Cafenova

by S. Jane Scheyder

  They continued to talk about the day ahead, eventually agreeing that the day ahead was getting behind them. They said their good-byes, and Maddy waved as they left, happy with the turn her Saturday morning had taken.

  five

  Maddy heard the rain Monday morning before she even attempted to get out of bed. It was very soothing, and she was happy to be lulled back to sleep. When her “emergency” alarm went off at 7:45, she woke with a start. She got dressed and went down to the kitchen and greeted her dog.

  “I’m afraid we can’t go for a W-A-L-K this morning, what with the rain.”

  Burt looked at her and wagged his tail furiously.

  “Not this morning.” Maddy stroked his head and shook her own at his puppy-like excitement. “You can go out, but you’re on your own,” she said, opening the door.

  Burt looked out of the door and whined.

  “You’ve got to be kidding. There’s no way I’m going out there with you.”

  He looked up at her and wagged some more.

  “You are one strange dog,” she muttered as she closed the door and went over to get her coffee ready.

  

  John stood looking out over the beach through the rain, wondering where Maddy could possibly have gone. She was obviously home from her trip; apart from her car in the drive, the coffee was fresh and the cream was still out on the counter. He looked at the hook where Burt’s leash hung. She hadn’t planned on walking the dog, which didn’t surprise him. The fact that her absence bothered him so much was unsettling.

  The others didn’t seem terribly concerned. Frank enjoyed watching John worry, but suggested they get to work. “She’ll show up, and I’m sure she’ll check in with us when she does.”

  “How’s that water heater coming?” Travis asked Willy. “She’s gonna need to warm up when she gets back, if she’s out in this rain.”

  “I picked up the thermostat this morning,” Willy answered. “I’ll take care of it first thing.”

  

  None of the men heard Maddy’s sloshy arrival about ten minutes later. Willy was the first to discover her when he emerged from the basement. She was huddled over the sink drinking coffee, and she looked up with a rueful smile.

  “Remember what Travis said about my dog wandering off?” Her gaze fell on the offending creature and her smile became a glare. Burt, oblivious, panted happily on his mat in the corner.

  “He took off this morning after something – I still don’t know what – and I was stupid enough to chase him.” She shuddered again. “I don’t suppose…”

  “All set,” he said. “You should have hot running water now.”

  Maddy all but hugged him, she was so happy. Then her smile faded. “Are the others…?”

  “Conveniently working in your room on the book cases,” he finished with a grin. “At least two of them are,” he qualified. “Want me to go and chase them out so you can try your most recent re-novation?”

  “I hate to do that,” she answered, her teeth chattering.

  “That’s why I’m going to do it for you,” he bowed chivalrously. “Sit down and catch your breath, and I’ll see if I can steer them in another direction.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  It wasn’t long before just one set of footsteps sounded down the stairs. Hoping Willy was returning with good news, Maddy blew her nose and looked up.

  John came through the door and stopped in his tracks. Maddy was drowning in an oversized, dripping sweatshirt, and her wet hair was pasted to her head. Pale and shivering, she’d never looked so awful, and all John could think about was holding her and warming her up.

  Instead, he wrinkled his nose at the smell of wet dog in the room. “I hope that’s not you.”

  Maddy focused her limited energy on a rather potent scowl.

  John grinned and walked over to her anyway. “What were you doing out there?”

  “You don’t want to know,” she replied with a side-long look at her pet.

  “You need to get out of those clothes,” John said. He immediately looked embarrassed and Maddy couldn’t help but smile. Then she sneezed.

  “I’m sorry. You know what I mean,” John continued. “You’re going to get sick. It’s chilly out there this morning.”

  “Yeah, I noticed that,” she said with another sneeze. “Do you actually get summer here in Maine?” she whimpered.

  “Eventually,” he smiled, relaxing. Poor baby.

  “How’s it looking for getting into my bathroom?” she asked. “I don’t want to interrupt your project…” She hated herself for begging, but she really felt miserable.

  “Frank’s just cutting some wood, and then we’re going to work on the shelving in the other rooms.”

  They heard more footsteps coming down the steps and the rest of the gang joined them. Everyone had a good laugh at Maddy’s expense, and then assured her that her room was clear.

  “You’re going to take the dog, right?” Travis asked, holding his hand over his nose.

  “I’m so sorry, he’s not allowed upstairs,” Maddy said with absolutely no regret, and disappeared up the steps.

  

  She reappeared half an hour later and found the men working in the hole-room. She was about to thank them when John spoke.

  “You don’t look so good,” he said, getting to his feet.

  Maddy preferred to misunderstand him for the sake of the audience. “Aren’t you just so charming?” she sniffled.

  “I’m glad you think so.” He turned her gently and walked her back down the hall. “You need to get some rest.”

  “I’m perfectly able to decide when I need a nap. I never sleep during the day,” she added, trying to be irritated with him for being bossy.

  He ushered her into her room. “Yeah, I noticed that Friday afternoon.”

  “Oh, well,” she hesitated, “that wasn’t typical.”

  “Neither is this,” he said. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but if you want to rest, we can keep busy downstairs.” He stood in the doorway, more or less blocking her exit.

  She put her hands on her hips and looked crossly at him, but didn’t reply. Truth was, she wanted more than anything to climb back into her big warm bed. Why am I so tired? Why am I arguing?

  “Do you have any chicken noodle soup?” he asked, switching tactics.

  “I’m sorry?” She was trying to figure out a way to win the argument and still end up in her bed. What is he saying about chickens?

  “I was just thinking that you might have some canned soup or something that I could warm up for you.” It seemed like a good idea until he verbalized it – twice.

  “I think I do, but I can heat up my own soup. I’m not paying you to be my nursemaid.” At the look on his face, Maddy decided to make an effort to be civil. “I’m sorry, John. You’re right. I need to get some rest before I become really evil. I’ll eat a little bit later, okay?” She looked away toward the window. “I’ll be asleep in no time with this rain.”

  She glanced back up at him, and John finally smiled. She grinned back with glassy eyes and a red nose, and it was his turn to look away. He tried to contemplate the rain but could only think about his overwhelming desire to take care of her.

  “We’ll probably work in the dining room,” he said. “Stripping the woodwork will take at least a week. There’s no quick way to get around those edges and preserve the lines. Will you mind the mess if we start that project?”

  “Not at all. I rarely go in there, so have at it.” She started to pull back her covers and then stopped.

  John took the hint and put his hand on the doorknob. “Right, well, we’ll sand quietly. I hope you get some rest.” He glanced briefly at her and then closed the door quietly behind him.

  Maddy snuggled under her goose-down comforter, wondering only momentarily why it felt so good in the middle of June.

  

  She awoke much later to a light tap on her door. It took
her a minute to figure out why she was in her bed in the middle of the day, but then her head began to throb and she remembered. The tap came again.

  “Come in!” She wondered briefly how she looked; she sure didn’t feel any better.

  The door opened and Frank peered inside. “Sorry to bother you,” he began. “I just wanted to let you know that we’re finished for the day. Do you need anything before we go?”

  “No, thanks for asking,” she replied, slowly waking up. What time is it? Where’s John? “I’m okay, really,” she continued with a little more clarity. “I just need to take care of my dog.” She started to maneuver out from under her covers.

  “Believe it or not, John took him for a walk when it stopped raining a little while ago,” Frank said. “He didn’t look too happy about it, but Burt was thrilled.”

  “That was brave of him,” Maddy replied, surprised. She pulled her feet back up under the covers. If Burt was okay, she had a few more minutes to rest. “If he’s still here, please thank him for me.”

  Frank hesitated. “Do you want me to send him up?”

  Yes! No! Maddy’s face regained some of the color it had lost during the day. “That’s not necessary. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

  “Okay, take care,” he said, closing the door as he left.

  Maddy listened to the faint sounds of the men talking and cleaning up downstairs. After a few minutes, she heard a final slam, and then all was quiet. Not for the first time, her house seemed very lonely.

  

  Maddy slept through the sunrise Tuesday morning, but managed to be up, dressed and ready to greet the crew at eight. They unanimously voted that she should go back to bed.

  “Hey, Maddy, you look pretty grim. Rough night?”

  “I’m sorry you didn’t sleep better.”

  “I hate it when my face blows up with a cold like that.”

  And her favorite: “I think you looked better yesterday.”

  John was the only one who wisely held his tongue, but the look on his face made her almost as mad.

  “Wow, thanks guys. And good morning to all of you, too.”

  The follow-up apologies fell on plugged-up ears. She turned on her heel. “I’ll be in my room.”

  She marched up the stairs, simply unable to appreciate any concern they might have genuinely felt. Much as she hated to admit it, her vanity had taken a serious hit. No woman, sharing a room with five good-looking men, wants to hear talk of her looking tired, or grim, of all things, however kindly motivated the comments.

  She walked into her room, and a well-timed moment of restraint kept her from slamming the door. She climbed back into her bed, wishing she’d at least brought her coffee when she’d stomped out of the kitchen. No matter what they said, she wasn’t tired, and if she was being sent to her room, she at least wanted something to drink while she read a book. She sighed with frustration. There would be no dignity in revisiting the kitchen; she’d just have to do without. She picked up her book and leafed through it.

  Hearing footsteps, she stopped and listened. Would they work upstairs today? She looked at the bookshelves they had started overhauling the day before. It probably drove them crazy to have to stop in the middle of a project.

  A knock on the door made her jump.

  “Come in,” she grumbled.

  The door slowly opened, and John stepped in. Maddy crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, and then realized that he was holding her coffee. How sweet is that? To her dismay, she began to tear up and squeezed her eyes shut. The fact that she teared easily was a constant nuisance. The last thing she wanted was for John to think she was over-emotional.

  “Are you alright, Maddy? Can I get you anything?”

  His attention was at once endearing and unsettling. Remembering how she’d treated him the day before, Maddy tried to be polite.

  “Just my coffee,” she said with a weak smile. “I was really wishing I’d brought it up, but I wasn’t about to go back for it.”

  John smiled, relieved, and set her mug on the bedside table, which was considerably lower than the bed. He processed this, looking between the two, and said, “We’re going to have to do something about that.”

  “Oh, I know I need new furniture for this room,” Maddy acknowledged. “This is all mismatched.”

  “Eclectic is the popular term for it,” John reminded her as he turned to rummage through the wood that had been cut the day before.

  He grabbed a few like-size, small boards, and stacked them neatly on the table, raising her coffee cup a good six inches. Maddy looked on, bemused. Not yet satisfied, John pulled out a few more pieces and adjusted her new table until her cup was easily within reach. Maddy shook her head and smiled at him.

  “I’ll bring lunch up later,” he said decisively. “Try to get some rest.”

  With that, he left the room, and Maddy was left without opportunity for reply as she stared at the closed door.

  

  When John returned with lunch, he didn’t stay long. After knocking lightly, he delivered a chicken salad sandwich and a water bottle, and asked if she needed anything else.

  “This is perfect. Thank you, John.”

  He seemed a little embarrassed. “You're welcome.” After a brief pause, he said, “We’re making good progress in the dining room. I think you’ll be pleased with the wood we’re uncovering.”

  “I can’t wait to see it.”

  “Well, wait a little longer,” he said with a slow smile.

  “I will,” Maddy promised, feeling her face warm up. She probably looked feverish as she added, “But I’m feeling better, much better than this morning.”

  “I’m glad to hear it,” John answered, walking back to the door. “I’ll check in before I leave this afternoon.”

  

  Maddy felt so much better Wednesday, that she started washing the kitchen windows. The additional light that streamed in through the clean glass was remarkable, and very motivating. She tired of that job fairly quickly, however, and decided to spend a quiet afternoon at the library doing more research.

  After flipping through a book on window treatments – the curtain layering was shockingly complicated – Maddy decided that she really wasn’t into research. She wanted to be outside in the sunshine, so she packed up and walked downtown.

  It was a beautiful afternoon, and she enjoyed seeing the town come alive with vacationers and summer people. She smiled at the thought that she’d be considered a “townie.” She hardly knew the small village.

  Happy to be doing a different kind of research, Maddy wandered into a little antique shop. Within minutes, she found a handsome desk that would fit perfectly in the alcove of the room off her kitchen. She tried not to appear too anxious as she approached the clerk.

  “We just got that piece in and my husband hasn’t priced it yet,” the woman said, coming around to get a closer look at the desk. “I’ll give him a call.”

  Maddy walked toward the back of the shop to give the clerk some privacy.

  “I don’t know why you didn’t price that desk. I knew it would move fast,” the woman said irritably into the phone. “There’s a lady here who wants to buy it – one of those summer people,” she guessed, eyeing Maddy through the aisles.

  Maddy turned away with a smile. I guess I’m not a townie yet. She walked slowly around the store and returned when the woman finished berating her husband.

  “We’d like a hundred-fifty for it,” she said, looking ready for a fight.

  “That sounds fair,” Maddy replied. “I think it will fit in my car, so I’d like to take it now.”

  The woman’s face softened a little. “That’s fine,” she said. “How would you like to pay for that?”

  “I’d like to pay with a check, if that’s okay.”

  “I’m sorry, we only take local checks.”

  Maddy smiled. “That’s the only kind I have.”

  The woman, surprised, slowly smiled back. “Welcome to to
wn, Ms.,” she glanced at the check, “Ms. Jacobs. I hope you enjoy your desk.”

  Maddy made one more stop and then hurried home. The men were leaving as she pulled in, and she backed out into the street to make room for the exodus. John’s truck didn’t move, so she parked next to him.

  He got out to check in with her. He thought she looked a little flushed. “Hey. How are you feeling?”

  “I’m fine, thanks. Here, I bought you something.” She handed him a bag before she could change her mind.

  Pleased and puzzled, he took it from her. “What’s this?”

  “Just a little ‘thank you’ for taking care of me,” she replied.

  John pulled a stainless-steel coffee mug out of the bag. “This is perfect,” he said, removing and replacing the cover and then linking the cup on his belt loop with a clip on its side. He was like a little kid playing with a new toy. “Thank you, Maddy.”

  He pulled out some chocolate-covered espresso beans. “I love these.” He tucked them inside the cup. “You didn’t have to get me anything,” he said, apparently pleased that she did.

  “Well, you didn’t have to take care of me while you were fixing my house,” Maddy reminded him.

  “It was my pleasure.”

  Otis came on the scene a moment later. “Hey there, neighbor!” he called out. “How are you feeling?”

  Maddy smiled. She had never gotten so much attention over a cold in her life. “Much better. Thanks for asking.”

  “Hello, Otis,” John greeted him and shook his hand. “I’ll let you two catch up. Maddy, I’m going to be in Augusta again tomorrow, but I’ll be back here on Friday.”

  “Oh, okay.” She cleared her throat. “What will the others be doing?”

  “They’re going to work on the fenced area for Burt.”

  “I didn’t realize you were ready to start that project.”

  “I picked up the fencing today,” John explained. “It should go up pretty easily.”

  “That’s good,” Maddy replied, wanting to prolong the discussion about the dog fence, but not sure what else could be said.