SEAS THE DAY

by Maggie Toussaint

  “That cat have a name?”

  “Yep. Damn Cat.”

  I was not calling the cat that, even if it was the same feline. “If you hear of anyone missing a cat, let me know. Meanwhile, I’ll keep feeding it.”

  “Gotcha.”

  I paused next to the ball caps. “One more thing. Were you friends with Chili’s brother, Kale?”

  “No.” Garnet’s mouth closed tightly.

  Interesting. I would’ve missed the flare of alarm in her eyes if I hadn’t been looking.

  Chapter Twelve

  Major and I drove home, my mind roiling with new questions. Garnet gave the appearance of being friendly and affable, but she had strict barriers. Were they a result of a life hard-lived? Or did she have secrets? It bugged me that I didn’t know much about her.

  I caught the black cat’s eye in the rearview mirror. “Did you live at the marina, Major?”

  He huffed out a breath. Guess he had secrets too. I wasn’t planning on using his dock name, but I needed to know if he responded to it. “Did they call you Damn Cat?”

  The cat turned his back on me and lay facing the rear seat. Clearly, he didn’t respond to the name, whether it had been his or not. “You’ll always be Major to me, kitty. Don’t you worry about that.”

  Five minutes later we were back at my place and Mom’s old Buick docked in the carport. This time tomorrow I’d be loading my catering van with food for the Chamber event. Major scampered out the window and darted into the woods. I hurried to my commercial kitchen and donned an apron. On my timeline of prep work for today was making iced tea, sweet and unsweet. They’d specified fourteen gallons, but for this crowd, I was bringing sixteen, even though there’d be a wine bar. Southerners loved their iced tea.

  Coleslaw assembly was next on my to-do list for today. My dressing has a citrus base and just enough vinegar for the expected punch of tart. From the compliments I’d received over the years, my slaw was the perfect accompaniment to the Boston Butt. Thanks to the wonder of an industrial sized food processor, making a large quantity of slaw went fast. Sure enough, I had gallons of tea made and buckets of slaw marinating two hours later.

  I pulled out my cookie book and paged to my favorite butter cookie recipe. Making a triple batch, I added tear-drop chunks of dark chocolate to the center of each cookie. By dinnertime, my feet ached, so I made light of dinner with a peanut butter sandwich. My brother called, and I moved to the living room sofa, propping my feet on the coffee table.

  “Guess what,” I began. “I volunteered you as a sub for the duplicate bridge ladies.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Doug asked. “I’ll be working my tail off in the daytime. I have to launch my business.”

  “Those ladies live in older homes. They need a handyman, especially a qualified one with a business license that they know and trust.”

  “Oh, didn’t consider that angle. I’ll find a way to make it happen,” Doug said. “I like the way your mind works.”

  My mind was thinking that these living room walls needed a fresh coat of paint. Would Doug charge me now that he was a certified and licensed handyman?

  “An entrepreneurial mindset is necessary or your business won’t succeed. Why do you think I take my cookies everywhere I go?”

  “Because you’re a compulsive baker?”

  We both laughed. “Did you hear about Estelle Bolz?” I asked.

  “Yeah, saw it in the online newspaper. That isn’t right.”

  He didn’t know all of it. “I found her.”

  “I had no idea. Sorry. That’s terrible. Are you okay?”

  “I’m handling it, though the images keep popping in my head. Pete thinks I should stop looking for Chili.”

  Doug snorted. “I know you’re in love with the guy, but separation isn’t good for your relationship.”

  “Trust me, I feel the lack of his company. I want to marry him. He makes me happy, but every time I think about packing up and moving to California my toes dig into the sand. I want to be with Pete, but I’m afraid to leave my island comfort zone. I’m hoping time will clear my thoughts.”

  “Or break your heart. I can stand on my own two feet now, Sis. You don’t have to worry about me.”

  My fingers stroked the lightly textured sofa cushions. “That’s a part of my indecision, albeit a small part. I’ll always be your big sister, and concern for you comes as naturally as breathing since I’m the eldest. My reservations about moving out there may seem trivial in the face of everything else, but I’ve worked hard to get established here. I have repeat customers, enough of them that I can pay most of my bills with Holloway Catering. I won’t get rich this way, but I set my own hours and no one bosses me around. This level of job satisfaction may not happen elsewhere.”

  “Sounds like you love your business more than Pete.”

  “Why can’t I have both?” I asked, noting the throbbing in my temples.

  “Pete’s probably saying the same thing. At this rate, you two have a low probability of living together. Someone’s gotta compromise.”

  My lips turned down. “Traditionally, the woman gives up her life for her husband’s. Marriage to a business troubleshooter would be a lot like being a military wife. Lots of relocating.”

  “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” Doug asked.

  “I’m being cautious,” I said. “That’s all. For months I thought he didn’t care for me, only to have him make a grand gesture on Valentine’s Day to show how much he missed me. I want him and a family, only how can I manage everything?”

  “Huh.” Doug paused. “Sometimes you need to jump in with both feet. It may not be what you want, but if you keep stalling, you’ll never know what life with Pete will be like.”

  We talked a little more, but his relationship advice resonated in my thoughts long after the call ended. Did I care enough about Pete to put my business second? At bedtime, Pete didn’t call and my call to him rolled to voicemail. In a jarring week, his unavailability tonight hit a sour note. Some nights he called, some nights I called, but we always called. It wasn’t like I could run over to his house and check on him. California was a world away from Georgia.

  I tossed and turned for most of the night and checked my phone each time I awakened. Nothing from Pete. My irritation turned to concern.

  Friday dawned with clear skies and a light breeze. The first thing I did after waking up was to leave another message for Pete. I couldn’t afford to dwell on him being out of touch. I had work to do.

  I didn’t see much of the day, except through the windows of my kitchen and when I loaded the van. I showered and changed clothes quickly, arriving on site a few minutes ahead of schedule. The Chamber president broke into a rare smile as I pulled into the loading zone.

  “Thank goodness you’re here,” Harvey Flosky said, tugging down his sport jacket. Looked like the same one from last year, the one that kept riding up. “I was afraid something happened to you.”

  “I’m early, Harvey, and everything is fine, same as I told you yesterday when we spoke. The food’s prepared. All I have to do is set it up.”

  “The buffet tables are ready for you,” he said as I placed my ramp and rolled the first cart of food to ground level. “You got any of those cookies I love set aside for me?”

  I handed him a bag, remembering he’d made the same request last year. “Got you covered.”

  He snatched the bag, whipped out a cookie. Moments later, his face wreathed in rapture. “Long as I am Chamber President, this catering job is yours. I don’t know how you infuse so much flavor in these cookies. I can’t get enough of them.”

  He was too cheap to buy them from me during the year. I managed a fleeting smile. “Good to know.”

  The next twenty minutes passed quickly. I checked tasks off my list as I finished them. I wished I could afford a larg
e freestanding buffet unit. Business was good, but not that good. Instead, I owned four eight-quart stainless steel chafing dishes, though I only needed three for this job. I positioned a large clear vat of slaw atop a pre-chilled ice block, which fit into a special base. It cost a pretty penny, but I’d splurged with top of the line products, and that investment continued to pay off in terms of product performance and satisfied customers.

  Harvey came over and critiqued the dessert table set-up until I handed him another cookie with a stern admonition, “This is the last one.”

  “Right,” Harvey said with a twinkle in his eye.

  “You heard Chili’s missing?”

  “I did. I also heard tell his Mama got dead, and you nearly saved her.”

  “Nearly isn’t good enough. I grieve for the Bolz family. I’ve known Chili since elementary school, but was his family always here?”

  “Nope. They moved here about twenty-five or so years ago. Estelle opened that dry-cleaning store, and the kids helped out occasionally. They never had much but always scraped by.”

  “She ever own another business on the island?” I asked, my curiosity ratcheting into high gear.

  “Not to my recollection,” he said.

  Interesting. She’d always been around to do things with her sons, but Harvey said she just barely got by with her dry-cleaning income. Not once had I questioned how she paid her bills. Until now. “How’d she manage?”

  Harvey shrugged. “Beyond my pay grade. You’ll have to sweet talk her banker with some cookies. Though, if I knew her financial situation, I’d tell you in a heartbeat for more cookies. I’m very susceptible to cookie bribes.”

  Though he said this in a laughing manner and I laughed, his comment bothered me. I considered Harvey an official representative of our community. Was he admitting he took bribes?

  We parted ways, and I got the “seconds” of my dishes set up in the back, the warms on warmers and the colds on chillers. The extra gallons of tea I stashed in the refrigerator.

  Patsy from the wine bar station hurried over to admire the buffet setup as soon as I returned to the banquet room. She was four years younger than me and walked like she was going to a fire. We’d been in the same Sunday school class when I’d observed firsthand her tendency to eat crayons.

  Those days were long gone, and now she looked like she could play pro football. Not that her size or looks mattered to me. Patsy had grown up to be a sweet but shy woman.

  “Harvey tried to mooch wine off me,” Patsy said. “I said no, but then you gave him cookies. You’re making me look bad.”

  “Harvey loves my cookies, and I love having this catering job. We understand each other.” I placed the serving spoons and tongs in accompanying dishes beside the warmers.

  “I’d kill for a slice of that cornbread. I still dream about your yummy cornbread from last year. That butter looks perfect for spreading. You think anyone’d notice if I had my piece right now?”

  I hoped she was kidding. “Sorry, Patsy. I can’t hide a missing slice from the pan. You’ll have to wait like everyone else.”

  She nodded toward the kitchen. “No second pan that’s messed up back there?”

  “Sorry.”

  “It’ll kill me to wait, but I’ll do it.” Patsy sighed. “My boss at the wine bar said you went out with Deputy Dawg twice last weekend. What happened to Mr. Excitement?”

  “Deputy Hamlyn accompanied me while I asked if anyone knew Chili Bolz’s whereabouts. I’m still dating Pete Merrick.”

  “Uh-huh. Does Pete know the dog’s been sniffing around?”

  “He does. Lance accompanied me for safety reasons. If you’ll notice, I’m not carousing bars tonight, and I’m without a male escort.”

  Patsy burst out laughing. “Girl, you’re a mess. Worse, you’re single-handedly going to add five pounds to my weight with this meal. I plan to try all of your desserts, especially the cookies that Harvey raves about.”

  Though Patsy was a large woman, she was linebacker solid everywhere. A few desserts would quickly get burnt off a woman as active as she was. “He likes them because they remind him of the ones his grandmother used to make. Your mileage may vary.”

  “That’s three men you’ve got eating out of your hands. How do you do that? What’s a gal got to do to get a date in this town?”

  I never thought of Patsy as dating. She didn’t appear to have time for socializing. “I’m not sure. Who’d you like to date?”

  “I had an itch for Mr. Missing Man himself, but Chili never once looked my way.”

  “His loss then,” I said. “You’ll find someone else.”

  “Tell me the truth, River. Does everyone think I’m interested in women?”

  That question was emotional quicksand, and I’d rather not get sucked under. “I don’t pay attention to rumors, Patsy, and you shouldn’t either. Who you date is your business.”

  “They do think I’m a lesbian! That’s not fair.”

  My hands shot up reflexively. “Whoa. I didn’t say that. I said that gossip goes in one ear and right out the other. I’m not interested in hearing it, and I do my best not to repeat it. This is the age of being yourself. If you want to date men or women, fine. If you want to identify as a man or woman, fine. Anything goes today.”

  Patsy’s face darkened. “I’m trying not to be offended by what you said.”

  “Good, because no offense was intended. Do whatever you like with whoever you like, just own it.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Be confident in who you are and what you like. If a man interests you or he shows interest in you, give him feedback. I’ll bet you didn’t talk to Chili the entire time you wanted to date him.”

  Her eyes rounded. “I couldn’t.”

  “Guys have nerves too. Let ’em know you’re friendly. Is there anyone else you’re interested in? Anyone who’s here tonight?”

  “Haven’t thought about it. Still daydreaming about Chili. Any chance of him coming home?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  People raved about the food, and the dessert bar emptied on the first pass through the serving line. As the Chamber made their yearly award presentations, the rest of the food vanished. I held back four pieces of buttered cornbread for Patsy, and she was ecstatic about that at night’s end.

  Patsy and Harvey helped me haul my empty serving dishes to the van, and I drove home on a wave of joyous adrenaline.

  I done good.

  Ten people took business cards and said they’d call me. Two couples already asked me to reserve specific dates on my calendar for catering.

  After I unloaded the van, changed into a nightgown, and settled in bed, my phone buzzed on the bedside table. I’d muted my phone during the event, so I hoped this was Pete calling for a bedside chat. In the darkness, I glanced at the lighted phone display and saw Pete’s name. I also noticed several missed calls from him earlier this evening.

  “I’ve been trying to reach you for hours,” Pete said on the audio-only call. “Are you okay?”

  “Hi, Pete,” I said, a spurt of adrenaline surging through my exhaustion. It was great to hear his voice. I settled back into bed for our pillow talk. “My phone was muted because I had a catering job tonight.”

  “All night?”

  “All night. The Chamber’s annual awards ceremony. I’ve been prepping all week. It was a big job I managed by myself. Everyone raved about the food.”

  “I nearly hopped a plane when I couldn’t reach you for four hours. I worried something happened to you.”

  I frowned. His strong reaction to my unavailability was unusual. “I’m fine. No need for concern. I was working. I was actually concerned for you because I couldn’t reach you last night. I left you two messages. What’s going on?”

  “Thi
ngs got crazy out here again.” He paused for a shaky-sounding breath. “I’ve had it with these people and this company. They lied to me from the start. I was a fool to come out here, to link my name to Dalbert North’s. He totally misrepresented the situation and sat back to watch the fireworks.”

  “That sounds awful.” Would he quit North Merrick? I needed more information. “What happened?”

  “Just when I had everything sorted out from the last takeover attempt, another take-down team attacked the company. The cartel thugs injured two coworkers, landing one of those men in the hospital.”

  My eyes opened wide. “Cartel? As in drug gangs?”

  “Same outfit as before. The second takeover attempt caught me by surprise. I thought we sent them packing in January, but these people are set on acquiring North Merrick no matter what I do. They play dirty. I can’t turn around this business, not in a year, not in a million years. They had an inside man in accounting that I fired three days ago, and I’ve hired a crack team of outside accountants to find the money he stole. I’m heartbroken over what’s happened.”

  He had my full attention. Exhaustion fled. I sat up and clutched the phone tightly. “Pete, I’m so sorry. You had high hopes for North Merrick. But a cartel? You can’t fight a criminal organization by yourself. This isn’t normal.”

  “Agreed. This is a first for me. Nothing like this happened at any of the other companies I turned around. I didn’t want to worry you with details as they unfolded, but you should know what I’m up against so that you’re careful too. I received three death threats this week. I’ve never walked away from a fight, but this is one fight I can’t win. When I couldn’t reach you this evening, I thought they’d abducted you to force my hand. I’ve never been so scared in my life. I should’ve remembered your catering job tonight. That’s on me. Between guns and the death threats, I’m under an incredible amount of stress.”

  No wonder he looked so haggard on the video calls lately. And no wonder he hadn’t answered my call the night before. “No amount of money is worth this level of pressure. You’re essentially working in a war zone. Run, don’t walk away. Rest assured, I’m fine. I would’ve kept my phone on if I knew about your situation. Are you okay?”