The Heavenly Grille Café (Heavenly Grille Cafe Book 1)

by J. T. Livingston

  “Is he?” Kris asked, “Really?”

  “Oh you couldn’t move him with an electric cow prod!” Amanda laughed. “He’s pacing the floors out there like a true expectant father. Doug went back to the café to tell Bertie and Max. Sit still and I’ll go out and see if they’re here yet.”

  Kris grabbed Amanda’s arm as she started to leave. “Amanda… I, uh… it’s not easy for me to say, but… I just want to say thanks. Thanks for being here with me. I don’t think I could do this by myself.”

  Amanda turned back and gave Kris a long hug. “I think… no, I’m sure… that we came into each other’s lives for a reason, Kris. There is no place I’d rather be right now and I’m not going anywhere. After all, I’m about to be an aunt! I’ll be back in a sec, okay?”

  The nurse entered the room just as Amanda was leaving. “Who’s ready for an epidural?” she asked.

  Kris raised one hand while the other hand supported her lower back. “That would be me!”

  “Well, young lady,” the nurse replied, “You’re doing just great. You’re already at six centimeters and moving along nicely. I need you to lie back now. I need to prep you and give you an enema. Someone will be in to give you that shot real soon.”

  “An enema? Oh, that sounds like loads of fun,” Kris groaned.

  The nurse laughed and said, “Oh, you don’t know the half of it, sweetie. The fun is just beginning!”

  Kris’ collage of friends rushed toward Amanda the moment she exited the treatment room.

  “How’s she doing?” Bertie asked, reaching her first and embracing her in her typical bear hug.

  “Well,” Amanda grinned, happy to see that everyone was there, “I certainly don’t know anything about birthing babies, but from what the nurses are telling us, everything is going great, no complications. They said if she keeps going at the rate she’s going, it won’t be a long wait for any of us. Hey there, Max!”

  It was Max’s turn to embrace Amanda. As usual, she felt the strength flowing from his body into her own. She took a deep breath, feeling suddenly refreshed. “I’m so glad you all came.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing it’s a holiday and the café was closed,” Max said, “Or else, we would have a room full of customers serving themselves right about now.”

  “Is she really doing okay, Amanda?” Dean asked, looking more like a nervous first-time father than anyone else in the room. “You’re not just saying that?”

  “Yep, she’s really doing okay, Dean. It’s going to mean a lot to her to know that all of you are out here.”

  “Well, we’re not going anywhere till that precious baby gets here,” Bertie said. “Now, Dean, why don’t you and Doug make yourselves useful and go get us some coffee and something to snack on. I’d be willing to bet that none of you have eaten much today, have you?”

  Dean shrugged, “Well, I think there might be some pizza and hot wings on the floor of Kris’ living room.”

  Max wrinkled his nose. “I think some black coffee and a Danish would suit me just fine.” He reached in his pocket for money. “I never have acquired a taste for pizza.”

  Dean held up his hand. “I’ve got this, sir. We’ll be back as soon as we can.” He looked back at Amanda. “You’ll let her know that I’m still here, won’t you?”

  Amanda nodded. “You bet I will!”

  Bertie and Max led Amanda to the overstuffed sofa and the three made themselves as comfortable as the sagging springs allowed.

  Doug and Dean waved at those they left behind in the waiting room and made their way to the elevators.

  “I think the cafeteria might still be open,” Doug said.

  “Well, if not, we’ll just raid the vending machine, and hope they’ve got a Danish in there,” Dean said. He turned his head from side to side, working out the kinks and tension. “Man, this is nerve-wracking, isn’t it?”

  “I’m sorry?” Doug queried.

  “You know…the waiting, and not being able to do anything for her. I mean, they won’t even let me go inside because we’re not related, I’m not the baby’s father…”

  “Maybe you should have thought quicker on your feet, like Amanda did,” Doug smiled. “The nurse actually thinks they’re sisters.”

  Dean shrugged again. “I just wish I could be there with her, that’s all.” The tension seemed to suddenly dissipate from his neck and shoulders when Doug placed his hand on his back.

  “She’s going to be just fine, Dean; and, she knows you’re here. I’m sure that means a lot to her right now. She needs all the friends she can get.”

  They had reached the cafeteria just in time; the kitchen was about to close. Dean ordered hamburgers and fries for everyone, as well as coffee and soft drinks. He even found a day-old Danish for Max. He paid for the order and gave Doug half of it to carry. They were almost out the door when Doug said, “Forgot the straws. Go hold the elevator and I’ll catch up.” He turned back to the condiments counter and grabbed some straws and napkins. Just as he turned to leave, a strange, tingling sensation crept up and down his spine. It was the same sensation he had experienced several days ago when he and Bertie exchanged glances at the couple in the café.

  “Oh, no…” he whispered under his breath as he turned slowly and surveyed the small cafeteria. He had initially thought it was empty when he and Dean first entered, but he had been wrong. Tucked away in a corner booth, their faces turned quickly away from him when he looked sharply in their direction.

  The same couple that had unnerved him several days ago at the Heavenly Grille was now sitting in a booth at the John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital’s cafeteria. Why were they here? Doug wanted more than anything to approach them and ask them that question, but he could hear Dean calling out to him from the lobby.

  The couple’s gazes lifted and the three of them stared at one another for a long moment before Doug turned reluctantly to leave. His spine stiffened as he walked away and he turned to give the couple what he hoped was a final, warning look. He exhaled deeply as he approached Dean at the elevator.

  “Thought you’d gotten lost,” Dean teased as he stepped inside the elevator.

  “No,” Doug replied absently. “Thought I saw someone I knew.”

  As the elevator doors began to close, Doug leaned forward and saw the couple leaving the cafeteria. The woman looked back at him and offered a thin, waning smile. The man stood protectively behind her and stared blankly at Doug.

  The tingling sensation, once again, crept throughout Doug’s body as the elevator doors closed.

  CHAPTER 19

  A Warning Dream for Amanda

  Amanda’s alarm went off at its usual time, five-fifteen, on the day after Labor Day. Her shift at the café didn’t start until seven but she wanted to get there early, have some breakfast, and catch Max up on the status of the new mom and her baby. However, she decided another ten minutes of sleep would be a great way to start the day, so she fumbled in the dark for the snooze button. She fell quickly back to sleep and immediately began to dream…

  “Wake up, Princess…” Stephen whispered.

  “We don’t have much time…” Regina chimed in.

  In the dream, Amanda opened her eyes and smiled broadly when she saw her parents’ faces floating above her. “Well, hey there…so good to see you two again. Oh no, please don’t tell me there’s someone else who needs my help today?” she quipped. One look at the serious expressions on her parents’ faces brought Amanda to an upright position in the dream.

  Regina looked at Stephen and nodded for him to continue.

  “Princess, we really don’t have much time in these dreams, but you do realize that we are real, don’t you? That this is much more than just a dream, right?”

  “I’m beginning to,” Amanda answered back, “But what I really want to do is to be able to reach out and hug you both, to just talk about us, how much I miss you, how happy I am that you’re together again…stuff like that.”

  “Hopefully, ther
e will be plenty of time for that in the years to come,” Regina smiled, “But your father is right; we don’t have much time today.”

  “Okay, gotcha,” Amanda tilted her head sideways and yawned.

  “Princess,” Stephen began, “It’s very important that you keep your eyes open at all times over the next few months. Stay as close as possible to your new friend and her baby.”

  “That baby girl is just precious, by the way,” Regina added.

  Amanda grinned wide. “I know, isn’t she? Kris hasn’t picked out a name yet. They’ll be coming home tomorrow, you know.” She watched her father’s serious expression while she talked with her mother about the baby. “Sorry, Daddy…go on with what you were saying. You said I need to stay close to them. Why? Is something going to happen?”

  Stephen shook his head. “We don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, Amanda. We just know that if anything does, it is very important for you to be there.”

  “Well, that sure sounds vague and cryptic. No offense, Daddy, but that’s not much help. How about giving me a who-what-when-or-where?”

  Regina chuckled and glanced at her husband. “She sounds like you, Stephen.” She smiled again and looked down at Amanda. “I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, Amanda. We’re not sure about the who-what-when-or-where. All we can tell you is that you need to be on your guard, especially for the remainder of the year. I wish we could tell you more, but that’s really all we know ourselves right now.”

  “Hmm… maybe I should quit waitressing and join the police force,” Amanda quipped.

  “You joke, Princess,” Stephen smiled down at her, “But, actually, that might be a good career choice for you to consider.”

  “I WAS joking!” Amanda laughed back at them. “Me? A cop? Really, Daddy?”

  “Something to consider…” Stephen whispered.

  Her parents seemed to look behind them at something, or someone, who Amanda could not see or hear. When they turned back to her, their images were already beginning to fade.

  “No! Don’t go yet!” Amanda yelled out.

  Her own voice awakened her. She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. “Well, okay then. Stay close to Kris and the baby... that shouldn’t be a problem since I’ll be living in the same house with them.” She jumped out of bed, showered and dressed, and was out the door by six o’clock.

  Although the café normally did not open until seven in the morning, Max would frequently open the door early for any trucker who might be waiting in the parking lot. He knew most of them were on tight schedules to deliver their loads and he enjoyed the part he played in their lives by filling their bellies with good food and their hearts with good thoughts. Some of them may have entered the café in down or sour moods, but they always left with their emotional loads feeling much lighter than the truck loads they transported.

  Yes, Max had a soft spot for the truckers. He always felt that their occupation was greatly under-rated and, even more, under-appreciated.

  Three truckers sat at the counter on Tuesday morning after Labor Day.

  Bertie was behind the counter filling their mugs and thermoses with strong, black coffee. Max was in the kitchen, whistling the chorus of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” The tune was contagious and it wasn’t long before Bertie joined in singing the words, almost as out of key as Max was whistling them.

  The three truckers looked at one another and shrugged. “What the Hell,” one of them said. They all put down their forks and began singing along with each new verse…

  “He’s got the little bitty babies, in His hands…”

  “He’s got the wind and the rain, in His hands...”

  “He’s got everybody here, in His hands…”

  “He’s got the whole world in His hands!”

  Amanda walked through the front door just as the trucker choir finished up the last verse and chorus. She clapped her hands loudly and whistled through two fingers.

  The three truckers stood up and took exaggerated bows. One of them grinned before sitting back down. “Damn! That felt good!”

  “Well it sounded pretty darn good, too,” Amanda laughed. “Hey, Bertie! What are you doing here so early?”

  Bertie walked over to Amanda and gave her a big, good morning hug – the kind of hug that only Bertie could give. “Well, to tell you the truth, Princess, I didn’t expect to see you here this morning. You didn’t leave the hospital until after midnight. I thought you might want to sleep in a bit before heading back to the hospital.”

  “Oh, that’s sweet of you, Bertie,” Amanda smiled, taking in the calm strength that flowed from Bertie’s hug.

  “Who’s in the hospital?” one of the burly truckers asked.

  Amanda paused for a moment before answering. “My…umm… sister had a baby girl last night!”

  “That’s great! Is the baby okay?” another trucker asked.

  “Oh, yes!” Amanda beamed. “The baby is absolutely perfect. Seven pounds, two ounces, eighteen inches long, and a head full of red hair just like her mama.”

  “What about the Daddy?” the third trucker asked. “Is he in the picture?”

  Bertie punched the third trucker on the shoulder as she moved behind the counter once again. “Well, now, ain’t you the nosy one, Joe!” she teased back at him. “But to answer your question…no, that gem of a man actually abandoned the mother while she was pregnant…in a damn parking lot, no less!”

  “Son-of-a-bitch,” the first trucker whispered under his breath. He knew Max didn’t appreciate cursing in the café. “Well, then…” he looked at the other two truckers who were nodding their heads in silent agreement about something. “Bertie, you happen to have an extra mason jar somewhere?”

  Bertie produced one from under the counter. “Just so happens, I do.” She plopped it on the counter, already reading the truckers’ intentions.

  Each of the truckers reached into their wallets and tossed a ten-dollar bill into the jar. “That should get the baby fund started. You just leave that jar on the counter, Bertie, and we’ll get the word out to the other truckers. Amanda, you’ll see that your sister and her baby get the money, right?”

  Amanda stared in awe, momentarily speechless at the trucker’s generosity and what it would mean to Kris and the baby. “Oh, yes…” she said, unable to stop a tear from rolling down her cheek. “Thank you all, so much… you don’t know how much this will mean to her.” She gave each of them a hug as they threw more money on the counter to pay their tabs.

  “You take care now, little girl,” the largest of the three truckers said. “We’ve gotta roll now, but we’ll stop back in on our turnaround and see how that jar is holding out.”

  “Drive safe, boys!” Bertie yelled after them as they left the café.

  “Wow!” Amanda said. “Can you believe that? Those guys are just awesome. I can’t believe it. What a nice thing to do.”

  Bertie was already making a sign for the jar. When she was finished, she placed it by the cash register. “Would be nice if we could put the baby’s name on the jar…”

  Amanda laughed as she hugged Bertie again and made her way to the kitchen for a quick bite of breakfast. “Kris has promised to decide on a name today. I’ll be going to the hospital as soon as my shift is over.”

  “You go any time you want to, Princess. We’ve got things covered here,” Bertie offered, following close behind her.

  “Thanks, Bertie,” Amanda sighed as she remembered her father’s warning in the dream to stay close to Kris and the baby. “You know…maybe I will leave a little early today.” She didn’t see the worried look that passed between Max and Bertie.

  “I think that’s a really good idea,” Bertie said as she and Amanda entered the kitchen.

  “Something sure smells good,” Amanda said as she went over and gave Max a quick hug. “Oh, look, Bertie! He made S-O-S this morning! This is Kris’ favorite breakfast!”

  Max nodded and smiled at the young woman who had captu
red a forever place in his huge heart. “That’s exactly why I made it. Thought you might want to run up to the hospital this morning to…check on things…and take Kris some real food to eat.”

  Amanda wondered if it was her imagination, but Max sounded as cautious with his words this morning as her father had sounded in the dream. “You know, I think that’s probably a good idea,” she said pressing her lips together. “I should get up there and…check on things…”

  Max and Bertie shared another look over Amanda’s head.

  “By the way,” Amanda said, “Were the truckers the only customers this morning?”

  “So far,” Bertie nodded. “Why do you ask?”

  Amanda poured a large cup of coffee into the Styrofoam cup. “Well, there was a dark sedan in the parking lot when I got here. There was a couple sitting inside it, but I didn’t know if they were coming in or leaving. Hmm…must have been leaving since they’re not here now.”

  Max and Bertie shared one final glance at each other before Max began preparing the take-out breakfast for Amanda and Kris.

  “What do you say we get you on the road now, Amanda?” Max smiled. “I think you should just take the entire day off and spend it with Kris and the baby. It’ll do all of you good to be together.”

  “But…” Amanda stuttered.

  “No, Max is right,” Bertie said. “I’ve got your shift covered and Doug will be in later to help out, too. I think it’s important for Kris to know that she’s got someone there for her.”

  Bertie walked to the front door and looked out onto the empty parking lot. She shivered involuntarily as a squeamish uneasiness quelled inside her.

  “Well, if you’re sure it’s okay…I’d love to spend the day with them,” Amanda laughed.

  Max quickly loaded her arms with the take-out breakfasts.

  “Okay, I’m loaded down with goodies,” Amanda laughed again as she made her way to the front door. “Are you sure about this, Bertie?”

  “Oh, I’m more than sure, Princess. You go ahead now and feed our new mama. She’s going to need her strength.” Bertie gave Amanda a quick hug before shooing her out the door. “Drive safe now, you hear?”