She couldn’t let that happen. But she wouldn’t go down without a fight.

  “I thought she was applying for a job in the city.”

  “Apparently she didn’t get it. I know she’s getting a little desperate.”

  “Celia, you do realize that I can’t pay her, don’t you? It’s not like I’m getting paid myself.”

  “I know. I’m hoping maybe it will boost her confidence if you ask her. She’s been turned down for jobs so many times that she’s ready to give up.”

  “You really don’t know anyone else who could help me?”

  “You mean someone who will work for nothing?” She pretended to think about it. “No, strangely, not a lot people spring to mind.”

  As much as she hated to admit it, her sister was right. Even if she could think of someone who might be available, they would expect to be paid. Tina probably would too. There was no guarantee she’d be even remotely interested. But she had to try. Jack’s dinner had to be perfect.

  Why was his dinner so important to her? What she’d told him about his luncheon being her opportunity to conquer her fears was true. She wouldn’t let anxiety rule the rest of her life.

  She remembered the way he’d kissed her last night, the way he’d reacted. He’d wanted her. In the biblical sense. No one had wanted her that way in a very long time. Long before their divorce, Ben had ceased to be interested. She hadn’t felt mildly attractive, let alone beautiful, for years.

  Last night Jack had made her feel like a beautiful, desirable woman. Was the passion that flared so brightly between them simply a moment in time, never to repeated, or was there something more?

  She thought about talking to Celia about him, but she wasn’t sure what her feelings were. Celia would probably just warn her off again. She tucked last night away to savor on her own at another time.

  She’d actually given him a hard-on! I am woman. Hear me roar.

  “What are you grinning about?” Celia asked.

  “Just thinking of ways to torment Tina in the kitchen,” she lied. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

  Celia smiled. “Good. Now, let’s take the foil out of your hair and disconnect you from interstellar radio broadcasts. And then I will make you beautiful.”

  Bridget raised an eyebrow. “Good luck with that.”

  * * *

  Jack rode Angel hard. By the time they got back to the barn, both man and horse had worked up a sweat. But no matter how fast he rode he couldn’t outrun his thoughts.

  He lifted the saddle from Angel’s back, and after putting it back in its spot in the tack room, gave his horse a vigorous rubdown. The steady glide of the brush over his horse’s sleek coat served to calm his frayed nerves.

  Damn it, he had no business kissing Bridget last night.

  He knew she likely wouldn’t stay, and he’d told himself to keep his distance. Why hadn’t he listened to his own advice?

  He’d always thought her beautiful, and the passing of time had only made her more attractive in his eyes. Her pale skin invited him to touch, and her full, lush mouth begged to be kissed. He simply couldn’t summon the will to resist her.

  That’s crap, Davison. She wasn’t some kind of magical siren luring him into danger. He’d known what he was doing when he kissed her. He’d wanted to do it. Given the chance he’d kiss her again.

  Despite every warning he’d issued to himself, he wanted her. And judging by her reaction to his kiss, she wanted him too. They weren’t kids anymore. If they indulged in a brief affair while she was in town, they were mature enough to handle the consequences. As long as they kept things on a strictly physical level, why shouldn’t they enjoy each other?

  He finished brushing and gave Angel’s flank an affectionate slap. Now that he’d made his decision he felt calmer, more in control. He could hardly wait to see Bridget again.

  He ignored the little voice in his head that told him he was playing with fire.

  * * *

  The next morning Bridget phoned Tina and asked her to meet her at the bar. If Tina was curious she didn’t let on. She agreed to come without asking what it was about. Bridget wondered if Celia had tipped her off, perhaps encouraging her to take the job, even though no money was involved.

  When she arrived, Bridget poured coffee for them both and led her into the restaurant. She closed the door so they wouldn’t be disturbed. It was bad enough that George and Don and the other old boys had seen them go into the restaurant and were likely already creating gossip about their meeting.

  “You’re probably wondering why I asked you to come—”

  “I know why you called me,” Tina said, “and I’m sorry. Shawna was completely responsible for the fight.”

  “Fight? What fight? What are you talking about?”

  “Didn’t you ask me here to talk about the fight our daughters got into yesterday?”

  “No!” She was shocked. Rebecca hadn’t mentioned a thing and the school hadn’t called either. Her heart sank. She’d thought Rebecca was starting to fit in at Paradise high school. “What happened?”

  “Apparently Shawna started mouthing off to Rebecca, teasing her about her hair, her height and so on.”

  “Wow, I just had a flash of déjà vu,” Bridget said. “Like mother, like daughter.”

  Tina had the grace to look chagrined. “Sadly, yes, it does sound familiar. When Rebecca didn’t respond to the taunts, Shawna made some cracks about you. That’s when Rebecca pushed her. Shawna twisted her ankle.”

  “Oh my God! Rebecca’s responsible for hurting your daughter?”

  “The push would have amounted to nothing but Shawna slipped and fell. It was a totally fluke thing.”

  “I’m so sorry, Tina. I can’t believe Rebecca would hurt your daughter like that. Why didn’t the school call me?”

  “Shawna didn’t tell any of the teachers. She knew it was her fault. She said some nasty things to Rebecca and she got what she deserved. Rebecca told her how sorry she was about pushing her and Shawna didn’t want her to get into trouble.”

  “Why is she so upset with Rebecca?”

  Tina sighed. “Shawna and Megan have been best friends since kindergarten. When Rebecca moved here Megan started spending more time with her, and Shawna was jealous.”

  “Megan and Rebecca are making up for lost time,” Bridget said. “They’ve never had a chance to be cousins before.”

  “I know, but all Shawna saw was that she was losing her best friend. And so she lashed out.” Tina picked up her coffee cup and took a sip, averting her gaze. “It’s my fault too. I’ve been so up
set about being unemployed that I haven’t paid attention to her the way I should have. And I may have said one or two unkind things about you that she overheard.”

  Bridget folded her arms across her chest. “Wow, there’s a shocker.”

  She stared at her, doing her best to intimidate her. Tina stared back. Finally she spoke.

  “Are we going to do this all day, or just until one of us blinks?”

  A grin escaped Bridget’s lips. “Maybe. How come when the two of us get together we act the same way we did when we were fifteen?”

  “I dunno. I think it’s a case of arrested development.” She picked up her coffee cup once more, then set it down a moment later and pointed to the new oven.

  “Is that new? Does that mean you and Mavis are planning to reopen the restaurant? Is that why you called me, to offer me a job?”

  She looked so hopeful that Bridget almost wished she really was reopening the restaurant.

  “No, we’re not reopening the restaurant and no, I’m not offering you a job. Not exactly anyway.”

  Her face fell, her whole body slumping with disappointment. “Oh. What do mean you’re ‘not exactly’ offering me a job? Is there a job or not?”

  Bridget took a deep breath and told her about the deal she’d made with Jack.

  “I need a hand with the prep work. Without someone else in the kitchen the serving is going to be slow and inefficient. Celia thought you might be able to help.”

  “What does this job pay?” Tina asked.

  She cleared her throat. “Well, nothing because I’m not getting paid anything. I can’t afford to pay you anything out my own pocket.”

  “Then why am I supposed to help you? Out of the goodness of my heart?”

  “Trust me, I’m not counting on that.”

  Sure the conversation was over, she got to her feet and headed to the door. “I’m sorry I bothered you about this, Tina. I certainly understand why you can’t help me out. Good luck with your job search.”

  She expected her to rise and follow her. Instead, Tina remained on her stool, slowly sipping her coffee.

  “Yes, I really need to find a job soon, one that pays well. Things were pretty tight financially after Jerry’s accident, but when the restaurant burned down it kind of threw us over the edge. I’m grateful to your mom for the work she’s given me here and there but it just hasn’t been enough.”

  Bridget could relate to the stress of not having enough money. The last two years had been a constant struggle and worry. She sat on her stool once more.

  “My neighbor’s daughter is getting married,” Tina said.

  Her head whirled at the abrupt change of topic. What did Tina’s neighbor’s daughter have to do with anything?

  “It’s a shotgun wedding,” Tina said with a sage nod. “The family wants to get her married before she starts to show too much. I always told Louise that girl needed a firm hand. She’s always been so wild—”

  “Cut to the chase, Tina,” she said impatiently. “Is there a point to this story, or are you just gossiping again?”

  “My point is,” Tina said with an annoyed glare in Bridget’s direction, “the family can’t find anyone to cater the reception. There simply isn’t anyone locally doing that sort of thing anymore. It’s holding up plans for the wedding, and like I said, they’re in a big hurry to get this girl married.”

  “Well, that’s a very sad story but I still don’t see what it has to do with either of us,” she said, with a roll of her eyes.

  “The point is obvious if you’d just pay attention,” Tina said, raising her voice. “You could cater the wedding.”

  “Me? Why would I want to cater a shotgun wedding?”

  “Because you need me to help you with Jack’s dinner and the only way I’ll help you is if you cater this wedding and offer me a job.” Tina’s eyes lit with sudden excitement. “No, if you offer me a partnership. We’ll be partners in a catering company.”

  Bridget stared at her in disbelief. The gall of the woman was unbelievable. “Are you crazy? Even if I wanted to start a catering company in Paradise, which I don’t, you’d be the last person I’d want as a partner.”

  “People banging down your door to work for you for nothing, are they?”

  She had a point there. “I’d rather kill myself working alone than work with you.”

  “You may have to. You’re still as smug and superior as you were in high school, aren’t you? You still think you’re better than everyone else.”

  “What? Me? I did not think I was better than everyone else in high school. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh please,” Tina scoffed. “You always had your nose in the air. You were always too good to talk to the rest of us.”

  “I didn’t talk to you because you were always teasing me. You were the one who didn’t want to talk to me. You were the one who was Miss Popularity back in high school, whereas I rated a minus six on the popularity scale.” She jumped to her feet. “I don’t like you. And you don’t like me.”

  “That’s not true,” Tina said quietly. “I don’t dislike you. I’m jealous of you.”

  “Jealous of me? Are you kidding? You’re the one with the stable marriage and three kids, although Shawna does sound like a chip off the old block. Why would you be jealous of me?”

  “Because I always knew you would leave Paradise and do big things and I always knew I’d stay here and my life would be the same as it always was.”

  Bridget gave a laugh that sounded bitter, even to her. “Some big things I’ve done. A failed business and a failed marriage.”

  “At least you tried. At least you’ve done things, seen places. That’s more than I can say. I’ve never left Paradise.”

  She felt Tina’s sincerity. But they’d had such a rocky relationship for so long that she wasn’t ready to commit to anything just yet.

  “Maybe I’d be willing to forgive all the stuff from high school. After all, we were just kids. But how about we fast-forward a few years? How can you expect me to partner with you after you publicly humiliated me my first night in town?”

  “I am sorry about that,” she said, looking genuinely remorseful. “Things have been so hard for Jerry and me lately that when I heard that piece of gossip about your ex cheating on you with a younger woman, it made me feel that maybe, for the first time ever, my life didn’t suck as much as yours. And for the record, that ex-husband of yours is pond scum.”

  Bridget’s mouth twitched, but she held firm.

  “You’re a major pain in the ass, Tina. I’m sure that if we worked together I’d be on the brink of murdering you within a week.”

  “I’ve been told I have that effect on people.”

  Tina’s face was so serious that this time she couldn’t hold in her amusement. She burst out in laughter. Tina joined her.

  “I’m probably going to regret this,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes. “I’ll offer you this. You help me with Jack’s event and the two of us will cater your friend’s daughter’s shotgun wedding. We’ll keep it to a simple buffet, something the two of us can handle ourselves, and we’ll split the profits fifty-fifty. What do you say?”

  Tina clapped her hands like an excited five-year-old.

  “I say yes, let’s do it!”

  “Don’t get your hopes up,” she warned. “Like I said, I’m not planning on staying in Paradise on a permanent basis and I’m not planning on opening a business. This is a one-shot deal.”

  Tina gave her a smug nod. “We’ll see.” She sobered. “What are we going to do about our girls? I’d hate for them to spend the next twenty years being angry and jealous of each other the way we’ve been.”

  “I’ve got an idea. Can Shawna get around on her sprained ankle?”

  “She can manage.”

  “Good. Tell her she’s got a hot date with an apron and a serving tray on Saturday night.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “I had a little conversation wit
h Tina Wilson this morning,” Bridget said casually. She rinsed a glass under the faucet and placed it on the drain board.

  Rebecca paused briefly as she wiped a dinner plate, shooting Bridget a glance that was mostly hidden by her heavy fall of hair.

  “Oh yeah?” she said finally, putting the plate in the cupboard.

  “Yeah. She told me you and Shawna got into a fight.”

  Rebecca’s mouth turned down in the frown that usually signaled she was about to clam up. Bridget spoke quickly, hoping to head off that possibility. “Tina said Shawna made some nasty comments about me and that you were defending my honor.”

  That got her attention. She looked up at Bridget in surprise. “So are you saying it’s okay that I pushed her?”

  “No, I’m not saying it’s okay, just that I understand. Next time try to find a way to solve your differences that avoids coming to blows. It’s always a better option.”

  “You don’t know Shawna.”

  “But I know her mother. The woman would try the patience of a saint.”

  “If that means she’s annoying, she sounds exactly like Shawna.”

  They looked at each other and laughed. Bridget dried her hands and put her arm around her daughter, enjoying the moment of understanding. “Tina and Shawna can be difficult, but we have to remember that Shawna is feeling left out because you and Megan have been spending so much time together. Maybe you and Megan can find some way to include her in your plans. After all, she didn’t rat you out to the principal.” She smoothed the hair from Rebecca’s face so she could see her eyes. “Aside from Shawna, are you getting along okay with kids at your school?”

  “Yeah, they’re okay. I was thinking about trying out for the volleyball team. They play mostly in the winter when I wouldn’t ride much anyway.”

  “That sounds like it would be fun.” Inside, she did a little happy dance. Maybe Rebecca was finally fitting in here, finding her place. She silently sang a few bars of the “Hallelujah Chorus.”

  “When we get back to San Francisco, do you think I can go to St. Agnes Academy again?” Rebecca asked.