Spicing Things Up

by Judi Lynn

  “I’ve never wanted to grab your shoulders and shake you before either.”

  Tears threatened again. “I’m not that strong, Miriam. My parents would never forgive me.”

  “Even priests offer penance.” But Miriam’s shoulders slumped. “So what are you going to do?”

  “Hide for a while. Get myself together.”

  “Do you want some company?”

  “Not this time. I’m going to wallow and get it out of my system.”

  “Good luck with that.” Miriam started for the door. “I’ll buy you some groceries. It looks like you’re out of all your frozen entrees.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “You say that now. Wait till you’re sucking on ice cubes, hoping for nourishment.”

  Daphne laid her head back on the arm of the sofa. “Thanks, Miriam.”

  “Don’t thank me. I’m your friend, but I’m disappointed in you right now.”

  The tears started again. They slid off her nose and down her cheeks. Daphne sighed. “I’m sorry.”

  “I know, and I’ll get over it, but it’s going to take me a minute.” And then she left.

  She returned an hour later with bags full of food items and quickly put them in the refrigerator and freezer. “I’ll let myself out. When you’re ready to venture outside again, let me know.”

  Daphne heard Miriam’s car pull away and buried her face against the couch cushions. She’d live through this. People did.

  Chapter 36

  Tyne woke early every morning and walked to Maxwell’s to meet Steph. The temperatures were cold enough to jerk him awake. Frost covered the shop awnings and wooden kegs that held flowers in the spring and summer. He always glanced in Daphne’s window and admired what she hung there. She’d obviously spent a lot of time working lately. Just like him. There were a lot of new pieces, and they stood out from her older style. The colors were moodier, edgier. He liked them.

  Between Steph and him, they had the baking routine down to an art. They hadn’t had a choice. After India’s funeral, Maxwell wouldn’t get out of bed. He hardly ate, wasn’t hungry. He didn’t take showers or step foot in the bakery. The only thing that made him happy was Chester. Even then, Tyne fed and watered the dog. Sadie took him for walks.

  In the evenings, Tyne worked the supper shift at the resort. He never saw Daphne. He was up and gone before she opened her shop. He was at the resort when she locked up. In any free time, he perfected new recipes. He was thinking about writing a cookbook. He tested ingredients and timing over and over again.

  Paula finally looked at him one day and said, “Do you ever have fun anymore?”

  He scratched his chin. “Cooking’s fun.”

  “Outside of that.”

  “No time or energy.”

  She put her hands on her hips. She might be short, but she bristled with energy. “It’s time to tell Maxwell to get his ass out of bed and get his act together.”

  “He just lost his wife.”

  Paula raised a dark eyebrow. “I’ve been there. Done that. When Alex died, I couldn’t see how I’d go on, but I had two kids, and I couldn’t suck my thumb and feel sorry for myself. Maxwell’s had that luxury, but it’s not doing him any favors. He’s going to hurt for a year and feel crappy for the next one. But life goes on. Either he runs the bakery or he sells it.”

  Steph nodded agreement. “I like Maxwell, but he’s letting us carry his load. So far, I’ve been happy to, but I’m not sure we’re helping him.”

  Paula lifted her wooden spoon to shake at him. “Ian’s filled the resort for Thanksgiving weekend. We’re going to be swamped. You can’t do it all. Face it.”

  Tyne raked his hand through his short, spiky hair. “My brother wants me to fly to California the second week of December for sort of a Thanksgiving-Christmas dinner combined. We’re both chefs. We’re both busy over the holidays.”

  Paula nodded. “See? You need to have a life, too. If Maxwell wants to grieve longer, he needs to hire another helper. You need to back off.”

  He knew she was right. He’d been wondering how long he could keep up this schedule. He nodded. “I’ll talk to him.”

  Paula relaxed. “Good, you need to get out and about again. You’ve turned into a little, old lady—all you do is work and cook.”

  He laughed. “I’m sort of tall for an old lady.”

  “And she’d look horrible with a chin strap. I’m just saying you act like one.”

  He threw up his hands in defeat. “Okay, I get it. You’re tired of me moping around.”

  She wiped her hands on her apron and went to hang it on its hook. “My job’s done now. I can go home. Get a life.”

  That’s what he’d told Daphne, and look how well that had turned out. He was made of tougher stuff, though. When he left the restaurant that night, he went to Chase’s for the first time in a long time and took a seat at the bar.

  Chase served him with a grin. “The beer’s on me. My wife said she gave you a tongue lashing today.”

  “It’s a good thing I have healthy self-esteem.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Chase rested his elbows on the bar. “That’s why I married her. She doesn’t mind giving me a hard time.”

  “I had plenty of people happy to do that. I don’t need any more of it.” He thought of his mother, going on and on about what he didn’t do right.

  “Yeah, you’ve already earned your stripes. When Holden came to the bar for the burger contest, he told me about your parents.”

  “I spent the first twenty years of my life listening to them harangue me. I plan to spend the rest of it with people who make me feel good.”

  “Then you’ve come to the right place. Mill Pond loves you.”

  Tyne snorted. “That’s because I’m surrounded by foodies. We all stick together.”

  Chase poured him a second beer. “I’m taking the boat out for one last run on Sunday. Paula has to work, and her mom’s stealing the kids for the weekend. Want to come along?”

  “Sounds good.” He pushed his mug away at the halfway mark and rubbed his eyes. “Gotta go. The beer’s making me tired. I’ve been short of sleep lately.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard.”

  “Paula.” Tyne chuckled. “Tell her I’m on the mend. I’m going to play this weekend.”

  “Will do.”

  When Tyne fell into bed that night, he was exhausted. He didn’t look forward to talking to Maxwell tomorrow, but he’d rather get it done. He hoped it went better than his talk with Daphne.

  Chapter 37

  Thursday’s gray skies brooded over Mill Pond. Customers came and went in intervals, so Daphne had plenty of time to spend in her workroom. A good thing. She’d had fewer customers lately, but she’d sold more pieces than usual. She was constantly trying to make new pieces to restock partially empty spaces.

  She frowned at the wall hanging she was working on. Shades of smoky grays mingled with moody purples. Who knew so many people would want such dramatic colors? On the far side of the table, she’d finished a piece with Christmas reds and greens. Cheerier. Those were selling fast, too. She heard footsteps rush down the side stairs and hurry out the back door. There was a time when Tyne would poke his head around the corner to say hi to her, but not anymore. Why would he? She’d pushed him away.

  By the end of the day, she’d sold as many pieces as she’d made. She wouldn’t get caught up until the weather turned miserable. She glanced at the sky. Gloomy. Go figure.

  She turned the sign to CLOSED and was locking the door when her parents parked at the front curb. Her mom saw her and hurried out of the car. Daphne flipped the lock and walked to the back door to do the same. Mom pounded on the glass, but Daphne went to her workroom and closed the door. Her cell phone buzzed.

  “Yes?”

  “We’re going to Chase’s tonight and thought you might want to come along.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “You’re too thin. You’ve lost weight. Are you
all right?”

  “No, I’m not. But I’ll live. I’m busy, Mom. Have to go.” She switched off her phone.

  She cracked the door and watched her parents pull away. She didn’t want to see them, didn’t want to talk to them. Someday, she’d forgive them. Maybe.

  Later that night, she ordered pizza and took it home to eat, but after a few bites, she didn’t want anymore. She sank onto the couch, her new haven, and cuddled with Shadow.

  On Friday, she went through the same routines she used to love. They felt empty to her now. And on Friday night, she dragged herself to bed, too tired to rent a movie.

  Saturday brought sunshine, and Shadow meowed at the door. The cat didn’t deserve to suffer with her. She pulled on jeans and a heavy sweater, then went outside to sit on the back stoop to keep an eye on him. He still couldn’t quite jump high enough to escape the fence, so she watched him chase dead leaves around the yard.

  She was sitting there when her parents came to sit beside her.

  “What are you staring at?” her mom asked.

  “Tyne used to hike that trail every Saturday morning and then stop in to have coffee with me. He hikes a different trail now.”

  Dad’s voice was gruff. “You miss him, don’t you?”

  “He was trying to help me get over the professor. The thing is, I didn’t miss Patrick for more than a few days, didn’t fall apart when he dumped me. I miss Tyne.”

  “Let’s go get some lunch and go shopping,” Mom said.

  “We have tickets to a concert in Bloomington tonight,” Dad added.

  Daphne shrugged. “Thanks anyway. I’m not in the mood.”

  “You can’t just sit here and mope every day.” Mom’s voice rose. “You look horrible. How much weight have you lost?”

  Daphne didn’t answer. She went to pick up Shadow to carry him inside. “Thanks for stopping by.”

  “Daphne, you have to get over this!” Her mom stood, too.

  Daphne gazed at her without seeing. “Why? I don’t want what I had before, and I don’t have a future, do I?” She went inside and shut the door.

  Chapter 38

  Harley called Tyne on Friday. “I’ve got news! Come share it with us.” On the drive to the vineyard, Tyne passed the bakery. It closed at two, so the shop was dark. So were the upstairs windows. Maxwell would be back in bed, sleeping off his misery. Sadie had volunteered to keep Chester with her in the afternoons, but the Chihuahua curled on India’s pillow, mourning her, too.

  Tyne had hassled Maxwell enough to get him out of bed every morning. Not that he was good company. But Tyne worked with him for two hours every day, and between the three of them, Steph said they were doing all right. It wasn’t a perfect situation, but it was a start. He knew Maxwell was doing better, because his friend was getting annoyed with him.

  “If you call me Eeyore one more time, I’m going to stuff you in a pie,” Maxwell threatened this morning.

  Tyne grinned. “What did you say, Mr. Morose?”

  Maxwell’s shoulders squared. “I’m getting there, damn it. And you don’t have to be such a pain in the ass.”

  “But that’s what I’m good at,” Tyne told him. “And I improve with practice.”

  Maxwell sighed. “If anyone else treated me the way you do . . .”

  “You’d hug them and do a waltz around the bakery, because only someone who loved you could put up with your cranky moods.”

  Maxwell grimaced. “You’ve got me there. Thanks to you and Steph for hanging around.”

  “We’re both masochists. We like it.” Tyne had left when Sadie came to take Chester on one of his daily walks. The Chihuahua and the frozen-custard lady had bonded as buddies.

  As he approached the winery, Tyne’s thoughts turned back to Harley. Was Kathy pregnant? Was Harley going to be a father in the near future? He’d watched the change in Chase when he’d taken on Paula’s kids. The man adored being a dad. But who wouldn’t fall in love with Aiden and Bailey? They were the coolest kids in town, not that he was prejudiced or anything.

  He parked near the wine-tasting room and found it empty of customers. Harley, Kathy, Gino, and Vicki all sat at a round table, and they all looked happy.

  “Guess what?” Harley called. “Dad asked Vicki to marry him, and she said yes.”

  Good news indeed! Gino deserved to find happiness again. How had his worries sorted out?

  “And?” Tyne wanted the details.

  Harley laughed. “Come to find out the old man was fretting that I’d be upset because he’d mess up my inheritance.”

  “Were you?” Tyne had seen families lock horns over money.

  “Why would I be? We’re successful enough, and I want Dad to be happy.”

  “So everything worked out okay?”

  “No, now I’m going to have to hire a financial consultant, because Vicki’s richer than sin.”

  Tyne blinked. “Run that by me again.”

  Gino slapped him on the back. “Vicki here’s a widow, who was married to a very rich man. They couldn’t have children, so after he died, she was lonely. She only came to work at the winery to have something to do.”

  “And I’ve always loved wine.” Vicki gave a resigned smile.

  Tyne shook his head. “Then you met the Italian stallion.”

  Gino sputtered, but Vicki laughed. “Something like that. I thought I was going to fill time, to meet new people, but who could resist Gino?” She locked gazes with him. “Some things are priceless.”

  Gino carried a bottle of champagne to the table. “To true love!”

  They all toasted the new couple. Tyne sighed. He was glad someone had a happy-ever-after. That might not be in his future.

  “So when’s the wedding?” he asked.

  “In a month.” Vicki passed him a travel brochure. “We’re going to the justice of the peace, and then we’re taking a river cruise in Europe.”

  Perfect. Tyne was happy for them.

  Chapter 39

  Daphne stopped at the grocery store after she closed the shop on Friday. Shadow needed more cat food. On the spur of the moment, she loaded her cart with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, too, and lots of produce for fresh salads.

  At home, after she fed Shadow, she changed into old clothes and put a chicken breast in a skillet to sauté. What had Tyne used as flavoring? She didn’t have any fish sauce or rice wine vinegar, no coconut milk or curry paste either. She settled on salt and pepper and a dash of basil. Then she chopped the chicken and sprinkled it on top of the salad she made. The dish needed a generous dose of honey-mustard dressing, but it was edible. She rinsed all of the dirty dishes she’d left in the sink during the week, loaded them in the dishwasher, and then went to her sewing room.

  She was going to make a grief quilt. It would be one of the most elaborate quilts she’d ever made, one that would remind her of all the good times she’d had with Tyne. She started with a huge, navy square for the center, and then cut out fabric pieces to resemble a chef. She’d stitch that on the square as the quilt’s focal point. She cut out a gold rectangle for one side and a motorcycle pattern to sew on it. A black rectangle would hold fall leaves. A small cream-colored one displayed his favorite book; a wider, rust-colored one, a world map. She cut out pieces of a couple dancing. And on and on until her eyes blurred and she was too tired to cut with accuracy.

  Time to quit. She drank a glass of wine, turned down her bed, and for the first night in a long time, crawled under her covers and slept well.

  On Saturday, she was back in her sewing room when her parents dropped in again. Her mom frowned when she saw that Daphne was still in her pajamas and robe.

  “It’s two o’clock.”

  “Really?” Daphne shrugged. “I lost track of time.”

  “You’ve lost more weight.”

  Daphne glanced down at herself. “That’s good. Thin is in.”

  Her dad looked worried. “You’ve always been thin. You need to eat more.”

  Daphne
picked up Shadow and scratched under his chin. When she was a little girl, she always reached for her teddy bear when she was stressed. She wasn’t sure when she’d started to use the kitten for comfort, but he helped, and she was grateful.

  Her mom saw the light on in her sewing room and went to see what she was working on. She let out a long breath and stared. “This is for him, isn’t it?”

  Daphne wanted to hide the fabric patches. They were private, personal memories, but it was too late. “No, it’s for me, to remember what we did together.”

  Her mother frowned. “What’s the book for?”

  “He likes to read as much as I do. He fixed me supper one time, and then we spent the night reading.” They did more than that, but her mom didn’t need to know that.

  “And this?” Her mom pointed to a clay pot filled with herbs.

  Daphne motioned out the window to the raised beds in her back yard. “Tyne said I have the perfect yard for gardens.”

  Mom pressed her lips together. “He made you happy.”

  “He’s like that. He’s helping Maxwell now, baking breads with him in the morning. Maxwell’s having a hard time.”

  Mom put a hand to her throat. “We misjudged him, didn’t we?”

  “No, you wouldn’t like him. He’d rub you wrong on lots of things.”

  Dad came to lace his arm around Daphne’s waist. “Honey, if you like this boy so much . . .”

  Daphne moved out of his embrace. She looked out the window. All of her flower beds were clean. Tyne’s doing. Her raised beds stood ready for herbs in the spring. Behind her yard, the trees were bare. A couple walked on the trail that Tyne used to love. “Tyne took me on as a fixer upper. He’s moved on now. He’s not the type to settle down.”

  “That’s our fault.” Mom stumbled over the words. Daphne stared. She never thought she’d hear her mother say them. “If we’d . . .”

  Daphne waved the rest away. “What’s done is done. I can’t talk about it anymore.”

  Dad straightened his shoulders. “We’re driving to Indy tonight to go somewhere nice to eat. Why don’t you come with us?”