“I already told you. Nothing.”
“Liar, liar, pants on fire.”
He eyed her but she didn’t blink. He finally turned away. “I’m going to Vegas. If you still want me to be in the wedding, text me.”
“I don’t need to text you. The answer’s yes.”
“Then I’ll be back for it.”
“When are you leaving?”
“Soon as I can book a flight.”
“You’re going to talk to Bernadine before taking off, right?”
“Probably not.”
“Mal?”
“You take care of your business and I’ll take care of mine.”
She wanted to rail at him, shake him until his teeth rattled, but knew that wouldn’t help so she gave up. “Keep yourself safe.” And she turned to leave.
“Rock?”
She stopped. “What?”
“I’m not going to Vegas to drink.”
Tears stung her eyes and she whispered, “Holding you to that.”
“Understood. Give me a few minutes and I’ll be out of your way here.”
She walked out of the office and left him alone.
Back out front, Tamar asked, “And?”
“He’s taking off for Vegas. Says he’ll be back in time for the wedding.”
“What’s he going to do there?” she asked.
“Who knows.”
Bernadine asked doubtfully, “Vegas?”
“Yeah.”
“Hopefully he and I can talk before he takes off.”
Rocky went still.
Bernadine searched her face. “He doesn’t want to talk to me, does he?”
“I asked. He said no.”
“Well, okay then,” she said with a false cheeriness. The hurt in her eyes made Rocky want to march back inside and kick Mal’s butt until sunrise.
Bernadine said, “Okay. I have things to do. Thanks, Rock.” She walked over to the mystery couple Rock noticed when she rode up, and she and the couple headed back in the direction of the Power Plant.
Groups of people began driving up, expecting lunch.
“We’re closed until dinner,” Rock told them. “Dishwasher’s dead. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
It was as good an excuse as any, she supposed. Much better than letting the customers know her co-owner was an idiot.
She turned back to Luis. “I’ll call you when we’re ready for the inspection.”
“No problem.”
“And Luis, I’m not mad at you. You’re doing your job.”
“Thanks for that.”
Tamar, Marie, and Gen, along with the twins and Wyatt, set out for the rec.
That left Rocky with her staff, and Jack, who was seated out of the way on one of the benches by the door. She assumed by then Mal would be upstairs in his apartment over the diner, preparing to leave. She said to Siz and Eli, “Take everybody inside and see if you can find the booths Mal removed so we can put them back. I’ll be in in a minute.”
Alone, she dropped down onto the bench with Jack and rested her head against his shoulder. “Good grief,” she said.
“Quite the excitement.”
“I wish I knew what was going on with him.”
“It’ll come out eventually whether he wants it to or not, so just hold on.”
“I want to shake him like an orca with a seal.”
“That’s a bit extreme.”
“I feel extreme. Extremely mad, frustrated, sad.”
He eased her closer. “Why sad?”
“Because I know something’s wrong and he won’t tell me. He’s also breaking Bernadine’s heart. No one’s ever going to love him the way she does, and he’s acting like it doesn’t matter. He did promise me he wasn’t going to Vegas to drink.”
“You know him better than I. Do you believe him?”
“I do.” And she did. His sobriety meant more than anything to him. Still, her frustration continued. “I need to get inside and put the place back together.”
“Do you need my help?”
“Not with this, but knowing you’ll be waiting for me at the end of the day fills my heart.”
To emphasize that, she kissed him with all the love she had inside, then left him to ready the diner for the fire marshal’s inspection.
Eli and Siz found the missing booths outside behind the building. They removed the tarps placed over them to protect the wood from the elements, then slowly maneuvered them back inside. Rocky was certain Mal hadn’t done the moving of the heavy booths alone. More than likely someone like Clay had been his partner in crime. It occurred to her that he might know what was going on with Mal and so made a mental note to ask him about it as soon as she got the chance.
Once she and the staff got the place reconfigured back the way it was supposed to be, she put in a call to Luis. He came over, looked around, and gave his approval. “You can reopen whenever you’re ready, Rock.”
“Thank you!”
After he departed, she and Siz fired up the kitchen. The Dog and Cow was back in business.
After escorting Sam and Brenda Miller back to her office, Bernadine set aside the sting of Mal’s actions and concentrated on the business at hand.
“So, will that place be opening up again?” Sam asked.
“Yes, and in time for dinner probably. One of the owners was just trying to add more seating and violated code.”
His wife Brenda said, “When you said you wanted to give us a walking tour of the town, I didn’t expect to see drama.”
Neither had Bernadine. Rocky’s voice echoed in her head. He said no.
Her husband added, “But I’m glad to know you have a fire marshal who takes his job seriously.”
“Luis is very dedicated.”
The Millers had been ecstatic over the Sutton Hotel space she hoped would house their coffee shop and bakery, but worried the drama at the Dog would dissuade them. Apparently, it hadn’t.
“If we decide to go ahead and sign the lease, how soon can we move in?”
“As soon as you like. We’ll be having the grand re-opening on Saturday.”
Sam, the big roly-poly husband, asked, “So what time does that diner open up in the mornings?”
“Six thirty.”
“So, they’ll be our competition?”
“Not really. The Dog serves full meals. People wanting just a cup of coffee and maybe something to go with it on their way to work or the highway, will bow down and kiss your feet. There was a coffee shop in Franklin but it closed recently.”
He added, “I know we talked about the diner’s presence before, but seeing it in person and how modern it appears initially caused me some concern.”
Bernadine hoped the Dog wouldn’t be a deal breaker after all.
Brenda, short and tiny as her husband was tall and round, said, “But I liked the apartments upstairs, and knowing that we could lease one for now and have a house built later if we can make this business a go.”
Sam said, “This town is really small, though.”
Bernadine agreed. “It is and it took me some time getting used to. But I’ve come to love the slow pace and the peace and quiet. We’re hoping the new growth doesn’t jeopardize that.”
“I like that the place is small,” Brenda admitted. “I grew up in LA, and then he and I met in Boston.”
“Both big cities,” he added.
“We may be small but we’re not backward. We have some of the fastest Wi-Fi in the region. Our community centers like the rec, the church, and school are all state of the art and wired, too.”
Brenda told her, “We really enjoyed the tour of the rec center. And thanks for sending that beautiful brochure on the history here. Sammy’s quite a Black History buff and being in Henry Adams is exciting for him.”
“Here’s another plus you may not have thought about. The stars at night are breathtaking. You’re not going to believe how beautiful they are.”
Sam said, “Me? I’m sold.”
H
is wife laughed. “Hold up. Now that we’ve finally seen the place, how about we talk first?”
“Always the voice of reason. That’s why I keep her around.”
Their shared smile was filled with so much love, Bernadine wondered if she and Mal would ever be that way again. “I think a talk and a good night’s sleep is wise.”
Sam hung his head. “Okay.”
The mock pout made his wife smile. “He’s quite the character as you’ll find out if we do decide to sign on the dotted line.”
“Which we will be doing, Ms. Brown. Trust me. She’s as excited as I am, but she’s logical and methodical as opposed to my let-it-all-hang-out spontaneity.”
“That’s a good balance,” Bernadine said.
“It’s worked for us for over thirty years,” Brenda said, adoration still shining in her eyes.
They stood and Sam said, “We’ll head back to our hotel over in Franklin and give you a call either this evening or in the morning. Will that work?”
“Perfectly. It’s so nice to finally meet you face-to-face.”
“Same here.”
“Enjoy the rest of your day. If you have any questions you have my number. Feel free to call.”
“Thanks.”
After they left, Bernadine decided she felt good about them as potential business owners and residents. Neither impressed her as being outlandish or having personalities that would rub the locals the wrong way. However, she knew absolutely nothing about them and hoped she wouldn’t be proven wrong. Alone now, she let her mind move to Mal. What was going on in Vegas that he needed to simply pick up and go. Was he running away from something, or to something or someone? She was honest enough with herself to consider that maybe he had found another woman. After all, he’d been quite the player when she first came to town. Back then, Tamar described him as being made of snake oil and she’d been right. But he’d won her over. Their first date had been a picnic in his pickup truck, of all places. He’d taught her to fly kites, shared his love for raptors, and given her a promise necklace that made her cry happy tears. She reached up and slowly fingered the chain. Last Christmas, he’d shown up in a Santa hat and with a horse and sleigh, and took her on a sleigh ride through the snow. And now?
She glanced up and found Mal standing in her doorway. Her heart pounded.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“Just stopped in to say goodbye.”
“Okay.” She had a thousand questions she wanted to ask but kept silent.
“I have some things I need to work out.”
“If I can help—”
“Alone,” he gritted out. “Let a man work out his stuff alone.”
She drew back. “Sure.” Why was he being so gruff?
He had trouble meeting her eyes after that, but finally said, “I’ll be back for the wedding.”
She wanted to ask if he’d call her while he was away, but held off on asking that, too. “Okay. Take care of yourself.”
“You, too.” He held her gaze for so long she thought he might have more to say. Instead, he turned and walked away.
She sat in the echoing silence unable to decide how she felt. Sad. Angry. Resigned. Finally, after an hour she did something she’d never done before. Bernadine Brown left work in the middle of the day and drove home.
Chapter 11
That evening, Gemma entered the classroom and was again among the first to arrive. Unlike last time, however, Professor LeForge was already there, seated at the small table at the front of the room, typing on his laptop. He glanced up at her entrance, sent her a smile, and went back to whatever he was working on. She sat, settled in, and waited for class to begin. As she did, she thought back on Gary Clark’s announcement at the store. Although she wouldn’t be able to see the job posting until the next day, she wondered if she met the minimum qualifications. She hoped so because more than likely the salary would be higher than what she made presently and the benefits package better, too. It would be nice to get a bump in her paycheck. Although the issue of having to be trained by Alma was daunting, she’d cross that bridge if and when the time came. In the meantime, she had to pass this class.
The rest of the students arrived shortly thereafter. She nodded a greeting to the tattooed Josh Miller and when the class began, focused her attention on LeForge.
“I’ve randomly divided you up into groups of four. You and your partners will create a company and as we go through the course you’ll be asked to apply the principles you’re learning to get your company up and running and hopefully profitable.” He added that each business would be given a fictitious amount of seed money from which to buy or lease a building, and to furnish it with whatever they needed.
There were twenty students. They all looked around the room as if wondering who they’d be paired with. He began reciting names. When Gemma’s was called in conjunction with Josh, she felt relieved; at least he was someone she knew to be nice. The other two members of their team were Carrie Farway and Brad Young. Carrie moved to an open chair beside Josh. She had dark brown hair and an eager smile. Brad, however, was one of those LeForge had shamed into removing his earbuds on the first day. He joined them and looked just as disinterested as he had then. The group’s first task was to decide what type of company to create. Gemma had no idea, but Josh did.
“How about we start a tat parlor?”
Gemma shrugged. “That’s okay with me.”
Carrie looked skeptical.
Brad rolled his eyes. “That’s so gay.”
Carrie spun on him. “Don’t ever use that phrase around me again.”
He drew back.
“It’s a slur, you moron. Grow the hell up.”
Josh raised an eyebrow.
As if the confrontation with Brad had cemented her decision, Carrie said, “Go ahead Josh, I think that’s an awesome idea.”
The now sullen-looking Brad put in his earbuds and ignored them while they planned.
LeForge quietly walked the room, listening to the group discussions and answering questions. When he reached Gemma’s group, she did her best to ignore his standing presence directly behind her and failed badly.
He gave the disconnected Brad a brief glance but didn’t address him. Instead he said, “This group has an advantage over the others.”
“How?” Josh asked.
“You have Ms. Dahl, who can probably offer life and work experience no one else here has yet.”
Gemma was embarrassed down to her toes. “I hope so.”
He asked about their company. After hearing their initial plans, he voiced his approval and moved on.
As class ended, he gave out the homework assignment, which was tied to their accounting textbook. They were also told to continue building their companies.
Josh asked her and Carrie, “Do we want to get together online or IRL?”
Gemma was confused.
Carrie saw that and translated. “Means: in real life.”
“I vote for IRL.” Her response drew smiles from her young teammates. “I live nearby. We could meet there and use my dining room table.”
Josh and Carrie agreed and they settled on a time that best fit their schedules.
Josh reached over and pulled the bud out of Brad’s left ear. “We’re meeting at Ms. Gem’s house on Saturday.”
“Yippee,” he replied sarcastically.
Gemma’s disapproving side-eye was mirrored by the others.
“Why are you even here?” Josh asked him.
“Because my witch of a mom said either go to school or get out of her basement.”
Carrie asked, “Don’t you think you should at least try and pass the class, then?”
“She said go to school. She didn’t say anything about me having to pass.”
“You really are a moron.”
“Better than fat and ugly.”
Her right cross knocked him out of his chair and onto the floor.
Everything and ev
eryone in the class stopped.
While the stunned Brad stared at the blood staining his fingers from his bloody lip, Josh said to Carrie in a wondrous tone, “I think I’m in love.”
Blushing, she smiled.
LeForge came over. “What’s going on here?”
Brad picked himself up off the floor and whined, “She sucker punched me.”
“You don’t get to fat shame me, ever!”
“Mr. Young, do you need medical assistance?”
“No.”
“Then head to the restroom and get yourself cleaned up.” He then turned to Carrie. “Ms. Farway. No more punching.”
Her chin rose. “Yes, sir.”
He gave Gemma a speaking look that parents of squabbling children often shared, then returned to the front of the room.
Everyone gathered up their belongings and before Gemma could head out the door, LeForge said, “Ms. Dahl, can I speak to you for a moment?”
She gave Josh and Carrie a wave goodbye and made her way to him. “Yes.”
“I hope I didn’t embarrass you by talking about your life experience.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Good. Just wanted to check.”
They stared at each other for a moment and Gemma, feeling her attraction to him rising, fought to clear her head. “You handled that craziness between Carrie and Brad very well.”
“I’ve been teaching for a long time. You learn.”
“I see.” She added, “I don’t want to tattle, but Brad didn’t participate at all in our discussion.”
“Go on without him. You seem to have two smart teammates. He’ll either engage or he won’t.”
“So, we operate shorthanded?”
“If need be. Sort of like life, right?”
She thought about the years she’d spent raising her daughter, and now Wyatt, alone. “I suppose.”
“Your group will be fine. Are you heading to the parking lot?”
“I am.”
“Okay if I walk with you?” he asked, gathering up his stuff.
Nervous, but determined not to let it show, she replied, “Sure.”
The hallway was crowded with students going to and from other classes. She spotted Josh and Carrie talking. Josh, seeing her with LeForge, gave her a thumbs-up and she hoped her cheeks weren’t red in response.
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