by Lyn Cote
He shrugged.
In the continued lull between customers, she wiped the counter, thinking. She lifted her eyes to his. “If it’s important, I’ll keep mum. What do you want to ask me?”
Their gazes connected. “Was Chad at home when you left early to come here?”
She froze. Chad? “You think Chad might have set the fire?”
“I don’t know. The main part of my job is asking questions. I have to ask a lot of innocent questions and question a lot of innocents.” He said no more, but pinned her with his intense eyes.
Suddenly breathless, she said, “I don’t know if Chad was at home or not. I passed his door on my way downstairs, but it was closed.”
He nodded.
Avoiding eye contact, she polished away another set of fingerprints from her glass counter. “How serious was the fire?”
“Not much damage. No one was hurt.”
“I’m glad.” She paused. “I don’t think Chad’s who you’re looking for. A year ago I wouldn’t have said that, but he’s come a long way.”
Unwillingly, her mind brought up Keir’s past. If this were twenty years ago, Keir would have been in Chad’s position. She met his eyes again and got the feeling that the stern man before her knew what she had been thinking.
He straightened up. “That was my thought, too. But setting fires can be a compulsive behavior. Listen. I don’t want to trouble Shirley or accuse Chad. At this point, it would be exactly the wrong thing to do. I don’t want to trigger him into rebellion and more trouble.”
Respect for this man’s astute analysis rushed through Audra. She reached into the pastry case, tucked a brioche into a white sack and handed it to him.
“I just ordered coffee,” he objected.
“The roll’s on the house.” She tried to break their eye contact, but found herself unable to look away.
He tried to hand back the bag. “No—”
She held up both hands. “A belated congratulations on your winning the special sheriff’s election last month.” And a thank-you for giving my daughter some much-needed male attention.
He leaned forward again. “Will you let me know if you find anything out about Chad’s whereabouts before dawn this morning?”
“Yes, I will.” But how would I find that out?
A bold customer suddenly bellied up to the counter and brushed the sheriff’s elbow. Keir lifted the white bag in a gesture of thanks and turned away.
She watched until he strode out her gate. The new sheriff was a hard man to ignore. And he’d asked her for her help. How would she do that? It couldn’t be Chad, could it? As the customer gave her order, Audra reached for the coffeepot and got back to business.
Then the next wave of customers flowed through the gate up to her counter. Toward the rear of the bunched crowd, she thought she glimpsed…but it couldn’t be. No. They wouldn’t have come north to the summer house yet. Still, Audra’s pulse sped up. Ignoring it, she smiled and marked down the order from the next couple at the counter.
“This is a new place, isn’t it?” asked the young woman with her red hair pulled back under a baseball cap.
“Yes.” Audra concentrated on concocting their frothy mocha cappuccinos.
“Will we have time to sit down before the next tour boat leaves?” the redhead asked.
Audra nodded and pointed to the excursion boat schedule she’d posted right beside her menu of coffees, teas and baked goods. She bagged the customers’ almond biscotti. “That will be eight dollars and seventy-two cents, please.” Now she was almost sure that it was Megan in line. What was Megan doing here now?
The silent man with the redhead gave her a ten-dollar bill. “Keep the change.”
“Thank you.” Audra beamed at him and then turned to the next customer, a mother with flyaway blond hair and two children.
“I’ll have two orange juices and—”
The crash of shattering pottery drowned out the woman’s voice. Automatically locking the cash drawer, Audra hurried around the corner of the counter. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.”
“We have a boat to catch,” the woman said, reaching for Audra as if to stop her.
Audra, detouring around the woman’s out-flung hand, rushed to her daughter, who stood in the middle of the flagstone path from the gate to the porch. Evie stared down at the heap of broken mugs, her expression tragic.
“Mama, I’m sorry.” Evie looked near tears. “I thought I could bring you the dirty cups.”
“It’s all right, honey.” The soothing words came out automatically. Audra glanced around, making sure no shards had hit a customer. “Go get me the broom and dustpan from the kitchen. We’ll clean this up in a jiffy. Just don’t try this again. Let me bring in the trays of used mugs, okay?”
Still downcast, Evie ran toward the house.
“You should go back to your customers,” a familiar voice said.
Audra gazed up into the face of her baby sister, now seventeen years old, whom she hadn’t seen since last fall at the end of the season. Tall and blond, just like Audra and their mother, Megan looked so much more grown-up this morning. But why was she here? “I—”
“We have to make a boat!” the woman at the counter called out, her impatience rising with each word.
“I’ll be right there,” Audra replied, standing. The combination of unexpectedly seeing Megan and Evie’s broken crockery stirred up a riot of emotion. Why had Megan come north so early?
“Mama, here’s the broom.” Evie appeared, slipping between Megan and her.
“Hi, Evie,” Megan said.
“Auntie Megan!” Evie exclaimed, suddenly beaming.
“We have a boat to catch!” the woman shrilled behind Audra.
Megan gave Audra a push. “Go back to your customers. I’ll help your hardworking little girl clean up the mess.” Megan grinned at Evie.
Audra rushed back to the counter and began apologizing to the irate customer, assuring her that the next boat didn’t leave for another ten minutes. Audra gave each of the woman’s children a free sugar cookie and the woman walked away, grumbling but mollified.
With broom and filled dustpan in hand, Megan walked up the porch steps. She paused beside Audra and said, “I’ll get rid of this mess. The kitchen’s in the back, right? Evie is keeping an eye on the tables.”
In the midst of filling another order, Audra could only spare Megan a nod and a glance. After that, the ceaseless crush of impatient customers, each desperate for that vital first cup of coffee, fully occupied her.
And, of course, business outranked her curiosity. Audra kept up the flow of fragrant coffee, pleasant chatter and baked goods. Too soon, all the first morning cruises to the islands and their lighthouses would be launched and her trade would slow. Tired of wiping tables, Evie came to the foyer for a coloring break.
Megan reappeared and lifted the nearby tray of dirty cups. “I’ll wash these up quick,” she called over her shoulder as she walked indoors. Audra had customers to serve and her nerves were jumping. First the sheriff and now her sister. Megan, why are you helping me? And what will our mother do when she finds out?
One onslaught of tourists and then another passed. Megan kept up with clearing the tables and washing mugs and somehow persuaded Evie that she must take her coloring breaks. The eager little girl with her long dark braids and blue eyes came and perched on the stool behind the counter during each slowdown. Audra brewed dark, pungent espresso and rich coffee, adding flavorings and frothy whipped cream to all manner of combinations of the two. The scents of chocolate, almond and cinnamon made Audra’s mouth water. But she didn’t even have time to sip the stone-cold cup of black coffee sitting behind her.
Finally around noon, morning cruises had departed and the afternoon ones were all booked. The milling tourists still on shore had dispersed to the gift shops. Happily, Audra observed dollar bills and change bulging in her cash drawer. Soon, her summer girl, a college student from Lithuania who’d come to improve her English and earn
U.S. dollars, would arrive and take over making coffee and selling out the remaining baked goods.
With a sigh, Audra walked through the midst of the tables dotting her front yard. Evie looked up from wiping a table.
“I’ll finish that for you, Evie.” Audra reached to take the cloth from her daughter.
“I can do it.”
Audra recognized her daughter’s “do it myself!” tone, the same one she’d used before she could even talk. Suddenly aware of her fatigue, Audra collapsed into a vacant café chair. Megan drifted over and sat down across from her. “Looks like your new business will be a success.”
Audra smiled, but her mind leaped back to her question from before, Why are you here? But with Evie so close, Audra didn’t voice it.
“All done, Mama.” Evie climbed onto Audra’s lap and rested back against her. Evie’s long legs dangled almost to the ground. My little girl is growing up.
Wrapping her arms around the front of her daughter, Audra squeezed her close. “Thank you, baby.”
“You said you’d stop calling me that,” Evie complained. “I’m not a baby anymore. I’m going to first grade this fall, ’member?”
“I haven’t forgotten,” Audra said, a painful hole opening in her heart.
Audra’s fourteen-year-old cousin Brent sauntered inside the back gate on time. Of medium height and weight, Brent had one ear pierced and a tattoo on his wrist—both which his father hated. “Hey, Evie, let’s go!”
Evie jumped down and ran to her favorite cousin. “Brent!” She launched herself at him and he encircled her waist and swung her around in a full circle.
“Come on, kid, let’s head over to Shirley’s. See you later, Audra!”
“Bye! See you tomorrow, Auntie Megan!” Evie waved and left with Brent, who sent a curious glance toward Megan, but said nothing about why was she here. Audra watched until her daughter disappeared. A sharp sense of separation cut through Audra. She doesn’t even want me to call her “baby” anymore.
“Well, at least one person is happy about Brent moving to Winfield,” Megan said. “It’s too bad it isn’t Brent.”
“Evie’s always been special to him.” What are you doing here?
“Yeah, but it always surprises me that he loves her just as much as she loves him. Brent treats her different from everyone else in the family.”
“The two of you are closer in age. That’s why you two don’t get along.” Audra rose and turned back to the foyer and Megan followed her.
“Does Shirley still clean houses?” Megan asked about Audra’s best friend who had worked for their mother when they were both children. Shirley had become a second mother to Audra.
Was Megan engaging in small talk to avoid Audra’s questions? “No, she runs a boardinghouse and in-home café near here. Remember, that’s where Evie and I live. And will live until I have time and money this fall to finish the upstairs here for us.”
“Is her daughter Ginger around?” Megan asked.
“Yes, Ginger is working the boats this summer before she leaves for more grad work in Alaska in the fall. She’s still living in the apartment over the bookstore.”
“Cool. She knows everything about whales.”
It’s time we stopped dancing around the main issue, Megan. Audra confronted her sister. “Megan, I appreciate everything you’ve done, especially making sure that Evie took frequent breaks.”
“It wasn’t easy,” Megan interrupted. “She’s determined to be a part of this.”
Audra couldn’t help smiling with pride, but then she went back to her point. “How did you get here? Mother doesn’t usually—”
“I came north with the neighbors. I’m old enough to stay at the summer house alone.” Megan gave a dry chuckle. “If you ask me, Mom was happy to see me go. It’s been a rough year between us.”
This was unwelcome news to Audra. “You shouldn’t have come here today, then.” She unlocked the cash drawer and lifted out the slotted tray. She needed to deposit this at the bank right away.
“Why shouldn’t I come and help? I told Mom I was going to get a summer job up here.”
“You could still get in trouble with our mother.” Audra counted out the twenties and then paper-clipped them together. “You know how it is between us.”
Megan tossed her long blond hair over her shoulder. “Evie’s a sweet kid. Mom is missing a lot by keeping you and her only grandchild at arm’s length.”
Audra refused to respond. Was it her mother who held Audra at arm’s length or Audra’s own hurt over the past? Hurt left over from her mother’s insistence seven years ago that Audra give her baby up for adoption?
Unwilling to go over this sore point one more time, she concentrated on counting the ten-and five-dollar bills. “I don’t live in the past. Evie is my life now. My only concern is to support her and raise her to be happy and well.” Audra’s hand curled into a fist around the stack of fives. Carrying the responsibility for Evie and a new business all by herself sometimes gave her nightmares.
Megan folded her arms in front of her. “But Mom shouldn’t have—”
“I don’t think we should discuss this behind Mother’s back.” As she tapped the stack of dollar bills into a neater pile, Audra stretched her neck, trying to loosen the tight muscles.
Her afternoon help arrived and waved hello to Audra as she disappeared into the kitchen to don an Audra’s Place apron.
“Megan, I have a business to run this summer,” Audra went on. “I’ve worked the past five seasons and saved up the down payment for this house. My inheritance from Grandmother Blair provided me the start-up money. I just don’t have time for any emotional…My plate is full right now.”
“And that’s why I’ll be here tomorrow to help out with the morning rush and keep Evie from working too much.” Megan turned and headed out the front gate.
“Megan, no,” Audra called after her in vain.
Megan didn’t even look back.
Audra shoved the money into the cloth bank deposit bag and zipped it closed. Didn’t I have enough on my plate just starting a business? What should I do about letting Megan help or not? And what about Chad? And Keir’s rich persuasive voice and how it made me feel?
In the remodeled kitchen at the rear of her waterfront Victorian, Audra spread pizza sauce over a pan of dough. The clock read 4:37 p.m. When the phone rang, she clicked her wireless headset phone and recited, “Audra’s Place. Taking orders for carry-out pizza from five to nine every evening. How can I help you?”
The woman at the other end ordered two large pepperoni pizzas and gave the phone number at her hotel room.
“That should be ready in thirty minutes. No, we don’t deliver. Do you know where we are located?” The woman assented and Audra hung up. Thank you, Lord. This is just about the right pace. About one order every ten minutes would be perfect.
Behind her, Brent, her evening help, also wearing a white apron, was tossing dough for her. She spread red sauce over the pizza dough, scattered shredded mozzarella, and then began dealing pepperoni over it. She hummed along with the oldies station she had on.
“Hey,” a sullen voice summoned her from the half-open Dutch door. “Tom’s pizza ready?”
“Hello to you, too, Chad,” Audra scolded gently. A fan on high was aimed at the upper half of the Dutch door to keep flies and mosquitoes out of the kitchen. The fan ruffled the teen’s long unkempt blond hair. Chad looked forlorn, wearing his perennial tattered pea jacket. Guilt twisted inside her. The day was almost over and she still wondered if there were an easy way to find out where Chad had been early this morning. She’d like to help clear Chad of suspicion.
Ignoring her, Chad mocked Brent, “Hey, Ramsdel, I like your apron.”
“Get lost, jerk,” Brent muttered.
“Wimp,” Chad retorted.
Brent let go with a more colorful name.
“That’s enough out of both of you,” Audra cut in. “You two might have got away with this stuff at high
school, but this is a place of business. Chad, go sit on the bench by the back gate. I’ll call you when I’ve boxed your pizza.”
Giving one last sneer at Brent, Chad slunk to the bench. Audra considered saying more to Brent, but Chad had started it. And she knew no self-respecting guy could let such a taunt pass by unheeded. So she quickly boxed the pizza Tom had ordered and carried it out into her small backyard to Chad, who wouldn’t meet her eyes. She insisted he look up from under his too-long bangs to say thank you but then he left without a farewell.
As she watched him go, she asked herself why she still wanted to help the sheriff. It really wasn’t any of her business. Her conscience replied, “It was those green eyes of his and you know it. Don’t get carried away. You’ve got no time for a man.”
Sad but true. Audra sighed and walked back inside. The oven timer buzzed, signaling her next batch of pizzas were ready. As she lowered the door of one of her two large commercial ovens, she heard a zap and the door dropped in her mittened hands. “What?” She struggled to raise the suddenly deadweight door. “The door spring snapped,” she fumed. “Great.”
Not dire news, but it would strain her back and arms and make her less efficient. Along with Audra and Evie, Tom rented a room at Shirley’s large house. So she auto-dialed home. “Shirley, is Tom there? When he’s done eating the pizza I just sent, can he come over and fix the spring in my oven door or patch something together?” Audra listened while a muffled conversation took place at the other end.
“After supper, Tom’s got another obligation, but he’ll send someone over ASAP.”
“Thanks, Shirley.” Audra hung up. The phone rang and Audra took another order while she scooped out three pizzas with her wooden paddle. The hot cheese bubbled and the fragrance of garlic enveloped her.
The café was busy. Customers stopped at the Dutch door and collected pizzas. Too busy to do more than smile hello as she tucked the money into the cash drawer, Audra scribbled orders, spread sauce and used her second oven. She’d turned off the first one so it wouldn’t be too hot to work on.
“Hi.”
Audra looked up.