by Nan Sampson
“Oh, nonsense.” The woman patted her hand. “Now you stop all this talk about leaving. We need you here. Okay?”
Ellie made a noncommittal noise and sent the woman on her way.
Later that afternoon, Patti had insisted on going home, rather than to the hospital in Madison, against Doctor’s orders, claiming she couldn’t possibly recuperate anywhere else. Ellie supposed she could have argued for the same treatment, but the thought of heading to the cabin and packing up what little she had in preparation for heading back to Chicago was too bleak a prospect to face. Besides which, she had no vehicle to pack stuff in.
So here she was, on the day after what was supposed to have been her grand opening, stuck in a miserable hospital room feeling like hammered shit, convinced more than ever that she’d made a horrible mistake.
She was just signing her release papers on Sunday afternoon when Charlie strolled in. She groaned audibly. He grinned at her as he threw a large paper shopping bag from one of the boutiques on Main Street onto the bed.
“Thought you might need something to wear. Laura, the cute girl from the book store, picked this out for you.” He stuck his hands in his jean pockets and leaned against the door jamb.
She sighed and looked in the bag, not sure what to expect. Inside were a flowing indigo patterned skirt and a peasant blouse that picked up the yellows and purple in the skirt. It wasn’t her style, really, but it was lovely. Then again, other than her corporate monkey suits, she’d never really had a style. Maybe it was time to try something new.
“Thanks. I appreciate it. But I have my jeans and t-shirt.”
“Well, you can’t wear that. Not today.”
There he went again, being a bossy know-it-all. She didn’t know how Kate tolerated him. “And just why not?”
“Because we’re making a stop somewhere on the way to the Inn. And you’d be pissed at me if I let you show up looking like a reject from a soup kitchen.”
“Arrogant much?” Goddess, he was infuriating. “And ‘we’ are not going anywhere. I am going. In a cab. To my cabin.” To pack my stuff, she thought.
“Sorry. Doc won’t let you leave without an escort. And your cabin still hasn’t been cleared by the crime scene guys. So you’ll be sleeping at the inn for at least a couple more nights.”
She huffed. “Fine. Then you can drive me there. Now. And then go home.” She glared at him. “Got that?”
“Your wish is my command. Right after we stop in town for something. So put on this outfit thingy. I’ll wait for you in the hall.”
“I don’t want to go anywhere.” She was whining, and that annoyed her almost as much as Charlie trying to take control.
“No choice. Think of it as an evil necessity. It won’t take long, I promise.”
Chapter 47
She’d dressed, feeling churlish then feeling guilty for feeling that way. He’d saved her life, after all. And she believed that he believed he was trying to help. She didn’t have a clue where they were going, but she was sure wherever it was would piss her off. But as Kate kept insisting, his heart was in the right place, no matter how unbelievably annoying he might be.
She grumped as the nurse stuck her in a wheel chair and pushed her out to the curb, where McCallum’s car waited. He was still grinning, maybe even wider than usual. It made her even crabbier. When he helped buckle her in, like she was a three-year-old, the crabby meter hit an all-time high, and she scowled as he drove slowly onto Highway H and headed into town.
When they turned into the alley behind the shopping district, she finally figured out where they were headed.
“No. Stop the car.”
“No problem. We’re here.”
She looked at the back of the shop that had held her dreams. “No. I’m not going in.” She found herself crossing her arms over her chest like a petulant child.
“You have to. There’s something you need to see.”
“I’ve seen enough, McCallum. Take me home.”
He ignored her, came round the car and opened her door. “Two minutes, Ellie. Just come inside for two minutes. Then you can turn around and leave again, and I promise I’ll take you back to the Inn. Hell, if you want, I’ll even drive you back to Chicago tomorrow.”
“What’s in there?”
He held the door open in silence.
“What?”
He just stood there, no longer smiling, like some freaking statue. It was enraging. But he had her number. She needed to see what was inside.
“Fine. Two minutes.”
She climbed out of the car, feeling stiff and achy with an incipient headache forming behind her eyes and followed him to the back door. It was apparently unlocked, because he opened it without a key, then ushered her inside.
The back hall was dark, but she could see that the front of the store was lit up, and there was light coming from the kitchen as well. The amazing aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg and pastry dough hit her like a delicious wall, and she could almost taste the dust from freshly ground espresso beans.
“What’s going on?”
Charlie was still not grinning. He merely gestured. “Go take a look.”
She took a few steps down the hall and found a sea of people waiting for her just through the doorway to the front of the shop.
“Surprise!”
She stumbled, and Charlie caught her from behind and steadied her, as she stared around in amazement. A huge banner was draped across the front of the store, saying “Welcome Ellie!” The espresso machines were running, the pastry case was filled, and Marg, Goddess bless, her was standing in front of the masses, holding out a steaming cup of cappuccino and a plate with a pumpkin nut muffin. “Welcome home, Ellie.”
She didn’t cry often. She certainly was not a weepy kind of woman. But the shop looked – and smelled – amazing. And all those people, standing there, or sitting at her little ice cream tables, smiling at her – people she hardly knew, but so many that she now recognized. Marg, in her silly flour-covered apron and baking cap, smiling at her with tears in her own eyes. Then there was Arabella and Seth, Sara and Silas Kemp, the post man Harvey Briggs, and Laura Lincoln. Even Terri Kohler was there, raising one of the Sacred Caff’s signature paper to-go cups, and Per stood next to Bill Gruetzmacher, smiling at her with those shrewd and mischievous blue eyes.
Finally, scrabbling along the slippery tiles, a little furry body scampered up to her – a puppy who she swore had to be four inches longer than the last time she’d seen him. She scooped him up, let him lick the tears that rolled down her cheeks.
Suddenly everyone made room and Kate clumped up to her on crutches, which she then passed off to Charlie, so she could wrap Ellie in a hug. “And you thought you were going to be able to give up.”
Ellie hugged her best friend harder than she had ever hugged anyone. “I don’t understand.”
“You’re home, Ellie. Finally. This is home. And these people, and me, and Charlie – we’re family. So there’s no giving up. And there’s no running away.”
Ellie glanced around her, amazed at everything she saw. “I guess… I just… I don’t know if I can make it work. So much has happened. I’m surprised these folks don’t want to stone me and run me out of town.”
Earl Mough stepped up with a nervous cough. “You didn’t bring the misery, Ms. Gooden. You just got caught in the middle of it.”
That Earl Mough could say that after what had happened with Patti was more than Ellie could process. “This sure as hell isn’t Chicago.”
The older man gave her a rare smile. “It sure isn’t. And I think we’re all pretty grateful for that!”
The crowd behind him laughed.
“Amen, Earl,” Gruetzmacher chimed in. “Amen.”
Earl was feeling garrulous, and he was spinning his baseball cap around in his hands nervously. “Now, I know you need some time to look around and probably want to take a load off. But I’m so grateful to you for saving my Patti’s life… I just wanted to give yo
u a little something. Patti wanted to be here, wanted to see your face when I gave it to you, but I couldn’t let her come. I’ve got my eldest daughter sitting on her at home. Literally.” The crowd chuckled again. “But you gotta come out front.”
Kate smiled at her encouragingly and Charlie gave her a nudge from behind.
Ellie paused. “Earl, you don’t need to give me anything. Really. You’ve already given me so much.”
“Now, don’t argue with me. Just come and take a look.”
The sea of people parted as she followed Earl to the front door and out onto the sidewalk, where someone – Marg probably – had set up three little wrought iron tables and chairs that Ellie had ordered a few weeks before.
But that wasn’t what Earl wanted to show her. He was standing in front of an old VW bus that probably dated back to the 1970s, although the body appeared to be in mint condition. “Now, it’s a mite bigger than what you’re used to driving, but I figure it’ll be good for hauling supplies from Madison. I’ve rigged the engine – been working on it for a while now – and it’s completely electric. Not the fancy new-fangled stuff they sell outta Japan, but you can charge it up overnight and it’ll get you where you need to go.”
Ellie marveled at it. It was a beast, but it was gorgeous. The only thing it needed was a couple of flowers painted on the side. If she had to lose her VW Rabbit this was the absolute perfect replacement vehicle. “Oh, Earl. It’s magnificent! And it’s electric? Really?”
“Yup. Green as they come. Now, the heater can be a bit finicky, and I oughta warn you that I never did figure out how to stop that rattling noise under the dash. But I figure it’ll do better over the winter than that little thing you been drivin’. Roads can get a bit slick up here.” He paused, pressed his lips together. “Of course, if it’s not your cup of tea, I—”
“No! Earl, it’s wonderful! It’s beautiful! And it’s one of the nicest things anyone’s ever done for me. I’m…” She teared up again.
She felt Charlie’s hand on her elbow. “Well, now you’ve done it, Earl. You’ve rendered Ellie Gooden speechless. That’s a first!”
A crowd had spilled out of the coffee shop and onto the sidewalk and now they laughed. Not, Ellie realized, in a mean way. They laughed like friends would. A shared joke among companions.
Ellie swallowed, got herself back under control. “Earl, it’s perfect. Thank you so much. But I can’t just take it. Let me pay you.”
“Nope. Besides which, Patti’d tan my hide if I took a dime from you.”
Marg was now taking her arm and pulling. “Okay, Earl, you’ve had enough floor time. It’s my turn now. I want to show Ellie the pastry case. You would not believe what I’ve baked up. And Arabella brought over that clock you found in Madison and we hung it this morning, right where you said you wanted it. It looks perfect! Oh and just so you know, you have to be here bright an early tomorrow morning for the Health Inspector. I rescheduled for you, but he insists that you have to be here yourself.”
Ellie let herself be led back inside the coffee shop. Her coffee shop. She caught Kate’s eye as she admired Marg’s display case. Kate was smiling that knowing smile.
It was almost an hour later, after she’d greeted everyone, thanked everyone and served about a half dozen espresso drinks from the new machine that Charlie came up next to her behind the counter. Leaning close, he pointed at his watch and whispered in her ear. “My apologies, but I just realized we’ve been here a bit more than the allotted ‘two minutes’ I promised. Still want that ride back home, Glenda?”
She couldn’t work up even a modicum of irritation. Instead she granted him a smile and shook her head. “It would be a short trip, McCallum. A very short trip.”
About the Author
Nan Sampson has been writing stories since she was old enough to hold a crayon. She writes primarily mysteries, fantasy and space opera – sometimes all at once. She also gardens (and indeed, some of the plants actually grow!), foists herbal concoctions off on friends and co-workers, reads voraciously, and dreams of one day living on a space station, where she will use her education in Anthropology, Linguistics and Psychology to build trust with the alien life forms mankind will one day encounter.
Until that happens, she makes her home northwest of Chicago with her husband, teenage daughter and Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson (aka, the very pushy poodle).
For more info, or to read her blog, visit www.NanSampsonAuthor.com
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Twitter: @nansampson
COMING SOON!
Don’t miss the next Ellie Gooden mystery, Office Heretics, coming soon!