Kendall's Mates

by Munro, Shelley

  “I hoped it would be all right for me to stay here tonight.” Gunnar glanced at Sax. “I’ll leave early and head out into the wild.”

  “You should stay until you’re stronger,” Sax said.

  “Thanks, but no. It’s time. It’s time to see Marie again, and I don’t wish to die in a human bed. I’ll walk into the wild and let nature take me. Now that I’ve seen my boys one last time, I can die happy.”

  Sax nodded, seeing the determination in Gunnar’s jaw. “Do you need anything? Blankets? Food?”

  “Would it be too much trouble to get soup?” He hesitated, searching each of their faces. “And a shot of Scottish whisky to warm my belly?”

  “I’ll get it now,” Sax promised.

  “Thank you for listening. I’ve hurt each of you, and you’ve suffered because of my actions. But know I love you. Each of you, and I’m so proud of what you have done with your lives. You’re your own men. You make a father proud.” Tears glinted in his eyes along with his sincerity.

  Sax’s insides twisted, and he veered close to tears himself. He managed a nod. “We’ll be back soon.”

  “I’ll try to snatch some sleep,” Gunnar said. “I’m tired all the time these days. Thank you for listening.”

  7 Shock and Enlightenment

  Ran trailed Tate and Sax from the house, his mind in turmoil.

  “Do you want to stay here with Gunnar while I get the soup and a bottle of whisky?” Sax asked.

  “I-I need to think first,” Ran said. “All this time I’ve resented him and yet he’s watched us and, in his own way, tried to help. I’ll talk to him tomorrow. I wish our parents had taken the time to explain some of this to us. I always thought Gunnar didn’t like kids. I mean, he walked away from us all.” He shrugged. “Now, I’m just confused.”

  “Yeah. I need time too. I’d decided he was a bum, yet he must’ve worked hard to help Marie and Mom with their houses. He bought land for himself too,” Tate mused.

  “I’m just as baffled as you,” Sax confessed. “Everything I believed…”

  The gravel crunched under Ran’s feet as he walked to their hotel. “Is he telling the truth?”

  Sax frowned. “He seemed genuine. If it’s a lie, it’s a good one. I’ll get the soup at the restaurant. They do takeout coffee. They should manage soup.”

  “Do you want us to go back with you?” Tate asked.

  “Nah, I’ll be fine,” Sax said. “Besides, you promised to pick up Kendall. You’ll need to get up early.”

  Ran followed Tate to the hotel while Sax peeled off to the restaurant.

  “I can’t believe he’s signed over his land to us,” Tate murmured. “I expected nothing from him.”

  “We should check it out tomorrow,” Ran suggested. “Hire a helicopter.”

  “Let’s ask Kendall if she wants to go.”

  Ran shot his twin a side-eye. “She’s working. She won’t want to shrug off her job on the first day.”

  “No, I mean in the afternoon. If we leave after two, we’ll have plenty of daylight to check out Gunnar’s place.” Tate’s hands waved in illustration of his enthusiasm for the idea. “Besides, it will take time to organize the helicopter and get the official paperwork for the land.”

  Ran grinned and used his keycard to unlock the main door of the inn. “That is a brilliant idea. You take the shower first since you’re picking up Kendall. Want me to set the alarm for you?”

  “Thanks. Quarter to six should be fine.”

  Tate was asleep when Ran finished in the en suite. A soft tap sounded on the door and Ran padded barefoot across the carpet to answer.

  “He’d gone when I got back,” Sax said.

  “Gone?”

  “Yeah. He left a letter for us.”

  “Did you read it?”

  “Not yet,” Sax said. “Is Tate asleep?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay. Let’s wait until the morning and read it together.”

  “You think he’s truly gone into the wild to die?”

  Sax considered. “He didn’t look well. I doubt he’ll last much longer if he’s not eating, and he’s coughing up blood.”

  Ran rubbed his hand over his face and yawned.

  “Tell Tate we’ll get breakfast and meet him at the house after he drops off Kendall.”

  “Will do. Ran and I were discussing the land. We should helicopter in to see it tomorrow afternoon. We could take Kendall with us.”

  “That’s an excellent idea,” Sax said. “See you in the morning.”

  * * * * *

  Tate arrived five minutes early, and Kendall walked out to meet him, dressed in her chef uniform of blue-and-white check trousers and white coverall. She carried a white hat in her right hand plus her handbag.

  Tate climbed out of the vehicle and opened the door for her. “I told you I’d be on time.”

  “I appreciate the lift,” Kendall said. “Fiona has already done so much for me. I’d hate to deprive her of sleep.”

  Tate leaned in to steal a quick kiss and that did more to wake her up than the quick cup of tea she’d gulped down.

  “Ah, Kendall,” he murmured. “I wish I had time for more.”

  “Do you have a busy day?” she asked once he’d rounded the SUV and settled behind the driver’s wheel.

  “We want to get the painting done this morning, so you need to pick a color for us. The samples are here.” He handed over half a dozen bits of card. “This afternoon we’re going to check out a piece of land. We’re hitching a helicopter out and will be away three to four hours. We wondered if you’d like to come with us.”

  “I’d love to,” Kendall said. “Could Fiona come too?”

  “There is room for her if she wants. We’ll be leaving right after two, so one of us will pick you up from the cafe.”

  “Will we see any bears?”

  “We might.” Tate turned on to Kelsey Boulevard, which resembled a ghost town at this time of the day. “But we’re more likely to see moose or wolves or some of the smaller animals and owls. Maybe a hare or even caribou.”

  “That’s so exciting. Thank you for inviting me. I’ll call Fiona and ask her to bring my camera with her.”

  “Paint samples,” Tate reminded her as he neared the cafe.

  “Oh.” Kendall considered the big open room and the winter months. A warmer shade rather than white or cream. “Do you like this blush color? It will give the room warmth without being too bright or in-your-face. It should go with most colors of furnishings and flooring.”

  Tate parked outside the Lanky Moose café and looked at the sample she’d picked. “Perfect. That was our favorite too.”

  “What if I’d picked lemon or lime or this blue?”

  “Then we would’ve gone with whatever color you’d picked.” Tate winked at her. “Painting is easy.”

  Kendall’s mobile chirped, indicating an incoming text. She pulled her phone from her pocket and read the message. The feel-good oozed right out of her day. Her mother. Demanding to know when she’d get over her tantrum and come home. A wedding didn’t just plan itself. She muttered a rude word under her breath and shoved the mobile in her handbag. On second thought. She retrieved the phone and stabbed the power button. During work hours she’d turn it off, anyway.

  Tate slowed and coasted to a stop in front of the Lanky Moose café. “You cursed. Is something wrong?”

  The caring note in his voice almost pulled tears from her. Almost. But she was British, and she’d trained with the best when it came to cool emotions. “I didn’t sleep well last night. I guess starting a new job is making me nervous. Fatigue always makes me cranky.”

  “If you need to talk, I’m always here to listen. Sax and Ran as well.”

  Kendall nodded and opened the passenger door.

  “Hey,” he said. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  Kendall glanced down. She had her phone, her handbag, her chef’s hat.

  Tate smiled and tapped his lips. �
�I should get a reward for getting up early.”

  Memories of kisses from Tate and his brothers sped through her mind, and she froze. A flash of heat seared into her cheeks. “I…um…”

  “Don’t you like kissing me?”

  She stared.

  “Hmm, it seems as if you’re not sure. I’d better give you another kiss to help you decide.”

  Before she reacted, he leaned closer and claimed her lips. His soft mouth moved against hers, persuasive and enticing. His gentleness dragged a response from her and tempted her to dream of more. Her pulse raced. Her breasts tingled. Her stomach fluttered.

  Why couldn’t the men dating her at home pull this reaction from her? Their kisses produced none of these sensations, but with Tate, she yearned for more. Much more.

  When he pulled back, separating their mouths, she sighed.

  “You’d better go, or you’ll be late for your first shift,” he whispered.

  Kendall jolted, reality crashing into the aftermath of their kiss. “T-thank you for the r-ride,” she stammered. She inhaled, exhaled and tried again. “I’ll ring Fiona about the helicopter ride during my break.”

  “Great,” Tate said. “Don’t forget. One of us will pick you up. Tell Fiona to ring us if she wants a ride to the helicopter.”

  “Will do.”

  “Good luck!”

  “Thanks.”

  Tate waved as he drove away, and Kendall walked to the rear door as her new boss had instructed her once she’d taken the job.

  A skinny girl with frizzy red hair and a face full of freckles stared at the piles of dirty dishes in the sink. She didn’t look long out of her teens.

  “Good morning,” Kendall said. “I’m Kendall, the new chef.”

  “It looks as if the kitchen hand quit again.” The girl scowled. “I’m Emily, the waitress,” she added.

  “John told me he’d show me the routine.”

  Emily snorted. “I’d leave this job if I could, but John is my uncle and my mother insists I work for family. My older brother saw him in the local bar last night. My bet—Uncle John is sleeping off a hangover.”

  8 Kendall Uses Her Initiative

  Kendall turned away to set down her handbag and muttered under her breath. This boded well. She inhaled and squared her shoulders before swinging back to face Emily. “All right. What say we both do these dishes and open up? I’ve seen the breakfast menu and can cope with making the dishes easily enough.” Shades of her home situation—her cleaning up after her brother’s messes. Doing it out of loyalty because he was family.

  “I thought you’d make me do the dishes. Uncle John would have,” Emily said.

  “It will be quicker if we do them together and I’ll learn where things go. What time do you normally open? I can’t remember.”

  “Six, but no one comes in until six thirty.”

  “All right. You do whatever you need to do to get ready for opening and come back to help with the dishes when you’re ready. If we help each other, we’ll get everything sorted.”

  Kendall set to work and soon had a load of dishes running in the dishwasher. She scanned the contents of the cabinet and saw there were several types of cookies and slices for those who had a sweet tooth. There wasn’t much in the fridge. No sausages. No steak. There was heaps of bacon. Plenty of eggs in the walk-in pantry. Enough vegetables to work with for today. Deciding to forgo the menu this morning, she found the ingredients for savory muffins and soon had them cooking.

  A bread delivery arrived from the local bakery, and she made half a dozen filled rolls and sandwiches for the cabinet. She used the last of the ham and turkey on sandwiches and fixed a vegetarian option. That done, she started a pot of minestrone soup.

  Emily trudged into the kitchen, her eyes bulging in shock. “You’ve done so much! Thank you. The coffee is on and I’ve opened the door. The bell will ring if anyone comes inside. What would you like me to do?”

  “I’d love a cup of coffee. Then, could you empty the dishwasher and put on another load?” Yes, this felt exactly like home. Her busy and making decisions on the fly because of necessity.

  “Sure,” Emily said.

  “I’ve gone off the menu because we don’t seem to have the ingredients for the usual items. Will your uncle be angry? He seemed rigid with his menu.”

  Emily gestured with palms upright, pulling a face at the same time. “My guess is the customers will enjoy something different, and if we sell everything, Uncle John won’t have any complaints. What have you made? I saw the sandwiches in the cabinet. They’ll sell fast because they look delicious. Will you teach me to cook things when we’re not busy?”

  “No problem,” Kendall said, liking the young girl. Someone eager to learn and take direction—a point of difference with her family. Now that the kitchen seemed in control and most of the dishes were clean, Emily appeared happier.

  “For breakfast, we’ll offer two dishes. Tell the customers we’re doing a special of hotcakes and bacon with syrup or a Spanish omelet with potatoes and onions. They can have a side of bacon if they want. We have plenty of bread, so we can do toast. Do we have granola?”

  “We do.”

  “I saw yogurt in the fridge so if anyone prefers cereal I can do a yogurt and granola parfait with mixed berries. I’m sure any surplus will sell later in the day. The muffins will be ready in ten minutes. Okay?”

  “What about the pricing?” Emily asked.

  “Bring me a copy of the menu. I’ll write you a list of the dishes and what we should charge. Do you have a blackboard?”

  “Yes.”

  Kendall followed Emily out to the restaurant and wrote the specials on the blackboard. After consulting the menu Emily gave her, Kendall priced the dishes accordingly. With the blackboard taken care of, she and Emily returned to the kitchen and they assembled yoghurt parfaits.

  Customers arrived, and Emily left to take their orders. She appeared in the kitchen a few minutes later. “Two hotcakes and one Spanish omelet. I’ll do their coffee and come back to make toast.”

  Kendall started cooking, the dishes taking no time at all since she’d already done the prep work. By the time Emily returned with two more orders, she’d popped down toast and plated the first orders.

  “I like working with you,” Emily announced. “I hope you’ll stay.”

  While Emily delivered the first meals, Kendall removed the muffins from the oven and cooked the next orders. Customers kept them busy, and in between cooking for customer orders, Kendall made another batch of muffins, put on three chickens to roast, made a quiche and a tray of chocolate chip cookies.

  “The first customers told me to tell you they enjoyed their breakfast,” Emily said. “They said they’d see you later.”

  “Oh?” Kendall didn’t know many people yet. Her mind cleared and reached an obvious conclusion. “Was it three guys? Two blonds and one with dark hair?”

  “Yes.” Curiosity radiated from Emily.

  “They’re my friends.” A burst of warmth sped through Kendall’s chest. “It was nice of them to come on my first day.”

  The orders slowed around mid-morning, and Kendall talked through the lunch menu with Emily. Several customers came in and cleared out the muffins and sandwiches, so Kendall restocked the cabinet and showed Emily how to bake her savory muffins. She also made mac and cheese.

  John Stockman, the owner of the Lanky Moose café, lumbered into the kitchen just before midday. He peered into the pots Kendall had simmering on the stovetop. “What about the meat pie filling? That should be cooking by now.”

  “I couldn’t find any steak.” Kendall worked to keep her voice even and non-confrontational. Yep, she’d heard that accusatory tone before.

  “It’s in the fridge,” John snapped.

  Kendall walked over to the fridge and opened it. She knew the fridge only held bacon because she’d utilized everything else.

  “Crap,” John muttered and rubbed his head as though it was aching. “I was
sure I’d ordered more meat. What are we going to do for the lunch diners?”

  “I’ve made soup, mac and cheese, and a quiche. Three chickens are roasting now. There are plenty of sandwiches and muffins, and I’m starting to make an apple crumble.”

  “But none of that is on the menu,” John cried.

  Kendall kept her mouth shut. She didn’t have to put up with this crap. Heck, she refused to suffer verbal abuse for using her initiative.

  Emily darted into the kitchen with orders and sent her a beseeching look. “Two soup and garlic bread, one mac, and two quiches. Uncle John, you’re awake.”

  Kendall turned away to plate the orders while Emily spoke to her uncle. “We’ve been busy, and the customers are saying how much they are enjoying the changes in the menu. Come and talk to them, Uncle John. Everyone has loved Kendall’s cooking.”

  Emily dragged her uncle out to see the happy customers, and Kendall hoped his alcohol breath and his snarly disposition didn’t scare off the diners. John re-entered the kitchen ten minutes later. “I’ll do the orders and head back to bed. I have the flu. Make sure you stick to the menu tomorrow.”

  “Of course.” Kendall struggled with her irritation levels. “Will there be someone to do the dishes tomorrow?”

  John wandered to the rear door and paused when she spoke. “What? Oh. Yeah. I meant to advertise the job again. The guy walked out yesterday. Emily can do the dishes. She won’t mind.”

  Kendall knew otherwise and held back a frustrated curse as John disappeared. The way things were going this job wouldn’t last for long, not with the owner making stupid accusations. He’d be lucky if his niece stayed after this. She made a quick call to Fiona.

  Fiona groaned in clear disappointment at missing the trip. “I have a call booked with a client at four. We’ve had to put it off twice already.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, dang it. You’ll want your camera.”

  “Yes, and a change of clothes if possible. Are you coming into town this morning?”

  “I’ve promised to deliver some of Josef’s figurines this morning,” Fiona said. “I can drop your stuff at the café.”