Sandwich, With a Side of Romance

by Krista Phillips

  “I think you’re listening to the devil there, Madison.”

  “You’re doing it again. My name is Maddie, remember? Madison is so … Wisconsin.”

  “All right. So, Maddie, have you decided which job you’re going to take?”

  She pushed off the side of the building and turned to him. “I guess I can suffer through having you for a boss. But I still want my own desk and twirly chair.”

  9

  A knock sounded on the door, and Allie poked her head in. “Am I interrupting?”

  Reuben waved her in. “Not at all.”

  Maddie looked up from her spot on the floor where she’d spread out her latest filing project: financial statements. She didn’t mind this project as much. As strapped for money as she was, math was always her strong suit. Numbers were so … sure. Dependable. Not full of a bunch of guesses like science.

  Allie glanced from Reuben to Maddie. “You weren’t kidding about needing a desk, huh?”

  Maddie jerked her thumb toward her boss. “Try convincing him that.”

  “I quit trying to convince my brother of anything a long time ago. More stubborn than Dad used to be.”

  Reuben stood. “What did you need, Allie? We’re busy.”

  The tension could be cut with a steak knife. Allie put her hands on her hips. “Loosen up, Reub. The kids wanted to eat here for a late lunch, and I needed to chat with Maddie. Can you spare her, oh mighty one?”

  Maddie hadn’t realized it was so late. She stood and stretched her arms. “I think lunch is a great idea. Even workaholics need to eat, Reuben.” And the restaurant sounded better than the PB&J sandwich and Cheetos she had waiting for her in the Tracker.

  He pushed out from his desk. “Fine. It’s time you get a taste of the Emporium anyway instead of hiding out in your car the whole lunch break.”

  She stuck out her tongue at him. “I’ve just been going home for lunch, remember?”

  Turning and following where Allie had already exited, she didn’t wait for a reply.

  Maddie headed into the dining room, which buzzed with the end-of-lunch crowd. She waved to Livy, who was busy with a table and merely nodded a cool acknowledgment. More than once Maddie thanked God she wasn’t out serving. No doubt she’d have already decorated half the laps in the room.

  She sat down at the table Allie and the kids occupied, and was surprised a moment later when Reuben sat down next to her. He didn’t say a word.

  Tilly, a middle-aged waitress with wild, curly red hair, sauntered over to take their order. “Good afternoon. Can I start you out with some drinks?”

  Reuben’s lips tipped up for the first time since Maddie had known him. “Tilly’s trying to impress her boss with her professional waitress talk.”

  The apron-clad woman slapped Reuben on the shoulder. “Careful what you say. I might pull a Maddie and dump your food on your lap.”

  Heat flooded Maddie’s neck. Not exactly flattering to have her name known as the town klutz.

  Reuben looked at her and frowned. Was he still irritated at her blunder? Surely not. He snapped out of it a moment later and nodded to Tilly. “I’ll remember that. Yes, drinks would be great. I’ll take a Coke.”

  They went around the table giving their drink orders, and when Tilly left to fill them, the kids all started talking at once, clamoring for Allie’s attention. After they’d decided what sandwiches they wanted, Allie, who sat across the table, leaned forward, a cheesy grin lighting up her face. “I think I found you the perfect place to stay.”

  God, have I ever told you how awesome you are? Really, I don’t care if it’s a hole in the wall as long as I can have a bathroom.

  “It’s only been a few hours. How did you find something this fast?”

  Allie opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Tilly.

  “Here we are, folks. A water for Maddie, Coke for Reuben and Allie, and chocolate milk for the three youngsters.”

  Beth, who Maddie guessed to be about three, squealed and bobbed up and down in her booster seat. “Milk, Milk! Chocolate!”

  Allie hushed her. “Patience, Beth.” She nodded at Cole. “Help your sister get her straw in the lid, please.”

  The ten-year-old obeyed and even tickled his sister in the process. He was about Kyle’s age. Maddie’s heart squeezed as she watched him, even though she knew her brother well enough to know that his response would have been, “Do it yourself.” He was the stereotypical defensive foster kid, just like she used to be before Jesus got hold of her.

  “Maddie?”

  She blinked her eyes and looked at Reuben. “What?”

  “Tilly asked if you’re ready to order.”

  She hadn’t even looked at the menu. “Do you recommend something?”

  He smirked. “The Reuben is our specialty.”

  Maddie wrinkled up her nose. “Corned beef. Gross.”

  “Suit yourself. You’re missing out.”

  “You go ahead and order while I decided.”

  She perused the menu, trying to find something cheap, but found that impossible. The Sandwich Emporium was no regular sandwich joint. No deli meat here. Instead, they had chicken breast on gourmet bread, prime rib on their French dip, and sandwiches listed that she’d never heard of with ingredients that she couldn’t even recognize.

  After living on McDonald’s and sandwiches made in her backseat, spending fifteen bucks on a sandwich gave her chills.

  Reuben leaned over, his lips almost touching her ears as he whispered. “It’s on the house. Order what you want. Consider it a perk.”

  She lifted her head, determined not to turn red at the thought of mooching off her boss. “I’ll have the French dip with baked potato, sour cream, no butter, and vegetables as my side.”

  After Tillie left, Maddie tried not to drool at the thought of a hot meal. Instead, she turned her attention back to housing. “Allie, you were saying? About finding an apartment to rent?”

  A twinkle sparked in her new friend’s eyes. “Well, it’s not exactly an apartment.”

  “A house then?” She’d dreamed of finding a small two-bedroom house with a fenced-in yard. An impossible dream on her budget, but it would knock Corina’s socks off when she came to visit.

  Allie shook her head. “It’s a room, kind of a guesthouse sort of thing.”

  Reuben choked on his pop. After clearing his throat, he shot a warning glance at Allie. “It won’t work.”

  Allie smiled in response. Clearly she was used to getting what she wanted, although Maddie agreed with Reuben this time. She needed more than a room to bring Kyle home to.

  “I already talked to both Mom and Gary. They think it’s a great idea.”

  Maddie looked between the bickering siblings. “What’s going on? I don’t understand.”

  Sara, who sat beside Maddie, took her hand and squealed. “You’re gonna live with Grandma!”

  10

  God, I know your intentions are good and all. But … my boss’s parent’s house? Really? If you fell asleep and made a mistake, I completely understand. You’re a busy guy. I’ll give you a break and let you fix this….

  Little Sara looked like she’d just been handed front-row tickets to see Justin Bieber.

  Allie’s face beamed with a wide smile. “I know this isn’t what you were expecting, but my mom and stepdad have a guest-house separate from the main house. It’s small, only one room with a bathroom, but it has a kitchenette and is completely livable and furnished. My dad built it when my grandparents were still living. Mom says you’re more than welcome to use it for as long as you need.”

  Maddie ventured a look at Reuben. He sat with an arm on the table and hand on his Coke. His mouth resembled a downward sloped banana.

  “Allie, really, thanks for the offer. I’m just not sure—”

  The good Samaritan shook her head. “I won’t accept no for an answer, and neither will Reuben. You’re not sleeping in your car another night.”

  Reuben shifted in
his seat. “Allie’s right. It’s a good, temporary solution.”

  No missing his emphasis on the word temporary. She dittoed that. “Okay, I’ll accept. But I insist on paying them a decent rent.”

  Allie shook her head. “Good luck getting Gary to accept. He’d rather you just put a few extra bills in the offering or buy a few Bibles for the Gideons.”

  Where had these people come from? She’d stepped out of the McDonald’s bathroom into benevolent land. People didn’t do things this way on the streets of Chicago. Not the ones she frequented anyway. Even the churchgoers where she attended on and off the past year were Scrooges compared to these people.

  But now that she thought about it, there were a few who offered to help. She’d just rolled her eyes at the time.

  “I’ll do that then. Thank you.”

  Sara clapped her hands together. “Yeah! Grandma has the neatest house ever. And you’re gonna love her. She makes the bestest chocolate-chip cookies.”

  Five-o’clock came and went. God didn’t change his mind.

  Maddie pulled up to the two-story Cape Cod and cut off the engine. In front of her, Allie and her crew climbed out of her van. In her rear-view mirror, she saw Reuben exiting his Beamer.

  Taking a breath, she grabbed her bag from the backseat and headed toward Allie.

  “Reub, why don’t you show Maddie the guesthouse while I let Mom and Gary know we’re here?” Allie picked Bethany up and balanced her on her hip. “The key is under the flowerpot.”

  Reuben tried to take Maddie’s bag from her, but she shuffled it to her other hand, out of his reach. He frowned at her, but started toward the garage. “Tell Mom to give us a minute. I’ll bring Maddie in when we’re done.”

  Maddie followed Reuben up the driveway and along a paved sidewalk beside the garage.

  She stopped when she reached the backyard. The setup reminded her of a picture-perfect backyard on a sitcom. Overflowing flower beds lined the house and deck and a small building that stood off to the side. “Nice place.”

  Reuben cleared his throat and nodded his head toward the building. “This way.”

  She felt like Hansel and Gretel, being lured into the seemingly wonderful cottage, complete with latticework and shingled siding but missing the edible rooftop. She braced herself for the witch inside stirring a big pot of boiling goo over an open fire.

  Or maybe Reuben aka Hansel was the witch. That’d be a twist on the story.

  Reuben reached down to retrieve the key. “Grandma and Grandpa lived the rest of their years here, and now every missionary visitor or other special speaker at church makes use of it. You’re the first long-term guest.”

  “It’s temporary, remember?”

  He looked back at her as he opened the door. “Yes, I do.”

  Something in his eyes and the softening of his voice told her he wanted to say more. She wasn’t sure whether to be disappointed or relieved when he didn’t.

  They walked into the room, and no witch waited for them. Maddie dropped her bag on the floor and tried to hold back a Sara-like squeal. The room was perfect. A queen-sized bed with a white headboard and matching dresser and side table sat on one side. On the other side was, as promised, a kitchenette, complete with a small stove, fridge, and sink. A loveseat, recliner, and TV created a cozy living area in the middle.

  “What do you think?”

  Maddie stopped midswirl. She’d been spinning in the middle of the room while he’d picked up her bag and set it by the bed. He must think her a silly teenager. She waited a moment until the room stopped racing, then tugged at her white, button-up shirt that had gone awry during her jig. “It will do for now. Thank you.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Is something wrong?”

  “Oh, nothing. It’s very nice, and I’m more thankful than you can ever know. But it’s important I get into my own place soon if I want to have any hope at—”

  Maddie stopped herself. She hadn’t told him about Kyle yet and wasn’t sure she should. Her past was behind her and best forgotten until she was able to do something about it.

  “Hope at what?”

  A knock sounded at the door, and an older lady peeked into the cottage. “Yoo-hoo. Anybody home?”

  Saved by the mom. Maddie smiled as the fiftyish woman, her brown hair sprinkled with gray, waltzed into the room and crushed her in a hug. Like mother, like daughter.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Callahan.”

  The woman held her at arm’s length, her hands patting Maddie’s arms. “Actually, I remarried after Reuben’s father passed away, so I’m Mrs. Luther now. You just call me Betty, though. No need for formalities here. Now, has Reuben given you the tour yet?”

  Reuben shook his head. “No, Mom. We just got here.”

  “Well, my oh my, we’ll just have to change that now won’t we.” She ushered Maddie toward the small table while Reuben took a seat in the recliner, looking a bit too relieved at having his duty taken from him. “Over here is the kitchen. It has all the pots and pans and cooking utensils you can think of, and probably a few you’ve never seen before. My momma, God rest her soul, was quite the cook in her day. The microwave over there is an addition since she went to be with Jesus. She couldn’t stand the thought of nuking anything, even leftovers.”

  Tempted to kiss the microwave, Maddie refrained. She and cooking did not get along. “Charbroiled” had a whole new meaning in her kitchen.

  “And of course, Reuben’s already breaking in the recliner for you, and over there is the bedroom area. We thought about making separate rooms, but Dad preferred it this way, him being in a wheelchair and all.”

  “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  Betty turned and smiled at her. “No need. It’s been over a year now, and they’re dancing with Jesus now, having a grand ol’ time.”

  Maddie smiled. “Maybe my mom’s joining them, too.”

  Behind her, Reuben cleared his throat. “Mom, I needed to finish discussing some things with Maddie. Do you mind if we meet you inside in a bit?”

  His mother’s frown betrayed her opinion of his request. “That’s fine, but don’t be long. I already have supper on the table.”

  “Mrs. Luther, you didn’t have to do that. I’d just planned to—”

  The older woman put her hands on her modest-sized hips. “There’s not an ounce of food in this little place, and no one on my property is allowed to go hungry as long as there’s a bread crumb left in my house. You finish your work chat with Reuben and come join the family. I won’t hear another word about it. And remember, please call me Betty.” She spun on her heels and walked out before Maddie could open her mouth again.

  Reuben popped the footrest on the recliner. “Come have a seat. We’re gonna have a business meeting. It’s much more roomier in here anyway.”

  He looked too cute sitting there with his hands behind his neck and his legs stretched out.

  Ugh, where had that thought come from? Her boss was mean, overbearing, and male. Cuteness was not allowed. Ever.

  God, please make a hideous mole grow or something, okay?

  “Not exactly a professional setting, but okay.” She sat down on the couch opposite of him, kicked off her shoes, and curled her legs up behind her. “What do you want to talk about?”

  “You.”

  “So not a business topic, Boss-man.”

  Reuben shifted the chair into an upward position and focused on her. “I need to know more about you if we’re going to work together. People will ask questions, and right now I have no answers. We’re going to go into dinner in a few minutes, and I’d rather not have any more surprises.”

  “You’re talking about Kyle, aren’t you?”

  Reuben nodded. “Yeah, about Kyle. You do know my mom is pretty strict on morals, right? You living here with a guy isn’t going to happen. She has a kind heart, but not that kind.”

  Living with a guy? What was he talking about?

  Ohhhhhh. He thought Kyle was a boyf
riend. Actually, that wasn’t a bad assumption for him to have. Kept him at a safe distance.

  “Kyle won’t live with me until I find a place of our own, so don’t worry about that.”

  Reuben shifted in his seat, obviously uncomfortable with the topic.

  Fact was, the thought of living with a guy, ever, was pretty taboo for her too. And according to her handy-dandy Bible, she doubted God would appreciate the misunderstanding. Time to divert. “Anything else you want to know? My favorite color perhaps? Don’t want you be caught blind with that bit of sensational news.”

  His eyes caught hold of hers, and try as she may, she couldn’t look away. “Why were you living out of your car? The truth.”

  She held her tongue for a moment. Her past was between her and God, and no one else. “I didn’t come from a fabulous family like yours, Reuben. My mom’s dead and my dad’s a scumbag. I moved here to start over but counted on getting tips to get me by, not on getting fired on my first day. I’m not down to my last penny but didn’t want to waste money on a hotel until I got a paycheck.”

  “I asked if you needed an advance.”

  “I’m not a charity case. I can do this myself.”

  Reuben pushed down the footstool and stood. “You have Kyle, right? Why didn’t he help?”

  He extended a hand to her. She ignored it and stood up herself. It’d been a year since she’d felt the grasp of a man’s hand, and she didn’t care for a repeat.

  “Kyle is none of your business, boss or not.”

  Reuben stuffed his hands into his front pockets. “Agreed.” He looked toward the door and back at her. “Mom’s going to wonder where we went.”

  Maddie slipped on her shoes and nodded. “You’re right, and I don’t want to keep her waiting. She’s already going to too much trouble.”

  “She enjoys it. Don’t get all apologetic on her and ruin her fun. Think of yourself as a stray cat she found and wants to nurse back to health.”

  “Just as long as she doesn’t try to declaw me.”

  Reuben’s lips twitched. “That’s the first thing on the list. Gotta make sure you don’t scratch up my car.”