by Linda Style
Ed stood behind the old wood bar like a barker at the state fair, trying to talk over all the noise and the country music playing in the background. A large sign in red and yellow hung above the bar, announcing the Tenth Annual Chili Cook-off. Chinese lanterns shaped like red chili peppers crisscrossed the high-ceilinged rooms. On top of the bar were ten or twelve pots of chili of different colors and consistencies. Some had little chili-pepper signs designating the hotness—from one chili pepper to five, and after that flames. Smaller bowls of diced green onion, cheese and crackers took up the rest of the space on the bar.
“Everyone make sure you have the sheet of paper that has the numbers on it,” Ed went on. “Each pot has a number. As you taste one chili, you give it a rating from one to ten next to the pot’s number. There are extra stars for some that you think go over the top. But you can only use up to three stars on the whole sheet. The prize is over there.” He pointed to a giant gold-plated chili pepper with names of past winners written on the sides. The winner got to keep the pepper until the next contest. “Beer is in the keg. This is a help-yourself night.” He raised his hands. “So, go to it.”
Serena smiled; then, while everyone sidled up to the bar for chili, she grabbed a beer and sat in the end booth with Travis and Natalia. “So where’s your fiancé tonight, Trav?” Natalia asked.
He shrugged. “Something came up.”
Serena frowned. She had a feeling Travis was getting the runaround from Miranda Dooley, his intended. Serena had seen the girl dancing with Cole, and she sure didn’t look like a woman who wanted to get married. “It happens,” Serena said.
Just then Sam showed up and ambled over.
“I did the vortex tour,” he said proudly, adjusting his headband. “And I smoked it. The people loved the tour and handed me a twenty-dollar tip.” He grinned from ear to ear.
Serena gave him a fist bump. “Awright, Sam! Way to go.” He was so cute in his camouflage shirt and safari pants she wished he was older. Not for the first time.
Sam turned to Travis. “You’re the vet, aren’t you?”
Trav nodded. “That’s me.”
“I met one of your sisters,” Sam said. “Ginny. Is she coming tonight?”
Ginny was way older than Sam, and Serena hoped he wasn’t looking for romance from the woman. Not to mention Ginny was a snot. Which Serena had known long before she’d heard Ginny had been with Cole that night thirteen years ago. Ginny had to be the most self-absorbed person on the planet.
“Nope. Ginny can’t make it tonight,” Trav said. “You’re working for Ryan and Cole, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Sam Sinclair.”
Travis’s eyes lit up like his smile. After a second, he said, “Well, good luck.”
“Thanks,” Sam said. “I heard you have a really big family, four brothers and three sisters.”
Trav seemed surprised as all get-out. Serena was, too.
“Uh, yeah,” Trav muttered. “How—”
“You’re lucky. I always wanted brothers and sisters,” Sam cut in, then quickly turned. “Hey, Serena, which chili is yours?”
She huffed indignantly. “I can’t tell you that. It would defeat the whole purpose. No one is supposed to know whose is whose. That’s why they’re all in the same kind of pot.”
“Ah. I get it.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Okay, I’ll check it out.” He offered a peace salute and was off. At the same time, Cole walked in and slapped Sam on the back. They talked for a moment, then both went to the chili bar. Cole, dressed in jeans and a black long-sleeved sweater, looked directly at Serena…and smiled. Dimples and all. She continued to mull over what Travis had said to Sam. You work for Ryan and Cole. But Cole worked for Ryan, too. She wondered how long Cole would stay to help Ryan out. Surely he had a job to go back to.
Serena’s phone rang. She didn’t recognize the ID and her stomach clenched when she thought it might be Brody again. “Hello.” She got up and went to stand outside, where it was quiet.
“Is this Serena Matlock?” a woman inquired.
“It is. Who’s calling?”
“Lucy Xantos. I’m phoning for Ryan.”
The knot in Serena’s stomach grew tighter. “Hi, Lucy.” She had no idea how Lucy had gotten her cell number. “So, why are you calling me? Have you tried Ryan’s phone?”
“I did, and he doesn’t answer.”
Annoyed, Serena said, “Well, try again. He’s not here.” She clicked off and immediately felt guilty. She should’ve at least tried to be friendly. But her intuition told her Lucy wasn’t good for Ryan, and the fact that she wanted to move in made Serena even more concerned that Lucy was using Ryan. They barely knew each other and she wanted to move in.
Serena went back inside and sat across from Natalia, who shoved back her bowl of chili and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing that I know of. That was Ryan’s girlfriend, Lucy. She called to see if I knew where he was.”
“Do you?”
“No. But that’s no surprise these days. The only person who’s talked to him of late is Cole—or Sam.” She shoved a hand through her hair. “It’s as if he suddenly wants nothing to do with me.”
“Isn’t he busy trying to make the business work?”
“That’s what he says.” She folded her hands in front of her on the table.
“Well, there you go.”
Right. But ever since the sheriff’s visit, she’d wondered if there was another kind of business Ryan had going. As she glanced up, she saw Cole walking toward her. She’d been wondering the same about Cole.
Cole eyed the only open spot, which was at a table next to Serena’s booth, but before he got there, someone else slid into it. Travis, who was sitting across from Serena, made an excuse, stood and went off, which left two spaces at the table. “Do you mind?” Cole said, knowing Serena wouldn’t make a scene in front of others. She might get up and leave, but she wouldn’t make a scene.
“Go ahead,” she said, and Cole saw Natalia’s eyes widen, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
He didn’t know Natalia well at all, but Mac had told him a lot about her. From what he’d heard, he could easily understand why she and Serena were good friends.
“Thanks,” he said as he took the seat. He’d wanted to talk to her about Ryan, but hadn’t known when to. This seemed the perfect opportunity. As much as he hated to rat out a friend, he thought Serena should be aware what was going on. He set his tray, holding seven tiny paper cups of chili and a beer, on the table. “Did you ladies vote already?”
“Serena hasn’t,” Natalia piped up.
“That’s because I already know which one is the best.”
“Oh, no. You have to taste.” Natalia motioned for Serena to let her out. “I’ll get you some.”
“I’m not hungry,” Serena said.
“You can taste mine if you want,” Cole suggested.
“Just get an extra score sheet.”
“Excellent thinking,” Natalia said as she hurried off. Cole had the feeling she couldn’t wait to get out of there. And he was getting the same vibe from Serena.
“This is good,” Cole said. “Serena, it’s time we talked.”
The second the words left his lips, he saw her shoulders go up. “About Ryan,” he added quickly. Though he had a lot to say about other things, too.
“Ryan?”
Just then the music ramped up. “When the song is over,” he said. “The music is too loud. Let’s sample the chili first.”
She didn’t answer, but appeared agreeable, so he grabbed a clean spoon from the bucket on the table that held plastic utensils and napkins and handed it to her. Afer sharing a sample of each, he pointed to number five. “This is the best. I don’t even need to taste any of the rest.”
“Yes, you do. It’s not fair if you don’t.”
“Not fair?”
“Yes. You haven’t tasted mine yet.”
H
e laughed, and suddenly, she laughed, too. A silly little moment that broke the tension between them…and tapped into a cache of hidden emotions. Feelings he’d never had with anyone else.
He knew then that no matter what he’d told himself, he had never let go of his dream that someday he and Serena would get back together. His stupid-kid dream. And now he had to let it go, or he’d forever be living in the past. The music stopped.
Serena looked at him and said, “So, what about Ryan?”
He leaned forward, arms crossed on the table. “I know many years have gone by since I’ve seen Ryan, and I realize people change, but…well, his behavior just seems really off. He shows up late, forgets to do things, he has some really questionable friends and I’ve seen him popping pills I know aren’t breath mints.”
She kept looking at him, but didn’t say a word, so he went on. “As Ryan’s friend, I thought I should say something. And there is the business to consider. I’m afraid he’ll do something to put it in further jeopardy.”
Narrowing her gaze, she pulled back. Sat up straight. “In further jeopardy? He told me it was doing well.”
“It is. But if he continues as he is, it won’t be.”
“I appreciate your interest in Ryan and his business, but what do you think I can do?”
“You can get him some help.”
She sighed. “He’d never agree.”
“You don’t think he needs help?”
Glancing away, she waited a moment, then said, “I don’t know what he needs. But when I figure it out, I’ll do it.” She turned back to him. “Anyway, it’s really not your concern.”
The skin on the back of Cole’s neck prickled. “Really not my concern? How do you figure that?”
“Because you were supposed to be Ryan’s friend and you blew him off for thirteen years. Now you’re helping him out, but that doesn’t make up for all those lost years. And when you leave—which could be any time, for all I know—he’ll have to sink or swim on his own.”
Her eyes sought his. “If you keep helping him, he’s going to depend on you. He needs to be able to do it on his own.”
“And if he isn’t successful?”
She fiddled with the napkin.
“If the business tanks, he’s not the only loser,” Cole added.
She frowned, pushed back against the booth. “The only other loser would be Sam, and he has no plans to make this job a career anyway.”
Oh, man. Ryan hadn’t told her his mom had cosigned on the loan. He took a swig of beer and leaned back in his seat.
“It’s really great of you to help him, but you’re probably just delaying the inevitable.”
He sat up straight. “Sounds like you don’t have a very high opinion of your brother’s abilities.”
She glanced down, as if embarrassed. “I didn’t mean it that way. I’ve been disappointed so many times I’ve come to expect it.”
“Understandable. And also a good reason for you to do something now. Give him the chance to succeed. From what I see, he doesn’t believe he can, so he sabotages himself.”
“I can’t force him to get help.”
He eyed her. “Maybe you should do an intervention?”
She shoved her beer away. “Maybe I should go.”
She got up and went outside, and heard footsteps behind her. “Wait, Serena,” Natalia said.
She stopped just outside the door and recounted the whole conversation to Natalia.
“It makes sense,” Natalia said. “Cole is around Ryan more than anyone these days. He knows what’s going on.”
“But I know Ryan. He’ll just leave. It won’t matter who’s there.”
“Even your mom? Cole’s mom? You, me, Tori…Cole? We could all be there.”
“You sound like you know all about interventions.”
Natalia waited a moment, shuffled her feet. “I do. I’ve been there, and they work.”
“But doesn’t the person have to be willing?”
“That’s the whole point. No one ever is. That’s what the intervention does. A group of people who care about the person lets him know he’s hurting more people than himself, and they won’t put up with it anymore. Like I said, it works. I’ve seen it.”
Serena sighed, then leaned against the brick building.
“You need to learn about it. I know someone in Prescott. I’ll have him call you.”
She shook her head. “No. I’ll do some research on my own and think about it.”
“Okay. I’ll give you this man’s name. Look him up on the Internet, and if you decide to go ahead, just let me know.”
She nodded. “I will.”
“Now let’s go back inside and find out who’s going to go home with that trophy. And until they make the announcement, I’m up for another game of pool. Maybe we can find a taker.”
“Fine. As long as it’s not Cole.”
CHAPTER TEN
THE NEXT MORNING, as she was sweeping off the veranda before opening the café, Serena mulled over the information she’d found on the Internet the previous night. If she did an intervention, there was no guarantee it would work, no guarantee it would change anything except get Ryan so worked up he’d never want to speak to her again. Maybe she did need to talk to someone.
She made a mental note to call the number on the Web site and get more information. As she finished up and was about to go inside, Sam pulled up on a Harley. She waited for him to remove his helmet. “Hey, Sam. What’s up?”
He got off the bike and walked toward her. “Got some coffee?”
“I do if you can wait a minute or two. I’m just now opening up.”
“Sure.”
Following her inside, he said, “Sorry you didn’t win the trophy last night.”
She laughed. “If you’d been here longer, you’d know that Tom wins every year.”
He sat on a stool at the counter. “Nothing fancy for me. Just something to put into my cup to take along this morning.” He held up an oversize thermal cup. “I stayed at the Blue Moon too late last night and I have two back-to-back tours if Ryan can’t make it.”
She turned. “What do you mean, if he doesn’t make it? Why wouldn’t he?”
He shrugged, shook his head and waved a hand as if to dismiss what he’d said. “No reason. Just…just a figure of speech.”
Placing her hands on her hips, she stood in front of him. “No, it wasn’t. What did you mean?”
When he hesitated, she said, “No coffee until you tell me.”
“Okay. He’s missed a few tours. I guess he’s having some kind of personal problems. It’s no big deal. I like to do the tours. More tips for me.”
“A few tours. How many? When was the last one?”
He scratched his head, obviously wishing he’d never opened his big mouth. “It’s all right,” Serena reassured him. “You’re not saying anything I’m not already aware of.”
“He hasn’t done any since right after I started. Cole and I handle most all the tours.”
“And what’s Ryan doing when you two are doing that?”
Sam shook his head again. “I can’t say. I haven’t seen him for days. He never comes to the store. But I think Cole has seen him.”
Great. Just great. But why hadn’t Cole told her last night? Even as she asked herself the question, she knew the answer. Cole would know she’d be disappointed—he was trying to spare her that. “Well, thanks for telling me.” She took Sam’s thermal cup and went over to fill it.
“Travis Gentry seems like a nice guy,” he said out of the blue. “I like his sister Ginny, too.”
She started pouring the coffee, but stopped and glanced at Sam. “She’s too old for you.”
At that, he guffawed. “Oh, man. That’s so totally outrageous.” Then he quickly sobered. “You, like, didn’t think that, did you?”
Now she felt stupid. “No, I didn’t, like, think it,” she said, repeating his speech pattern.
“Whew,” he said, then swiped a h
and across his forehead in mock relief. “That would be too weird.”
“Why? She’s pretty.”
“No. Believe me. That would be weird.”
“Well, then you better stop asking so many questions about her. And the whole Gentry family, for that matter.” She waited a moment. “Why are you so interested in them?”
He shrugged. “Is my coffee ready?”
She handed the mug to him but didn’t let go. “You didn’t answer my question.”
Sighing, he said, “No real reason. They just seem like the people who kind of would know everything about the town and the people here. Like from years ago and all that historical stuff.”
She frowned and leaned on the counter in front of him. “Stuff like who might’ve had a baby twenty-two years ago?”
He swallowed and his cheeks turned pink. Then he stood, fumbled to get his money from his pocket and laid a five-dollar bill on the counter. “Thanks for the coffee.”
When he started to leave, she said, “It’s okay, Sam. If it were me, I’d want to know, too.”
He looked at her, his puppy-dog eyes filled with uncertainty. “You—you won’t say anything, will you?”
She made a zipper motion across her lips. “Sealed forever.”
As he left, she couldn’t help but wonder who in town, besides her, had given up a child for adoption.
COLE WENT INTO THE KITCHEN, lured by the scent of his mother’s strong chicory coffee. She was sitting at the table reading the morning paper—a familiar scene from when he was a kid, and one he remembered fondly.
“Good morning,” she said.
“It will be as soon as I have a jolt of caffeine to wake me up.”
“That’s what you get for staying out late and partying with those rowdies at the bar.”
“Excuse me? Moi? I was with the town’s most upstanding citizens, and we were testing chili, not partying.” The highlight of his evening had been talking with Serena, even if the subject wasn’t the most pleasant. He’d been more disappointed than she was when she didn’t win the chili contest.
His mother gave him a knowing look. “If that’s true, this town is in trouble.”
“Nothing new there.”