“Nice of you to help them out.”
“It’s nothing. Wade’s one of my best friends. Gives me something to do while I’m here.”
“I heard that you’re renting Rita’s house to that Barbi girl. You sure that’s a good idea?”
Ryan wondered how he’d heard the news already. The Riston grapevine was as strong as ever.
“Barbi said she’s waited on you and Sylvia a few times recently. It was good to hear that you’re getting out more.”
“Sylvia likes to go out to eat. We both do, actually, and the food is good there. Barbi’s a nice enough girl, I suppose. Just seems like a lot to take on, renting to her.”
“Did you know that Aunt Rita was all set to sell the house to her?”
His father looked surprised. “No, I didn’t know that. No one tells me anything. I didn’t even know she was sick. My own sister.”
“It sounds like she went the way she wanted to. Aunt Rita liked to focus on good things and fun. I don’t remember her ever being sick.”
“I miss her,” his father admitted. “I saw her more often in recent years. She liked Sylvia. We used to have her over for dinner sometimes. She always made us laugh.”
“I miss her, too,” Ryan said. “I was thinking. Now that I own Aunt Rita’s place, maybe I’d get back here more often to visit and see how you guys are doing.”
“You’re too busy to worry about us,” his father said. “Someone has to run that company of yours.”
Ryan smiled. “I know, and I will. But there is an advantage to owning the company. It gives me more flexibility to take time off now and then, and I can do a lot of work remotely.”
His father raised an eyebrow. “Remotely. I hear that word all the time now. People working remotely. Might be tricky to manage a restaurant remotely?”
Ryan laughed. “It would be impossible. But I don’t directly manage them anymore. I have people working for me that do that. Good people.”
His father took a sip of his drink. “You know, when you told me years ago when you were in college that you wanted to keep working in restaurants as a cook, I thought you’d lost your mind. That you’d wasted your college education. I’m not ashamed to say I was wrong about that.”
Ryan was stunned. That was the biggest compliment his father had ever paid him.
“Thank you. I know it seemed strange at the time, but I wouldn’t be where I am now if not for those business classes.”
“When do you start shooting that show of yours again?”
“Not for a few more months. Then it will be crazy again. I probably won’t get back as much while that’s going on.”
“No, I wouldn’t expect that you could.”
“How are you doing, Dad? Are you feeling okay, other than the arthritis?” Ryan really was concerned.
“I’m okay. I think it’s just part of getting old, these stiff muscles—the arthritis. Doctor said my blood pressure is up a little. He said I shouldn’t have as many of these.” He lifted his drink, took a sip and set it down again. “I used to have two most nights. I’ve cut back to just one. And as soon as this arthritis eases up a little, I’m going to start walking again. Doctor said that’s one of the best things I can do to get the blood pressure down.”
“That sounds like a good plan.”
“Yeah, it’s nothing too serious. We can manage it. Sylvia keeps me in line,” he said with a chuckle.
“You called?” Sylvia teased as she walked into the room. “Dinner’s ready if you want to come to the table.”
Chapter 10
Sunday afternoon, Barbi stopped by Ryan’s house. He’d given her a key over the weekend and said she could come by anytime on Sunday to check out the studio, which was fully painted and ready for her first class. She was planning to have her first class Monday evening and had emailed her small list of loyal students to let them know. She’d been fielding emails for the past week with questions about where and when the classes would be. She was still going to be teaching a few classes at the Y for the next month, to give them time to find a replacement. She was starting to feel excited—it was actually happening!
Ryan’s truck was in the driveway, so instead of using her key, she knocked on the front door. She had a moment of alarm when he opened the door and had paint in his hair again. He laughed at her expression.
“I’ve been painting upstairs. Your studio is totally done, I promise. Come take a look.”
Barbi stepped inside and looked around. The room was clean and bare, the walls bright and white, pristine. “It looks great! Thank you. You’re sure you don’t mind if I stick stuff on the walls? I kind of feel bad now, the paint looks so perfect.”
Ryan laughed. “Don’t be silly. It’s just paint. Go crazy. Tape, nails, tacks, whatever works.”
“Thanks. I just have some posters I want to hang for now. Thumbtacks should do it, I think.”
“Do you need a hand?”
“I don’t want to interrupt, if you’re in the middle of something?”
“I’ve been painting all day. I’m happy to take a break from it. I’ll hold them straight. You stick the tacks in, sound good?”
“That would be great, thanks.”
Ten minutes later, a dozen or so colorful posters showing various yoga poses covered the walls.
“Want a lemonade? I’m going to have a glass.”
“That sounds really good. I’d love some.” Barbi followed Ryan upstairs and into the kitchen. She leaned against one of her favorite features of the house, a center island with a honed marble counter top. Ryan poured them each a glass and they sat at the two chairs that lined the island. Barbi ran a finger along the smooth, cool marble.
“I just love the feel of this.”
“I do, too. Marble’s not at all practical. It’s very porous and shows all the stains, but it’s beautiful and it’s a great surface for rolling out dough. Aunt Rita wasn’t much of a cook, but she did love to bake. Especially pies.”
“I didn’t know that. I’m the same way. I can cook if I have to, but I’d much rather make cookies or a cake.”
“You did always have a sweet tooth. I remember that.”
“Some things never change.” Barbi smiled as she took a sip of lemonade.
“What are you up to tonight? Any fun plans on your night off?” Ryan asked.
“Well, speaking of cooking, I am off to the grocery store after this. I told my mother I’d make a big pot of spaghetti and meat sauce for dinner, and when I saw Jaclyn and Simon this morning at the cafe for breakfast, I invited them to join us, too. That’s one thing I know how to make. We have it a lot on Sundays.”
“That sounds good. If I wasn’t working tonight, I’d try to weasel an invitation. Tonight is Sam’s regular night off, though, so I told him I’d be fine covering for him. He said Sunday nights are usually fairly slow.”
“They are. If you weren’t working, you’d be more than welcome to come to dinner. My mother would love to see you. How is your father, by the way? Did you have a nice dinner with him the other night?”
“It was good to see him and Sylvia, and to just relax and catch up. You know I was worried about his health?”
Barbi nodded.
“Well, he has had some issues, but nothing that can’t be managed. The usual stuff when you get older—arthritis, high blood pressure. I know he wasn’t thrilled that his doctor told him to cut back on his evening cocktails.”
“He drinks manhattans right? That’s what they always order when they come into the restaurant. Now that I think about it, he only had one last time they came in. Used to always be two.”
Ryan chuckled. “Yep, his limit now is one. Poor Dad. He’s definitely slowing down, but it’s a relief that it’s nothing serious. I told him I may be checking in on him more often, and I think he was actually glad to hear it.”
“He’s mellowing out. Probably misses you.” Barbi smiled, picturing Ryan’s grouchy father. It was nice to know his sharp edges were softening.
“He actually told me he’s proud of me, if you can believe it.”
Impulsively, Barbi reached over and put her hand on his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Of course he is. He should be.”
“Thanks.” Ryan looked a bit embarrassed as he finished off the rest of his lemonade. Barbi took that as her cue to leave. She put her empty glass in the sink and then turned to go.
“Well, I’m off. I’ll see you at the restaurant tomorrow night?”
“See you then.”
* * *
Barbi was at the market getting all the groceries she needed for dinner—ground beef, carrots, onions, celery and canned tomatoe—and was debating between two brands of tomatoes when she heard a chuckle behind her.
“I’d go with the can on the left.”
She turned and Sam was standing there, grinning.
“Really? There’s a difference?”
“Not that I know of, but you looked like you might be there all day.”
Barbi laughed. “You can tell how often I cook then, huh? What are you up to? Are you cooking something delicious on your day off?”
“No, I’m just doing my grocery shopping for the week. Last thing I usually feel like doing on a day off is cooking. I’ll probably order a pizza or hunt down some leftovers.”
That didn’t sound very exciting. “Why don’t you come to dinner! I’m having a few people over. Do you know Jaclyn and Simon? They both work at the ranch and come into the restaurant sometimes. Usually on trivia night for the pizza special.”
“Oh, sure. I know Simon. He works in the golf shop, right? I don’t think I know Jaclyn.”
“She’s his best friend and you can meet her tonight. And my mother ,too. The more the merrier. We’d love to have you join us.”
“Well, all right then. Maybe I will.”
“Good, come by at six. And don’t bring anything. Just yourself.”
“I’ll bring red wine.”
* * *
“Who is this Sam?” Barbi’s mother asked when she told her she’d invited him.
“He’s the head chef at the restaurant. You’ll like him. He’s a sweetheart.”
“You’re not trying to set me up are you?” Her mother looked at her suspiciously.
“Of course not. When have I ever done that? You’ve never had trouble meeting men,” Barbi assured her, even though it had crossed her mind that she wished her mother would find a nice man like Sam to date. But she knew that Sam was not her mother’s type. At all. He was far too nice.
“What can I do to help?” her mother asked as she poured herself a glass of white wine.
“Do you want to spread the garlic butter on the bread? I’ll toss it in the oven for a few minutes before they get here so it will be all toasty on the outside.”
While her mother was doing that, Barbi gave the meat sauce a stir and checked the pasta that was simmering on the stove. She drained it and put it into a large bowl with a little sauce to keep it from sticking. Just as she covered the bowl to keep it warm, there was a knock on the door. She went to open it and all three of them were standing there.
“Look who we ran into coming up the walk!” Simon said.
“Perfect timing. Come on in.”
“We brought you some brownies for dessert.” Jaclyn handed her a square dish and the fragrant chocolate scent tickled Barbi’s nose.
“They smell wonderful, thank you.”
“And as promised, here’s the wine.” Sam held out a double-size bottle of merlot.
“Great, thanks so much. I’ll open this right now. Would anyone like a glass? Oh, and Jaclyn, Simon, and Sam, this is my mother, Ivy.
“Why, you two look like you could be sisters. I bet you get that all the time,” Simon said. He was laying on the charm thick and her mother laughed in delight.
“You’re ridiculous, of course, but thank you.”
“You really do look alike,” Sam said seriously. Barbi wanted to hug him. She knew her mother had been feeling a bit down since Oscar dumped her, and she did look pretty tonight. She had once been beautiful and they shared similar features and eye color. Her mother’s hair was the same pale blonde, just a little shorter and thinner, but it was lovely and shaped into a flattering, chin-length bob.
“Well, you all can come to dinner anytime!” she said happily.
Barbi poured wine for everyone except for Jaclyn, who preferred water. They all gathered around the big, round kitchen table, and her mother put the garlic bread on a platter and set it on the table while Barbi dished up pasta and sauce for everyone. Once everyone had some, she joined them at the table and they dug in. Simon kept them entertained with silly stories about everything under the sun. Jaclyn occasionally interjected to keep Simon in line.
“Don’t listen to a word he says. He’s telling outright fibs now.” She laughed as she reached for another piece of garlic bread.
“Oh, you’re a spoil sport. I really had them going.”
“Simon does tell a good story. The only problem is you don’t know if it’s fact or fiction,” Barbi said as she passed him the bowl of grated cheese.
“Well, I just need to keep things interesting,” Simon said with a wink.
“Barbi tells me that you work at the post office,” Sam said to her mother.
“Yes, I’m the counter clerk for the Main Street Office.”
“Have you been there long?” Sam tore off another slice of garlic bread and took a bite.
“Almost twenty years. I was a waitress and bartender before that. I was lucky to get into the post office.”
Barbi smiled. People always said that about the post office and she could see why. Her mother loved her job there. She knew just about everyone that came in and chatted with them all at the counter. The pay and benefits were also better and more stable than she ever had when she was a waitress.
“It’s almost twenty years for me now, too, at the ranch. I could probably retire in five years if I wanted to, but I’ll likely stay at least another ten if they’ll have me. I don’t think I’m quite ready to stop working yet. I like to keep busy.”
“They’d probably keep you into your nineties if you were willing,” Barbi said.
Sam chuckled. “Now, that would be something to see.”
After they all finished, Barbi cleared the table while her mother made a pot of coffee and set out the brownies in case anyone was ready for something sweet. Everyone except for Sam was too full to try them.
“I always save a little room for dessert. These brownies are outstanding,” he said.
Jaclyn beamed. “Thank you.”
“Oh, all right. I suppose I can find a little room for just a taste.” Simon reached for a brownie and then a few minutes later had them laughing as he went back for seconds.
All in all, it was a relaxing evening. Simon and Jaclyn were good company as always, and Barbi was glad that she’d run into Sam and impulsively thought to invite him to join them. He seemed to be having a wonderful time, and he and her mother chatted easily all night. Barbi had actually never seen Sam so animated before. He was hanging on her mother’s every word—although that concerned her a bit, too. Her mother was a big flirt. She loved the attention. But Barbi hoped that she wouldn’t give Sam the wrong idea. He was most definitely not her type, and she’d hate for him to be disappointed.
After everyone left, Barbi and her mother settled in the living room to watch TV for a bit. Jasper immediately jumped up on her mother’s lap. He only bothered with Barbi if her mother wasn’t around.
“So, that was a lovely evening. Did you have fun?” Barbi asked her.
“I did. Simon and Jaclyn are wonderful, and your friend Sam is a special guy. We had an immediate connection.”
“You did? What kind of connection?” Barbi asked warily.
“You know, when you meet someone and it’s immediately comfortable. Like you’ve known them for ages, an instant old friend.”
Barbi smiled. “An instant old friend.
That’s a nice way to put it. Yeah, that’s how it was for me and Lily when we met. It was like we’d been friends forever. That doesn’t come along very often.”
“No, it doesn’t. I’m glad you invited him, honey.”
“Me, too.”
Chapter 11
Ryan heard the patter of footsteps and soft voices Tuesday morning as he drank his coffee upstairs and checked his email. He knew that Barbi’s first class was Monday night, but he’d been at the restaurant so hadn’t heard how it went. From the sound of it and the amount of activity he heard below, she had a good sized group ready to practice yoga at seven in the morning. He yawned at the thought of it and took a sip of rich, dark coffee.
Barbi always had been a morning person. Ryan got up early but he wasn’t really awake until he was on his second cup of coffee. Yoga or any exercise this early in the morning held no appeal whatsoever. He did work out often, though, whenever he could squeeze it in, usually end of day before heading home. On rare occasion he was able to have a workout around lunch time, which was ideal. He hadn’t worked out once, though, since he’d been in Riston, and he was feeling restless. Maybe he’d go for a run before heading in to the restaurant.
He was just finishing up going through his emails when he heard the soft voices again. Class must have ended. The door opened and shut a few times and then it was quiet, but he sensed that someone was still downstairs. Barbi. He grabbed his coffee cup and walked down to the first level. Barbi was busy in a corner, unpacking a pile of clothing from a large suitcase and arranging it in a modular display case.
“Morning,” he called, as he walked over to see what she was up to.
She looked up and smiled. “Hey, there. I hope we weren’t too loud?”
“Not at all. It was the quiet that got my attention. I figured your class was done. What’s all that?”
“Yoga clothing. Stretchy pants and soft tops. Hair bands, too.”
“Very nice. Good way to add some income streams. Are you doing memberships ,too? Or do they just pay as they come?”
Charming Chef (River's End Ranch Book 7) Page 4