“Sit, dearie. You look like you need a break.” Sally Munroe waved at the bench opposite her in the booth by the window.
“I really shouldn’t Mrs. Munroe. I still have some customers to take care of.”
“Jessica!” Sally called to the owner behind the counter.
Jessica sauntered over with a resigned look. “Can I help you, Sally?”
“Yes, you can stop overworking this young woman.” Sally was adamant.
Jessica held up both hands. “I try to tell her to take breaks, too, Sally. She only listens to me when she wants to.” She turned to Lucy. “It’s your scheduled break time. I’ll take care of those old farts.” She tossed her thumb over her shoulder at the four elderly men at the next table.
One of the retirees lingering over his third coffee refill said, “Who are you callin’ old, Jessie Samuels?”
“I’m sayin’ you are, Dick Fogerty. I went to school with your kids, so you’re automatically old.” She had a smile on her face.
Two of the other elderly men in the booth cackled. One of them said, “She got you there, Dickie.” Then he turned to Jessica, “Now, me, I’m not so old. If you ever want to throw over than young pup in the kitchen…”
“As if that’ll ever happen, Stu, you old lecher.” Jessica sauntered over to the group with a mock stern look and a full coffee pot. She pointed at the clock. “It just turned ten. If you fellows want more coffee…”
“Yeah, we know Jess.” Dick said. He took a ten out of his wallet. “My treat today, guys.”
Sally said, “I don’t know about those four. They should have better things to do than sit around and gossip and flirt with the young women.”
Lucy fixed up the coffee that Jessica had put in front of her. “Oh, I don’t know. They’re nicer about it than some of the young guys.”
“Well, I suppose.”
“And Jessica gives as good as she gets. Alec likes listening to her give them a hard time.”
Sally gave Lucy the once-over. “Removing the extra jewellery was a good idea. You’re a lot prettier that way.”
Lucy raised an eyebrow. “Thanks, I think.”
“No, I mean it. You’ve got a very pretty face, but the lip ring just put people off.”
Lucy started to get up.
“Oh, listen to me. I’m sorry if I’m touching a sore spot.”
Lucy relaxed back into the seat. “It’s okay.”
“I probably sounded like your mother or some other relative you don’t like. Well, I could use being old as an excuse but I’ve just never been very diplomatic. My Stuart used to say he could taste shoe leather every time he kissed me.”
Lucy laughed. “Well, at least I don’t need to wonder what you’re thinking.”
Sally asked, “Would you be a dear and open my jam for me? The shakes are a bit worse today than usual.”
Lucy opened the jam and carefully set it within an easy reach.
“I like that about you, Lucy.”
Lucy stopped her cup halfway to her mouth. “What?”
“That you don’t do any more than I ask you to. My kids are all thinking I have one foot in the grave and need to have everything done for me.”
“I think you look a hundred percent better since you started coming for breakfast with us.”
“I feel better, too. The walk gets my blood moving and it’s good exercise for my hip. And Alec gets my egg exactly right. I can’t really cook much anymore and microwave stuff isn’t the same.”
Lucy sipped her coffee as the old woman very carefully spread the entire contents of jam packet on her one slice of toast. There was a short silence as a look of pleasure came over Sally’s face with the first bite.
“I always did love my sweets.” Sally put down her toast with two bites taken from it. “Now, you don’t seem your normal cheerful self today. What’s the matter?”
Having told John and his guests last evening and Jessica and Alec that morning, it was much easier for her to give the story of the custody petition in a very bare bones way.
Sally nodded thoughtfully as she listened while Lucy gave her story. Finally she asked, “You wouldn’t keep them from seeing their grandchild?”
“As angry as I am with them, I’m tempted. But I don’t think I could. Nick’s daughter deserves to know her grandparents. I owe my own grandfather too much to deprive my daughter of their company.”
“Everett was a fine man but not very worldly. His wife was a high society miss from Boston and I think that mother of yours got the worst of both of them.”
“You knew them?”
“Yes, I told you that I knew the Eldritch boys. Everett’s youngest brother courted me for a while just after they moved into Smiths Falls after the fire. I would have married Donald but old man Eldritch didn’t like my dad and the feeling was mutual. You see we were Baptist and they were Anglican. Doesn’t matter today, of course, but back then it was a big difference in social standing.”
“Everett brought his wife with him from Boston the summer Donald was courting me. That was just before the war. She was pretty but she expected that the world was there to serve her. She wasn’t mean about it, though. She just grew up that way. At least she brought enough money into the family to have the servants she was used to. They stopped in again for a visit in ’57 when he bought the old farm from the rest of his brothers and started teaching at Queen’s. Your mother would have been about seventeen at the time, smart as a whip, flirting with anything in pants and as condescending as her mother, but she had a real mean streak.”
Lucy tried to imagine. “I never really knew my grandmother all that well. She passed away when I was twelve and she was sick for a lot of that time.”
“Your grandmother, for all her faults, loved your grandfather and got involved in local charities, both here and in Kingston, then Ottawa. I think she was just really shy and came off condescending. But if the reports are right, your mother got spoiled by her Boston relatives and hated that she had to move to Canada. We were all amazed that she went into medicine – you usually expect people to be more caring than she seemed. So I’m very glad to see you’re a caring and compassionate girl.”
Lucy sipped at her coffee. “Thanks for telling me. The Boston relatives lost almost everything in the eighties backing one of IBM’s competitors. I’ve only met those cousins a couple of times. They’re nice enough but they’re all a lot older than me.”
“Until you came here, I hadn’t thought about the Eldritches in years because they all had to move away for work. So, what are you going to do about the petition?”
The bell on the door jingled as one set of customers left. “Well, John’s been calling around his contacts trying to find a good lawyer for me.”
“John? Your mythical boyfriend?”
“He’s neither mythical nor a boyfriend. He’s just a friend and he works in construction so he’s busy most of the day in the summer.”
A familiar presence made itself known by a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Is there room for me?”
Lucy, startled, looked up into John’s blue eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“That’s a fine welcome,” he said in mock indignation. “Are you going to let me in?”
Lucy, flustered, stood up and let John slide into the booth.
John reached across the table to shake Sally’s hand. “Hi, I’m John MacLeish, the mythical boyfriend.” This was said with a knowing smirk toward Lucy.
“I’m Sally Munroe. I’ve been telling Lucy some stories about her grandfather Eldritch.”
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Sally.”
Lucy turned to ask, “What are you doing here?”
He went deliberately obtuse. “Isn’t this a restaurant?”
“Yes, of course it is,” said Lucy, the irritation apparent in her voice.
“Smudge started licking my face at false dawn to show me her latest treasure.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “She’s still trying to teach you how to hunt mice???
?
“She is. And when you go hunting you have to start early.”
Sally looked pleased at their banter. “Well, of course you start early. How else can you be in position when the game wakes up and starts to look for food?”
“I’m not that irritated at her timing. I had a pair of keystones to finish shaping and carving for the project in Perth and my work is better if I start before it’s stinking hot out. I am irritated that she left a severely injured and bleeding half-dead mouse on the pillow next to my head.”
Lucy started to chortle. “Well, how else is she supposed to get you to learn?”
“I’m not interested in learning how to catch mice. I’ll let her catch all the mice she wants. But seeing as I’ve been up since four-thirty and working hard I thought I’d get some brunch before I delivered the keystones to the team in Perth.”
Jessica sauntered over with a knowing smile on her face. “So, Lucy, are you going to introduce me?”
Lucy still wasn’t certain if she was pleased or annoyed with John before deciding that it was okay to be both. “Jessica Samuels, this is John MacLeish. John this is Jessica.”
John said, “I’d stand but…”
Jessica gave him an appreciative look then said, “It’s hard to be a gentleman when you’re on the inside.”
Sally said, “Lucy claims that he’s neither mythical nor her boyfriend.”
Lucy began to blush. John caught her embarrassed look and said, “Hey, there are at least a few people who think we’re married.” Then before anyone could say anything he asked, “I know I’m early for lunch but do you have a really big breakfast? With a huge cup of coffee?”
Jessica and Sally both said, “Married?”
Jessica continued, “I sense a good story, let me fetch you that coffee and you can tell me when I get back.”
Jessica motioned Lucy to the stool next to the prep table as she rolled out pie crusts. “Alec made you an omelet.” She nodded toward the plate under the warming lamp. “You probably haven’t eaten enough today.”
Lucy sat down at one corner of the table with the omelet and dug in. Jessica had a satisfied look as Lucy relaxed.
“You didn’t tell me he was such a hunk, Lucy.”
Lucy shrugged. “I guess.” But her smile gave her away.
“I see what you meant about the all grown up Boy Scout.” Jessica carved another pie crust from the huge sheet of pastry and gently rolled it onto the pin to transfer to the pie plate. “I think he’s sweet on you.”
“He hasn’t said anything to me.” Lucy waved her fork around. “And I have some baggage, you know.” She looked down at her noticeable bulge.
“Some men have a hard time with words, you know. They don’t want to be hurt when their feelings aren’t returned. Guys like John show their interest by their actions.” Jessica unrolled another crust.
Lucy thought for a moment before answering. “I don’t know, Jessica. My experience with men is mostly university types, except for that very brief encounter with Nick. They know how to use words.”
“But did they ever mean them?” She cut another crust. “The rules are different at university than in small towns.”
“But the end result is the same.” Lucy sighed. “What do I need to do to get the girl into bed with me?”
“Not all guys are like that, Lucy.” Then Jessica shrugged and waggled a hand. “But most of them have at least a brief phase where they are like that or want to be like that. I think John is well past that part of his life.”
“Well, I’m certainly past it.” Lucy finished her omelet and said, in a louder voice, “Thanks, Alec. That really hit the spot.”
Alec turned away from the huge KitchenAid floor mixer he was supervising and said, “You’re welcome.” Then he turned back to add more flour.
“He’s a bit of a perfectionist about his bread dough, isn’t he?”
“He is. And you’re changing the subject. I think that John has decided he’s ready to settle down and he’s struggling because you don’t fit whatever his ideal for a wife used to be.”
“Used to be?”
“Sally and I have eyes, girl. He thinks the world of you. I think he had this ideal of a quiet homebody for a wife but he likes you better.”
“But he looked at me like I was from another planet when we first met.”
“You’ve changed your look a little bit. I think you’re less… hmm… defensive.” Jessica carved the last pie crust and gently gathered the leftover dough for one more pass.
“Sally commented on that this morning.” Lucy was surprised that she wasn’t feeling offended in any way.
“She also commented that if she was fifty years younger she’d be making a run at your mythical boyfriend.”
“I’m going to hear about that for a long time, I think.”
“I hope so. Sally needs to keep active, especially with the hip replacement. She’d started to believe those awful kids of hers about being too old to do things. Anyway, to get back to the main subject, did you and John go on a date?”
Lucy thought about the previous Saturday. “I think I have to say yes. It was very pleasant. And he took me to lunch on Sunday.”
“And he’s a practicing Christian?”
“I expect he is. He hosts a Bible study at his house every week.”
“And he lives alone in a big farmhouse?”
“His business needs the space for trucks, trailers and his stonecutting equipment.”
Jessica got a smug look as she raised her eyes from the sheet of pastry dough. “He’s a successful businessman, early thirties, settled into a house of his own and he’s a Christian. If he’s following the usual pattern, the next thing he’s looking for is a wife and family.” She pointed the rolling pin at Lucy. “If he’s as good a man as he seems, he only dates women he would consider marrying. And he’s asked you on a date.”
Lucy frowned. “Actually, he’s asked for two more.”
“Really?” Jessica sounded unsurprised. “What’s on the agenda?”
“I haven’t accepted yet but he has a VIP pass for himself and a guest for the Chamber Music Festival. He’s going to two concerts next week and he wants me to go to the Friday evening concert at St. Andrew’s with him. Michala Petri is appearing with a harpsichordist. I have the album she did with Keith Jarrett the jazz pianist. She’s awesome, so I think I’ll accept that one.”
“And the other one?”
“His sister wants to meet me because I was the last person she knows who spoke with Dog in person.”
“That’s the brother who was killed in Afghanistan?”
“Yeah. Rob MacLeish but everyone at the bar called him Dog.”
“Cute.” Jessica finished with the pastry and said, “If you’re going to sit there you may as well help. Start poking holes in the crusts.” She showed her what she meant then handed Lucy a fork and slid six pie shells over.
“So what’s the problem? It’s pretty obvious that you like John’s company.”
“I’m not sure. It feels too serious. You know, the whole ‘bringing the girlfriend home to meet the parents’ thing. John called it an evening of supper and Scrabble.”
Jessica wiped her hands off and came around to give Lucy a hug. Lucy wrapped her arms around Jessica’s ample waist and took comfort. “He’ll understand if you say no to the supper invitation. But I think you’d really enjoy the concert.”
“I’m pretty conflicted, Jessica. When I got here in June I didn’t like myself very much and I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I don’t really know what I want anymore.”
“Is there anything you’re sure you don’t want?”
Lucy let go of Jessica and resumed poking holes in pastry shells. “I’m sure I don’t want to go back to my old lifestyle. I’m tired of being on guard all the time. I’m okay with flirting but I don’t want anything to come of it.” She looked at Jessica with a serious look. “It’s funny. I think I was ready for a change. Not this drastic,??
? she said pointing at her bulge. “But it was getting harder for me to convince myself I was having fun when I went out to the bars. I think I was still trying to get my mother’s attention but she ignored me until I got pregnant. Then she cut me out of her life when I decided I was going to keep the baby.”
Jessica nodded to indicate she was listening.
Lucy continued. “It’s very hard for me to believe that a man as good as John is thinks I’m worth spending time with.” Seeing that Jessica was about to interject she continued, “On an intellectual level I know I’m passably pretty and I’m smart and I can carry a conversation at cocktail parties but somewhere inside I don’t feel all that worthy. Because if I was worth it my mother would love me…” Lucy turned around and searched for a box of tissues to absorb her tears.
Jessica tapped her on the shoulder to turn her around then wrapped her in a big hug. “It’s okay to cry sweetie.”
Lucy sobbed for a while on Jessica’s ample bosom. Alec looked over and gave a Jessica a sympathetic smile and a thumb’s up sign. Jessica smiled at her husband.
When Lucy had calmed into the gulping and sniffling stage, Jessica said, “Now, you’re going to do three things tonight. You’re going to take a long shower, a long nap and when you get up you say some prayers. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been to church since the professor died or not, God knows you and he listens. It doesn’t matter what you pray about, either, but you need His help and all you need to do is ask for it.”
Lucy looked up with puffy eyes. “But I prayed for years that Mother would come to love me.”
Jessica sighed. “Unfortunately, God can’t change someone else’s heart for them. They have to do that by themselves. But I think He’s getting around to answering your prayers by sending you some new friends.”
“Like you and Alec?”
“Yes. And Sally Munroe and the Hot Stove gang and John.”
Lucy wiped her eyes again. “It’s hard to accept all of this charity.” She got up and took off her apron.
“Hey, you working here is not charity. I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical about hiring someone as overqualified as you but I couldn’t be happier about it. Unless you weren’t expecting and I could hang on to you past Thanksgiving. And Lucy?”
Lucy paused as she gathered her purse from her locker.
Jessica handed her a bag full of leftovers. “Do yourself a favour and go out Friday evening with John. Maybe he needs your help too.”
Lucy thought about that the whole way home.
Chapter 12