“When is he going to be in town next? Maybe we could have dinner together,” Marc suggested.
“I think that’s a perfect idea,” she said, knowing it would be the longest meal of her life.
The minute they got back from the cabin on Monday morning, Scarlet was sucked into the bustling diner. Marc again shocked by the changes in the little town, was glad that they had parking behind the diner. He’d even installed an automatic gate so it could be opened without getting out of the car. Scarlet had warned him what to expect, but it was still a shock. Pushing him out the door, she told him to go explore.
By the end of the day, it had become clear to him that he was going to have to find something to keep him occupied for at least the next month. Then he got a brilliant idea for a way to make some extra money for Scarlet and to keep himself busy. That night, when he finally managed to make her sit down and eat something, he made the suggestion.
“Have you ever thought about opening up the back lot for parking? We could charge five bucks a car and give them a discount if they eat at the diner,” Marc said, watching her eat.
She stopped chewing her food for a second, shocked by his suggestion. “I never thought about that, but I usually have my hands so full with the diner I wouldn’t have time to do that anyway. Are you volunteering?”
“I am. We could make quite a bit of money,” he said, already thinking of how he’d make it work.
“Are you bored already? You just finished the apartment,” she said, laughing at his enthusiasm.
“I told you I’m not good at doing nothing.”
“Well, you have my permission, but you’d better check with the mayor or someone to make sure it’s okay to park a bunch of cars back there. You might promise to donate a percentage of the proceeds to the town or something, which always works.”
By the next day at noon, Marc was happily parking cars on the empty lot, everyone happy to find the additional parking. The mayor had approved the plan and got special city council permission, but only after an hour-long lecture about what the block had looked like before a fire had leveled all the buildings. Marc could picture it in his mind and agreed that it was shame, promising to visit the mayor again for another lesson on his new home.
Although he loved history, Marc had a mission and wasn’t going to accept much of a detour of his plans. On his way home, he stopped by the campground outside of town and posted a notice for Scarlet. She was already so busy at the diner that any more business would strain her current crew. He also stopped by the hardware store to pick up supplies to make a sign that he could move back and forth when he wanted to open the parking lot.
Before he could even make the sign, there were cars lined up to get into the parking lot, word of mouth having spread that quickly through the little town. Marc could suddenly see that he’d made a mistake not arranging for someone to help him. After making what felt like a million trips back and forth between the new parking lot and the gate, he was exhausted, thirsty, and starving. It was well after noon before he finally managed to sit down on a chair Scarlet had brought him earlier when she’d come out to check on him.
As if his thoughts had brought her to him, she came out the back door of the restaurant with not only a drink in her hand, but a Styrofoam container full of food. “How’s the king of the parking lot?” she asked, looking him up and down.
“Way out of his league. This got bigger than I thought it would,” he said, gesturing to the parking lot which was only half full. “I had to stop before it was full, I’m worn out.”
“I’ll second that,” she said, leaning up against the fence. “At least half those people have shown up in the diner looking for their discount. Please tell me you posted that notice.”
“Yep, on my way back. Think you might be able to find me some help in this bunch? I can’t do this on my own,” he said, biting into the burger she’d brought him.
“I’m sure we can, but I’ve got to go. I’ll send someone out with a pitcher of tea for you. Now that you got them all in there, you’re going to have to get them back out,” she said over her shoulder as she walked away.
His mouth was so full of food that he couldn’t speak for a second, but he finally managed to shout, “Thanks for the food and the pep talk.” He could hear her laughing as the door closed.
By the time the last car had pulled away from the lot, he was exhausted and convinced that he couldn’t do it alone. Scarlet had open interviews scheduled for the next day and he needed to hire someone and fast or shut down. As it was, he was going to have to beg Scarlet to lend him Clarence so he could be there during the interviews the next morning. He also needed to find some kind of a stand with an umbrella, a cooler, and some other chairs.
Someone was going to have to spend a lot of time out there, and if it was him, he wanted a few comforts. When he walked into the back door of the diner, it was clear that Scarlet’s day was far from over. Many of the people who had been in town for the logging competition had stopped for something to eat before going home, so she had one more big push before locking the door for the night.
Chapter 9
He’d had time to go upstairs and shower, eat dinner, and make himself comfortable at the little table in the kitchen before Scarlet managed to sit down and eat herself back at the diner. The night staff had finally taken over, letting the day crew who had already been there for twelve hours go home. Kevin dragged himself through the kitchen and out the back door with only a wave at them, his dinner tucked into a bag swinging from his hand.
“Do you work like this all month?” he asked once she’d eaten most of her food and downed a full glass of water, which Marc had insisted on.
“No, we’ve never been this busy before. I need at least five more people, plus at least two for you. Carry and Clarence are going to spread the word tonight. Hopefully, we’ll have a long line of perspective employees in the morning,” she said, sinking back against the chair.
Just then, Carry came flying by her arms full of dishes. “Another big party just walked in, I don’t think this day is ever going to end,” she said when she came back with a pitcher to refill Scarlet’s glass.
Carry had only been there since two o’clock and she still had energy to burn. Scarlet shook her head and asked, “Where’s Clarence?”
“He’s back washing dishes,” Carry said, concern replacing the big smile she’d had on her face.
“Will you go get him?” Scarlet asked, putting a serious expression on her face.
Carry scampered away to get Clarence, looking over her shoulder as she went. Scarlet was trying not to laugh and just managed to get herself under control when they got back to the table.
“I need to talk to you two about something important,” she said, her face serious. “You’re both promoted to assistant manager. I’ll have keys made for you tomorrow. Clarence, I need you to help Marc until we can get someone trained to help him and we need to hire at least seven new people tomorrow. We need five for the diner and two for the parking lot. It’s up to you two to find us some good people.”
They both just stared at her for a second, then Clarence asked, “Do we get a raise?”
Scarlet just laughed, then said, “Yes, we’ll talk about money later. Now go close down the diner and I’ll see you both in the morning, I’m going home.”
Marc walked her out back to her car. “As much as I’d like to go home with you, I’m exhausted.”
“Me too, and we have to be up early tomorrow. I’ll settle for a goodnight kiss,” she said, snuggling up to him.
“I think I can manage that,” he said, lowering his mouth to hers.
It only took two days to get the staff they needed hired and in place, allowing them both to breathe a little easier and none too soon. On Wednesday, Scarlet was just finishing her third fourteen-hour day in a row, aware that she couldn’t handle another one, when Marc pulled her off her feet and made her sit down.
“Let Carry do her job, she knows wha
t she’d doing,” he said, putting a plate of food in front of her. “Eat, you’ll feel better.”
Marc was entertaining her with stories about the people he’d met that day, always a great source of amusement for them. But it was the most fun when those same people came into the diner, giving them the opportunity to compare notes. Scarlet was laughing at a story Marc was telling about a couple who had a big fight with him standing there holding the keys to their car when Sean walked through the door of the kitchen.
It was finally quieting down out front, the night staff beginning closing procedures so he’d heard his mother laughing from out front. He’d gotten a ride from a coworker who came to town every Wednesday to go to church. He’d been homesick for the last few days and an opportunity to go home if only for a few hours was too good to resist. He’d jumped into the truck without even calling her, but he knew that she’d be at the diner, it was the busiest month of the year.
He didn’t expect to find her sitting in the back looking all happy with that man she’d been with at the picnic last month. He cleared his throat, scowling at them, then said, “I thought you’d be at home.”
“Sean,” Scarlet said, jumping to her feet and rushing over to him. After hugging him, she sized him up as only a mother could. “What’s wrong? Why are you home on a Wednesday?”
“One of the wranglers comes down for church every week, so I got a ride with him. His girlfriend lives here and he mostly comes to see her. I have to meet him back at the church in a little while,” he said, giving Marc a dirty look.
Scarlet saw that look and knew that they were in trouble and so did Marc. “I better be heading upstairs. I still have to do a little paperwork tonight and it’s not going to wait,” Marc said, getting up.
Shooting him a grateful look, she quickly introduced the two of them and explained that Marc was living in the apartment above the diner. Sean absorbed this news, the scowl on his face deepening; it was clear that he wasn’t happy about that news.
“He’s living in that mess? Huh, I wouldn’t,” he said, stomping over to the table and sitting down.
Scarlet opened her mouth to tell Sean that Marc had renovated it, but he shook his head and said, “It was nice to see you again, Sean. I’ll see you tomorrow, Scarlet.”
Without a word, Scarlet went to the kitchen and put together a plate of food for Sean, which he accepted with a quiet, “Thank you.” She let him eat in silence before approaching the topic of Marc, allowing the food to sooth his rumpled feathers, which it did before long.
“I want to talk to you about Marc,” she said, gently bringing up the topic.
“Is he your boyfriend or something?” Sean asked, more perceptive than she’d imagined.
“What would you say if I said yes?” she countered.
“That I don’t like him,” Sean answered honestly.
Scarlet thought about his for a minute before speaking. She wanted to do this right, make it easier for him. “I guess you could call him my boyfriend, but that doesn’t mean that you’re not still the most important person in my life, that will never change,” she finally said.
“I don’t see what was wrong with the way things were? You’ve never had a boyfriend before,” Sean said, beginning to pout.
“There was nothing wrong with the way things were, but, Sean, you’re going to grow up someday and go off to college. I need to have a life of my own so that when you do, I won’t be all alone. I wasn’t looking for someone, but Marc is here and we’re good together. He makes me happy. Will you just give him a chance? I think you’ll like him if you get to know him.”
Sean considered her words. He didn’t want his mom to have a boyfriend. No matter how much she tried to convince him that things wouldn’t change, he knew that they would; adding a third person to their family would change things. He wanted his mom all to himself. It was only fair since he didn’t have a father, or at least a father he could spend time with.
But then he looked at his mother’s face and realized that he was being selfish, his mom did spend a lot of time alone, especially in the winter. With a big sigh, he said, “Okay, I’ll try.”
Scarlet’s face lit up and Sean felt better knowing that he’d made her happy, “Oh, I’m so glad. How about dinner the next time you’re in town? If you let me know you’re coming, we can have dinner at the house, just the three of us, then you can get to know Marc better,” she said, already planning the menu.
“I’ll be home this weekend,” he said, resigned to his fate.
“That might not work, weekends are crazy, but we could do it next Wednesday if you come home again then.”
Sean brightened. He liked that idea better. This way he’d still have his mom all to himself for the weekend and only have to spend a few hours with Marc next week. “That’ll be fine.”
She walked with Sean to the church when it was time for him to go, both to extend the time she had with him and to check out the man he was riding with. They met Adam out in front of the church, he was just saying goodbye to his girlfriend who Scarlet knew, which eliminated Scarlet’s worries about who was driving her son around.
“Thank you for letting Sean tag along with you to town, Adam,” she said to the man when they’d been introduced.
“Well, he looked a little bored. There’s not much to do at the ranch for a fourteen-year-old,” Adam said, ruffling Sean’s hair. She could tell that Sean respected Adam when his face flushed with pleasure.
“If you have time next week, you and Shelly should come over to the diner for desert after church, my treat,” Scarlet offered, always happy to repay a favor.
“That sounds nice,” the couple said in unison, making them all laugh.
Scarlet watched the truck pull away thinking that things had gone better then she’d hoped, what could have been an explosive situation had been diffused. Now it was up to Sean and Marc to find some common ground. She’d made the desert invitation knowing that if things were too intense at dinner, they’d have a distraction to break up the tension.
It was a good thing she had too because when Wednesday arrived, Sean showed up grumpy and disagreeable. Scarlet knew her son all too well. She was sure that he’d spent the last few days working himself up until he was practically spoiling for a fight. She’d taken the afternoon off to make his favorite food, but not even that had improved his mood.
Dinner was a difficult affair. Marc tried to engage Sean, asking him about his job, but Sean only replied in short answers, and most of them had been rude. If she’d ever had any doubts about Marc’s patience, she no long had any. He never lost his cool, even when Sean was flat out rude. She started to interfere several times, but Marc had only shaken his head at her so she’d backed off.
When dinner was over and Sean disappeared into his room, she said, “I’m so sorry, he was awful to you. I don’t know what to say.”
Marc stood up to help her clear the table. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t that bad. He’s just mad at you, he’ll get over it, let him get it out of his system. I’m not ready to give up,” he said, following her to the kitchen with dirty plates.
“I just didn’t think he’d react this strongly. Maybe I didn’t really think about it at all,” she said, beginning to have some doubts.
“Are you thinking about letting him have his way?” Marc asked, suddenly afraid of the power that Sean might have.
“No, I’m not. I just didn’t think that he’d resist so much,” she said, stepping into his arms. “Sometimes I forget what’s it’s like to be fourteen, so many changes are happening, this is just another one of those changes. He’s a good kid, he’ll adjust.”
“Well, then it’s time to go have desert. I can handle another go around if you can,” he said, kissing her on the forehead and taking her hand as they left the kitchen.
Sean came grumpily out of his bedroom when they called and practically threw himself in the backseat of the car. He was silent on the way to the diner, but once there responded exactly as Sca
rlet had expected him to, the manners she’d worked so hard to instill in him coming out. He let Adam engage him in conversation, which allowed Marc an opportunity to participate as well.
When the discussion turned to horses, Sean was almost dismissive of Marc, assuming that he knew nothing about horses. But Marc had been riding since he was a kid, his knowledge clear as the discussion continued. Scarlet could see that Sean was surprised, then impressed, and breathed a sigh of relief. They’d finally found a common interest which could be used to build a relationship on.
After their disastrous dinner the week before, Scarlet decided that they’d move dinner to the diner. It would be a crowded meal back in the kitchen, but with the loggers still in town, the dining room was out of the question. It turned out to be a much better meal, with the staff providing some distraction, as well as a topic of conversation.
Scarlet hadn’t intended it, but the fact that everyone seemed to like Marc as much as Scarlet did made an impression on Sean. He’d resorted to simply being polite and only talked when asked a direct question, but that was an improvement over the week before so Scarlet considered it a win. Adam and his girlfriend joined them for desert in the dining room, which was also an enjoyable experience, making her feel better when he left that night.
The month of July flew by. The loggers showed up in record numbers that year, spending record amounts of money ensuring all the business owners in town another year of operation. Scarlet was among the many who had made a lot more than she had last year, the addition of the parking lot adding significantly to her profits.
Sean and Marc had reached a kind of truce that involved polite conversations about topics they both enjoyed, but no real bond had formed. Scarlet knew that it was too soon to hope for that, but she wanted both the men in her life to get along. School would be starting at the end of August and Sean would be home all the time, making it much more difficult for Marc and Scarlet to see each other; if they could get along better that would make her life so much easier.
Hold Me Close: BWWM Romance (Brothers From Money Book 6) Page 9
