Summer’s Glory
by
Mary Jane Hathaway
All rights reserved. © 2017 by Gumbo Books and Mary Jane Hathaway
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.
Find me on facebook at Mary Jane Hathaway, Virginia Carmichael, on the cooking blog Yankee Belle Café, and on my blog The Things That Last at www.virginiacarmichael.blogspot.com
Dedication
This book is dedicated to anyone who has ever had to reach for grace, and all who have waited on forgiveness from those they had hurt.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
Dear reader,
Recipes
OTHER TITLES by Mary Jane Hathaway
BIOGRAPHY
Now for a sneak peek at the next book in the Arcadia Valley Romance Series!
Chapter One
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Thor, stay.”
Violet Tam wasn’t worried about leaving her mastiff unattended. He could certainly handle any strangers who might think a dognapping was a good idea, but the summer heat was hard on a dog his size. The enormous, fawn-colored animal sat at the front door to the elementary school with a dignified, but faintly unhappy air. Violet shifted the blue bin to her hip and held the door open with her foot. Jamie Lawson, red faced and sweating, squeezed by with a cardboard box.
“This is the beginning of summer. For real. I don’t care if the official date is next week. It’s summer already.” Jamie huffed her unhappiness as she walked toward the eighth grade classroom and slid the box onto the long wooden table in the front. It was hotter in the classroom than it was outside but the air conditioning wouldn’t be turned on until the kids came back.
“Before we became friends, I thought teachers got the summer off.” Jamie wiped sweat from her forehead. “I don’t know why I put on make-up today. I should have just rolled out of bed and come straight down here.”
“You’d still be beautiful,” Violet said, smiling at the idea of Jamie spending the day rearranging the classroom in her nightgown and slippers. “And thank you for helping.”
“My pleasure. I mean, not really. Just a saying, of course, but you know what I mean.” Jamie peered into the box. “More books?”
“Always the tone of surprise.”
“It’s just that―” Jamie picked one out of the box “―does anybody read Agatha Christie anymore? In fact, does anybody read? Seems like there are just a few people reading all the books, and everybody else reads one or two a year. What are the chances one of your kids is going to want to read through all of these? Isn’t everybody watching The Walking Dead or playing video games?”
Violet frowned. “It’s not a matter of finding that one ravenous reader. It’s basic cultural literacy. Like knowing what Star Wars is. Everybody should read at least one Christie novel.” She looked into the box. “Oh, and Arthur Conan Doyle, Dorothy L. Sayers, Mickey Spillane―”
“Okay, I get it.” Jamie started to laugh. “I’m sorry I asked. The more time I spend around you, the longer my reading list is. I’m never going to finish it before I die. And I guess as long as you don’t make me carry books all over the county, I’ll be happy.”
“We only have one more trunk load of boxes. Eyes on the prize, remember?”
“You mean the oven-fired pizza waiting for us at the end of this?”
“Exactly. I’m ordering the feta, spinach and sun dried tomato.” Violet hadn’t been keen on her mother’s plan to start a restaurant with wood-fired ovens. In fact, she’d thought it was downright weird. Then she’d tasted the fantastic garden-fresh, locally sourced dishes and decided it had been a stroke of genius after all. Fire and Brimstone had been popular from the day it opened. People in Arcadia Valley couldn’t get enough of the place.
“I can’t wait.” Jamie paused, draping herself over the box. “You know, I never knew people like your mom could run a pizza joint.”
Violet tried not to jump to conclusions but anger flared in her at the phrase ‘like your mom’. Jamie hadn’t seemed racist in the months since they’d become good friends, but it wouldn’t be surprising if she thought Asian people should all run Chinese food restaurants. “What do you mean?”
“You know. She’s so earthy. Like you, making your own goat cheese and lavender soap.”
“I still don’t see the conflict,” Violet said. “A natural lifestyle means enjoying the world more, not less. And it’s not exactly a fast food joint. There are a few other dishes like baked potatoes and pot pie.”
“But everybody orders the pizza,” Jamie pointed out. “Maybe they like watching it cook and then seeing it pulled out of the oven on those big wooden paddles―”
“It’s called a peel.”
“Right, that. Anyway, she’s always been about the farmers market and the goats and the…” She waved her hands. “Herbs and stuff.”
“Pizza has herbs. Growing our own food doesn’t mean we don’t interact with the community. I think it’s the opposite, really, especially when we had a booth at the farmers market. We saw everybody. You grew up on the blueberry farm. Don’t you think it brought you closer to everyone in Arcadia Valley?”
“Not really. We saw people during the season, I guess. And the booth at the market was the same way. Lots of people in the summer but for the rest of the year, the grocery store was where you meet everybody,” Jamie said. She straightened up, eyes wide. “I forgot to tell you that I met the cutest guy in the dairy aisle yesterday. He said his name is Silas Black. You know him?”
Violet hesitated one second too long. “Sure, I know him.” She could imagine how Jamie felt when she first saw him. When Silas walked into a room, everybody took notice. He was tall, dark and handsome, but it was a certain something, a brooding quality combined with a crackling intensity that made Silas unforgettable. Silas probably laid on the charm and Jamie was swept off her feet, the way girls always were. Unless you were the kind of girl Silas didn’t think deserved any charm. Then you tried your hardest to stay out of his way.
“Uh oh. I saw that.” Jamie narrowed her eyes. “And don’t pretend you didn’t just pause there.”
Violet ignored her friend. “We should hurry. Thor’s waiting outside in the heat. Plus, if we don’t get those last boxes in here, we’re going to hit the dinner rush. I don’t want to wait thirty minutes for my pizza.”
Jamie looked like she was going to argue, but instead said, “Your mom wouldn’t bump your order up to the front of the line?”
“Never! She’s a professional.” Violet headed for the car, glad that Jamie hadn’t decided to
pry any more information from her. Truthfully, her mother put their order through before everyone else if Violet asked, and probably even if she didn’t.
She paused to give Thor an extra scratch on her way past. He lifted his head and fixed her with a look, as if he could tell she was upset. Thor would be the only one who noticed because Violet was determined to keep the past in the past, and her drama to herself. She’d self-medicate with ice cream and cry into Thor’s coat later, but for now, she wasn’t going to give any hint that Silas Black had any control over her life.
As they lifted the last two boxes from the trunk and carried them inside, Violet forced herself to keep her smile in place. Now that she’d had a few minutes to accept Jamie’s words, it wasn’t such a big deal. It was bound to happen. She’d already run into Silas once, very briefly. It was a small town and she couldn’t expect to avoid him completely, as wonderful as that would be.
The Lord is my strength and my shield. Violet repeated the psalm to herself as they set the last boxes in the classroom. The old grade school rhyme about sticks and stones hadn’t been true, but she was stronger now. She wasn’t a little girl anymore. She could handle whatever Silas Black threw her way, and this time she wouldn’t suffer in silence.
***
Silas eyed the front of the menu. “Summer’s Glory?”
Looking up, Luke Delis nodded. “The ingredients are seasonal. They swap out the menus depending on what time of year it is. The summer is the best in my opinion, but Nico thinks winter is better, probably because they use a lot more of his products.”
Silas hoped they still had Nico Delis’s artisanal meats on the menu. Luke pulled the winning lotto ticket with his large Greek family, but being brothers with the town’s butcher had to be the best perk. Stavros and Theo, the other two Delis brothers, were clearly made from the same mold, but if Silas had to choose, he’d rather be related to an artisan butcher than a teacher, therapist, or pediatrician.
Of course he’d never tell Luke that. Or maybe he would because Luke and his love for steaks would agree with him.
Silas scanned the menu, surprised by the variety. Even the drink list was a whole page long. Homemade sodas using natural sweeteners, organic mint teas and lemonade flavored with fruit, and free trade coffee. He’d had his heart set on French fries but he’d forgotten they didn’t offer any fried food. If it couldn’t be cooked in the wall-length stone ovens at the back of the restaurant or mixed up fresh, they didn’t have it.
Luke waved at a group being seated across the large space and Silas noted the full tables. Rural Idaho wasn’t known for its culinary novelties and Mrs. Tam had tapped into the need for something other than fast food. Sure, there were twenty ways to prepare the state’s biggest crop, the potato, but most of them went to processing plants to make potato chips. Fire and Brimstone was truly a unique twist on the local food scene.
The wide open space had been converted from an old automotive garage and one side still sported sliding doors. The brick walls had been scrubbed of paint and the hanging lights were naked Edison bulbs protected by antique blue mason jars. With the metal chairs and the vintage gas station signs on the walls, Silas wouldn’t know whether he was in a garage or a restaurant if he didn’t see mouth-watering food being brought to the tables all around him.
“So, how’s the book?” Luke nodded at the paper back Silas had brought with him to read. Luke was perpetually late. Maybe it was because he was a doctor who might be called to an emergency, or maybe it was a personality trait, but Silas made sure to have something to read while he waited.
“Good. I’ve read it before.” At least six times before, but he didn’t say that part. It was perfectly acceptable to read mysteries. It was even okay to read classic mysteries from the fifties. But people might think he was weirder than they already did if he admitted to reading the same books over and over.
“I can’t decide. I think I’ll order one with the kimchi and one with the barbeque pork and red chili sauce.” Luke Delis frowned at the little paper card.
“Two? I thought doctors were supposed to be health nuts. Wouldn’t it make more sense to get half and half?”
“Of course it would. But what about leftovers? You should order two. Won’t Loki want a piece?”
“Mastiffs need more than a piece of pizza, Luke.”
“Well, get her a whole pizza. As for me, I’m a growing man and I need sustenance.”
“Pretty sure you’re done growing, unless you mean sideways.”
Luke grinned. “That’s disappointing to hear. I guess I’ll always be shorter than you.”
“Everybody’s shorter than me. Even your brothers.” At six foot five, he was used to looming over everyone, even the four Delis brothers. Stavros, Nico, Luke and Theo had all inherited their mother’s looks, their father’s height, and a mischievous sense of humor. If they weren’t such nice guys, they could cause some real havoc in town. As it was, they had always been the kind of kids everyone was glad to see. Not like Silas. Nobody had wanted him around and he’d liked it that way.
“How are the orders coming? We haven’t had a master carpenter in Arcadia Valley for a long time. I think the closest is in Twin Falls and he’s booked up for months. I bet everybody’s knocking on your door.”
“The Bodkins’ new pantry is almost ready. I’ll probably install it tomorrow. I made some gun cabinets to for Ron Taylor and I’ll deliver those in the day or so. And then I’ve got a big project happening. Right here, actually.”
“Really?” Luke looked around. “What’s the plan?”
“Mrs. Tam wants a long bar that wraps around that side of the restaurant. More seating for the lunch crowd that just pops in for a slice or a salad.” He pointed to the wall across from the ovens. “Then another built-in counter near the door for people who are waiting for tables. They can have a drink and watch the food cooking without crowding the entrance. Mrs. Tam says it will keep the restaurant moving smoothly and people out of the way of the servers.”
Luke looked like he was trying not to laugh.
“What?” Silas asked.
“It’s just… you called her Mrs. Tam. Like you’re still fourteen.”
“I just can’t call her Shirley. She’ll always be Mrs. Tam to me.” Silas didn’t feel like he had permission to call her by her first name. Not because Mrs. Tam herself minded. It was simply the past inserting itself again. He wouldn’t have taken the job at all, but his mother’s hospital bills were nightmarishly large. They could sell the farm, or he could take the biggest jobs without being picky about who or where. Selling the farm wasn’t an option, so he was going to be spending a lot of time at Fire and Brimstone. Maybe he could get the job done without seeing Violet at all.
Silas realized he’d drifted off in thought and said, “Anyway, it’ll take a lot of time to measure and install, especially since some of the work has to be done on site after closing or early in the morning.”
“Sounds like you’re getting a lot of work coming your way,” Luke said.
“I’m definitely busy. Your brother came by and asked me about reworking some of his kitchen.”
“Which brother?”
“The one with the old house and the new girlfriend,” Silas said. “You think you’ll be best man?”
His brows went up. “Nico? It’s true they’re already talking about getting married, but they just met, really. I thought they’d have a long engagement. At least a year.” He paused. “Ok, I guess they’ve been going out a few months but really, in the scheme of things, they just met.”
“He didn’t say anything to me. I just got the impression it was pretty serious since he’d asked her opinion on the kitchen remodel. You don’t like her?” Things would get complicated if the rest of the family didn’t like Nico’s girlfriend. Silas had only seen her at Arcadia Valley’s library, where she was the director, but he’d gotten the impression she would fit right in with the Delis family. He was good at getting a feel for a person. That’s
what had made him such a good con artist. Those days were behind him, but the skill of reading someone hadn’t gone away.
“No, I think she’s great. I’m just surprised.” Luke seemed to be having trouble absorbing the idea of his older brother getting married again. “They do spend a lot of time together. They have this thing about working in the garden. I mean, I love my garden. Nothing like fresh tomatoes, but they’re really into it. She keeps talking about what she’s going to grow next. She might be a little obsessed.”
Silas smiled and said nothing. Luke would think he was crazy if he learned how much time Silas spent in the garden. It was one of the biggest draws to returning to Arcadia Valley. He knew the seasons and what kind of produce grew well. He wasn’t a picky eater, but he could never get used to store bought vegetables. They seemed almost flavorless.
Luke went on. “After Laura died, he just never seemed interested in anybody. Seems kind of sudden.”
“Not that I know much about it, but I think that’s the way it happens. You never hear about people falling for each other after being friends for ten years.”
“Or enemies,” Luke said. “I think that’s just something girls picked up from Pride and Prejudice where the guy acts likes a jerk and the girl falls for him anyway.”
Silas laughed. “They all want Mr. Darcy but if we acted like that in real life, we’d never get another date.” He’d done much worse than Mr. Darcy and although a lot of people in town were willing to give him another chance, there were some who would never come within a mile of him again, and he didn’t blame them. God had forgiven him, but plenty of people weren’t going to follow His lead.
“Hey, guys.” A voice sounded over Silas’s shoulder and he turned to see Stavros, Luke’s brother. “Silas,” he said, offering his hand. “Good to see you.”
Silas shook his hand, wishing he felt comfortable thanking Stavros for what he did on a daily basis. A therapist for juvenile delinquents, the bookish younger brother had a quiet way about him that Silas had seen before. It was the calm and surety of a man who knew his purpose in life. There had been a man like that where Silas had been incarcerated, a person who took the time to reach out to every young man who might be looking for help. “I thought you lived in Pocatello.” Where I used to be locked up, he didn’t add.
Summer's Glory: Seasons of Faith Book One (Arcadia Valley Romance 2) Page 1
