by Linda Bleser
Kate tried to keep Nellie on track before she had to face Tate. “The lights flashed,” she coaxed gently. “And then what?”
Nellie tugged on her apron strings. “And there was a sizzling sound. Did I mention the sizzling sound?”
“Yes.”
“And then all the lights went out. Just like that.” Nellie snapped her fingers for emphasis. “Everyone was looking around and I was trying to remember where the fuse box was, when just then Ed Tate came in.”
Nellie scrunched up her face as if smelling something unpleasant. “I don’t know why he’s taken such a shine to this place all of a sudden. He never came in here when your mother was alive!”
Kate knew what his sudden interest was all about, but she kept it to herself.
“So anyways,” Nellie continued, “he claimed he’d warned you about getting that electrical problem looked at and said now he had no choice but to call in the inspector. He made everyone leave. Including me! That’s when I called you.”
“So he’s inside now with the electrical inspector?”
Nellie nodded, her head bobbing up and down. “Those popovers are going to be ruined.”
Popovers were the least of Kate’s problems. “I’ll take care of it,” she said, giving Nellie a reassuring pat on her shoulder before turning to go inside.
The last person she wanted to deal with was Ed Tate. Especially knowing what she knew now about his lies. But she had to put that aside. Right now the business was more important.
She stepped inside and saw Ed Tate in a huddled conversation with a man who looked vaguely familiar.
Ed made the introductions. “Kate, you remember Chuck Hitchcock, don’t you?”
Once she heard the name, she remembered Chuck. He’d been a skinny, sniveling kid who’d always hung at the fringes of Ed’s crowd of friends. He was one of those eternally simpering boys who’d do anything to be accepted. From the way his eyes kept flicking to Deputy Ed, he hadn’t changed. Kate held out her hand and received a limp handshake in return.
“What’s the problem here?” she asked, trying to keep her voice calm.
“Looks like you’ve got a short in the wiring somewhere,” Chuck said, glancing at Ed, then back to his metal clipboard. He looked everywhere but at Kate.
Ed shook his head and pursed his lips. “I told you to have that wiring looked at,” he said. “An electrical short is nothing to fool around with.”
He drew Kate aside and whispered conspiratorially. “Look, Chuck is an old buddy of mine. I think I can get this taken care of without having to close you down. For old times’ sake,” he said with a sly wink.
Kate fought down the urge to gag. She knew a shakedown when she saw it. “For old times’ sake? And just what would you expect in return for this little favor?”
“Now, Kate. Would I expect anything in return?” He drew her close, a lecherous smile on his face. “Of course, if you changed your mind about the reunion…”
Kate could feel his breath on her face, a sour mixture of hot dogs, chili beans and bravado. He tried to pull her closer and she had all she could do to keep from pushing him away.
“We had some good times,” he said. “What’s the harm in having a little fun while you’re here? We can pick up where we left off.”
That was about all she could take. Her anger reached the boiling point and she pushed him away. “Oh, I know where we left off, all right,” she hissed, barely keeping the contempt from her voice. “We left off with you lying to me and spreading rumors all over town to make up for the fact that I didn’t want you then. And guess what? I don’t want you now either. So you can take your ‘help’ and cart it the hell out of here. I don’t need your help and I don’t want to see your lying face in here again!”
Ed stared at her, his eyes narrowing dangerously. But now that she’d started she couldn’t stop. “Oh, and you might want to watch your backside, since Max and I compared notes.” She jabbed her finger into his chest, forcing him to step away from her. “He’s not real happy about your lies either, I can tell you that. And once I report that you’re using your badge to intimidate people, you’ll be out of a job too!”
Ed gave her a challenging look. “Try it,” he growled then turned his back on her. “Close them down,” he ordered the inspector.
“What?!” Kate followed him, screaming at his back. “You can’t do that!”
He signed the papers on Chuck’s clipboard with a flourish, not even looking at her. “I just did.”
He handed her the paper and puffed out his chest importantly. “For the safety and welfare of the customers, I have no alternative but to shut you down. You have until Monday to bring the wiring up to code. At that time, if it fails to pass inspection again, the Tea and Crumpet Shop will be closed permanently.”
“This isn’t about the shop,” Kate shouted, grabbing his arm and spinning him around. “It’s about you not getting what you want. You haven’t changed, have you? You’re the same manipulative, vindictive bully you were back in high school.”
“Maybe,” he replied. His voice lowered ominously, “But I’m also the one wearing a badge, and if you don’t want to be charged with assaulting an officer of the law as well, you’d better keep your hands to yourself, little lady.”
He started to leave then turned and gave her a victorious smile. “Oh, and you can expect to be hearing from our lawyers too.”
“About what? That ridiculous claim that your mother owns half of this property? Is that what this is all about?”
Ed smiled. “That ‘ridiculous claim’, as you call it, will be settled in a court of law.” He turned his back on her dismissively. “You’ll be sorry you didn’t accept my help,” he called over his shoulder.
“Bastard,” Kate hissed as the door slammed shut behind him, before spinning on her heel and reaching for the phone.
*
From the window, Sue watched Max going about his chores outside. He’d been working nonstop since dinner, obviously fueled by anger and frustration. At the rate he was going, he could single-handedly rebuild the whole ranch before sun-up.
“Mom, can I go help Uncle Max feed the critters?”
Sue turned to her son. Bobby was itching from sitting still too long. He liked to keep busy, just like his uncle. “The doc said to take it easy tonight.”
Pouting, Bobby went back to his puzzle. “I’m fine now,” he mumbled, half-heartedly trying to fit two pieces together.
Sue smiled, letting him grumble. She knew it wouldn’t last long. His naturally sunny disposition would break through like sunshine after a storm. His father had been like that too at one time. Until he decided that raising a child with Bobby’s needs was too much to handle, and the daily grind of working on the ranch started wearing him down. After awhile she’d forgotten the man he used to be, the man she fell in love with. She’d forgotten his smile and tenderness, and only saw the tired, worn-down man who couldn’t take anymore. Then one day he’d driven into town for some supplies and kept right on going. That was the last they’d seen of him.
She knew what it was like to be left behind. She knew how hard it must be for Max to see Kate again, only to wonder if she’d leave just like last time. Sue couldn’t bear to see her brother in that kind of pain again. Everything was just fine the way it was, with just her father, brother and son. They didn’t need anyone else around.
The ringing phone startled her out of her thoughts. “I’ve got it,” she called before Bobby could snatch it up.
When she heard Kate’s voice on the other end, Sue felt a quick flash of guilt, almost as though Kate had somehow read her thoughts. She kept her voice pleasant but couldn’t quell the building sense of resentment.
“Max is out working in the barn,” she told Kate. “I’ll tell him you called.” If it were anyone else, Sue would have run out and told Max right then. But she didn’t want Kate taking him away tonight. Or any night, for that matter. And she didn’t want the two of them getting any closer t
han they already had. It was better for Max that way, she convinced herself. Better for everyone concerned.
Without the slightest twinge of guilt, she conveniently forgot to write down Kate’s message.
*
With nothing left to do at the shop, Kate locked the doors and sent everyone home, assuring them it would reopen as soon as possible. On the drive home, she went over the strange series of events. She remembered the first time the lights had flickered in the shop. It was when she’d touched her mother’s cup and felt that first vague hum coming from it. Since then, of course, the cup had found its voice.
Nellie had said the second time the lights flickered she’d been sure she’d heard Lillian call out. Maybe the electrical problem was some kind of supernatural occurrence rather than a physical one. Given a choice, Kate would prefer something that could be fixed rather than a muddled haunting. If her mother was trying to reach them from the other side, she was doing a lousy job of it.
As she opened the front door, Kate heard the phone ringing. She lunged for it, hoping it was Max. It wasn’t, but she was just as grateful to hear her brother’s voice on the other end of the line.
“Jeff! How’s the cruise?”
“Wonderful! You wouldn’t believe the food. I think I’ve already gained twenty pounds. Sally and I are having a wonderful time and I can’t thank you enough for holding down the fort so we could have a honeymoon.”
Kate had to strain to hear him, but the contentment in his voice was evident. “You sound good,” she said.
“I am. We should have done this years ago.”
Kate knew the reason he hadn’t, and wondered if she should even bring up the latest battle in the Feathers-Tate feud or just let him enjoy the few remaining days of his honeymoon.
“How are things going there?” he asked, as if reading her mind.
She decided to give him the condensed version. “Nothing I can’t handle. We have a little electrical problem at the shop that needs looking into.”
“Have Max check it out,” Jeff said. “He’ll know what to look for and have it fixed in no time. He’s good with his hands.”
That phrase conjured images Kate wasn’t sure she wanted to deal with at the moment. “I’ll do that in the morning,” she assured her brother. Then, before their call could be cut short, she decided to ask him if he’d ever heard anything about their father’s name being on the property title.
“Not that I know of,” Jeff said. “Of course, I was pretty young when he left us. But I’m sure Mom would have said something.”
Kate nodded, cradling the phone to her ear. “Yeah, I’m sure she would have.” There was no sense spoiling her brother’s honeymoon with the problem. There was nothing he could do from there. She’d deal with it, and hopefully by the time Jeff and Sally returned, it would all be settled and they’d have a good laugh over the whole misunderstanding.
They chatted for a few more minutes and Jeff promised to get in touch at the next port of call. Kate said goodbye, assuring him once again that she had everything under control.
If only that were true.
Rather than worry about something she had, in fact, no control over, Kate made herself a sandwich and grabbed a paperback novel off a shelf. There was nothing more she could do tonight. Tomorrow was soon enough to start calling electricians—assuming she could find one who worked on Sundays. She’d probably end up paying triple to get the job done, but she had no choice with Tate’s Monday deadline looming.
Chapter Twelve
Kate woke up to the aroma of cinnamon and brown sugar. She rubbed her eyes and smiled, listening to the comforting bustling sounds in the kitchen. She felt lazy and dreamy, but knew she’d have to get up soon or she’d be late for school.
She blinked her eyes open. School? She shook dreamy cobwebs from her mind, slowly remembering where she was and why she was sleeping in her old bed again. As she came awake, the homey sounds of cooking and singing drifted in from the other side of her closed door. If not her mother, then who was in the kitchen?
Wearing just the boxers and Arizona Sun Devils T-shirt she’d fallen asleep in, Kate opened the bedroom door a crack and peeked out, surprised to see Nellie bustling around the kitchen.
“Did I wake you, sweetheart?”
Kate turned a bleary eye to the kitchen clock. Five-thirty. “No, I was just going to get up,” she lied, rubbing her eyes. “What are you doing here?”
Nellie opened the oven and pulled out a tray of cinnamon rolls. “Getting ready to open,” she said.
Kate blinked. “Open what?”
“Why, open for business of course! The popovers were ruined, just like I said they would be. But I made lemon pound cake instead. That’s always a big seller.”
“How…how did you get in here?”
“Oh,” Nellie said innocently. “I have a key. Did I forget to tell you?”
Kate joined Nellie and flopped onto a kitchen chair. It was too early in the morning to think. She only had one brain cell working and it was busy firing the “breathe in, breathe out” command. She’d make sense of this later. Right now she needed coffee.
As if answering a prayer, Nellie set a steaming cup on the table in front of her. Kate grunted and reached gratefully for it. Too late, she realized three things.
First, it was her mother’s cup.
Second, it wasn’t coffee.
And third, shimmering on the surface of the liquid, her mother’s face was staring back at her.
Kate jerked back from the cup as if it was alive. Hot tea sloshed in the saucer and the ghostly image dissolved in a liquid ripple. She shook her head, mumbling, “This is why I’m not a morning person.”
With trepidation, Kate leaned forward, hovering over the cup. She held her breath and peeked inside. Amber swirls undulated over the surface. The scent of chamomile tickled her senses, warm and sweet and soothing. Her mother had vanished—if she was ever there to begin with. Still, it seemed rude to take a sip now.
The mirage—for that’s surely what it was—had simply been a trick of the light, combined with stress and too little sleep. Yeah, that was it.
Pushing the cup away, Kate glanced around the kitchen. There were cinnamon rolls and muffins and cakes and crumpets on every spare inch of counter space. She narrowed her eyes. “Where’s my new coffee pot?”
“I had to put it away,” Nellie said briskly. “I needed the room. Besides, we wouldn’t want the customers to see a coffee pot in here! It wouldn’t be good for business, now would it?”
“Customers? Oh no.” Kate shook her head. “No, no, no, no, no. We are not doing business from here.”
Nellie turned, giving her a sweet, indulgent smile. “Of course we are, dear. We can’t let people down. Everyone looks forward to their daily tea and crumpets.”
“But it’s Sunday,” Kate said, hearing the whine in her voice.
Nellie simply nodded. “Sunday is our busiest day.”
Kate lowered her head into her hands. Who said life was simple in the country? With a sigh, she answered her own unspoken question—city people who don’t know any better.
“You should get dressed, dear,” Nellie said. “We open at seven.” She turned back to the counter, swirling creamy white icing over the warm cinnamon buns as if it were the most natural thing in the world to conduct business out of Lillian’s kitchen.
“I need a shower,” Kate said. She dumped the cooled tea into the sink, rinsed the cup and set it upside-down in the strainer. Hopefully it wouldn’t start singing and give Nellie a heart attack.
Fifteen minutes later, showered and reluctantly awake, Kate felt ready to handle whatever the day had in store for her. At least that’s what she thought. However, she wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of tea-seekers who showed up promptly at seven, complete with Madame Zostra in full gypsy regalia.
Nellie had set up folding metal TV trays, and the Tea and Crumpet Shop regulars were perched on couches and chairs throughout the living room, di
ning room and even the kitchen. No one seemed to mind the cramped accommodations. For a fleeting second, Kate wondered whether Nellie included some secret addictive ingredient in her crumpets. What else would explain a craving so compelling that customers would crowd her living space for their daily fix?
And just when it seemed things couldn’t get any worse, a courier showed up at the door with an official letter. True to his word, Ed Tate was serving notice of a property claim. Not just the property, Kate realized. According to the legal documents in her hand, the “real property” in question consisted of the land and anything permanently affixed to it—which meant the shop as well.
Kate read through the legal mumbo-jumbo, a sense of foreboding settling in her stomach. In the matter of the disposition of real property jointly titled to Jebediah and Lillian Feathers, both deceased…
From what Kate could see, Ginny Tate was suing for half ownership of the business as her rightful share of Jebediah’s estate. That would leave the remaining fifty percent to be split three ways between Kate, Jeff and Max, according to Lillian’s will.
It didn’t help Kate to realize that all this could have been avoided if she’d given Ed Tate what he wanted in the first place. Apparently hell also hath no fury like a deputy scorned.
The more Kate thought about it, the madder she became. She was in no frame of mind to be diplomatic when Deputy Ed showed up.
She met him at the door.
He glanced over her shoulder and shook his head. “You can’t run a business in a residential neighborhood, you know.”
“I’m not running a business,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest and putting on her most innocent expression. “We’re just having a few friends over. That’s not against the law, is it?”
His eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Kate turned and called over her shoulder. “Was anyone asked to pay for anything here?”
A chorus of “no’s” rang out. That was true. Kate and Nellie had decided to open the doors to anyone who showed up asking why the shop was closed. Taking money in her mother’s own kitchen would have seemed sacrilegious. Rather than turn anyone away, they’d served complimentary tea and crumpets to customers all morning, promising that the business would be up and running again by Monday morning.