by Parin, Sonia
They? Why did she get the feeling she was about to be ambushed?
“Theo. You’re giving Elizabeth a bad impression of us.”
“That’s all right, I don’t have any secrets.” Only a lifetime worth of regrets...
“That means she doesn’t have an eating disorder,” Mitch said.
“Mitch, that’s rude.” Eddie turned to Elizabeth. “I hear you’ve given the Puff Doughnuts your seal of approval. I haven’t tried them yet, but I’ve asked Joyce to put a couple aside. Theo’s actually tasted the real thing in New York so he intends playing judge and jury.”
“Those are not my words, or intentions.” Theo drew in a deep breath. “Perhaps you’d like to join us. We were just about to head over—”
“You’re really going to ignore the elephant in the room?” Mitch asked and pulled the billy cart forward, Wilbur’s tusks pointing toward Theo Kendrick.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Theo Kendrick slid his hands inside his pockets. “But I can impart some sound advice. Learn to chose your battles, Mitch.”
Noticing Eddie smiling at her, Elizabeth looked around the building. “This is a lovely space. Have you decided on the décor?” she asked, only to bite her lip. She hoped she hadn’t stoked any flames.
“We’d like a clean and crisp look. Elegant with a hint of country rustic.”
Going by the way Eddie slanted her gaze toward the floor, Elizabeth assumed that’s where the boar’s head came in.
“Oh, and we’re having white table covers because Theo insists. I tried arguing against it, but he put his foot down. Apparently, upmarket restaurants require white table covers.”
“Have you picked a name?”
Eddie clapped her hands. “Yes, but... I’m supposed to keep some things a surprise, so I promised not to tell until we open. That’ll be in a month’s time. Will you be around?”
Her fiancé chuckled. “Come on, you can interrogate her on the way to Joyce’s.”
“You do realize Eddie wants to hang Wilbur right here in the restaurant,” Mitch said clearly trying to get a rise out of his future brother-in-law.
Theo Kendrick took hold of his fiancée’s hand and tugged her along. “Eddie loves Wilbur. I love Eddie. Anything that makes her happy, makes me happy too.”
Mitch harrumphed. “You better stay away from the Puff Doughnuts. Any more sugar in your system and you’ll go into shock.”
Theo patted Mitch on the shoulder. “I’m going to enjoy watching you crumble to your knees. The right woman will come along, and mark my word she will now that you’ve made a point of parading the Stewart twins around town. Whatever your game was, women are now seeing you in a different light...”
So the twins had been borrowed...
Wanting to avoid catching Mitch’s response, Elizabeth looked away. She didn’t want to hear his take on marriage and relationships. In fact, Elizabeth didn’t want to admit it, but she almost felt like making up an excuse and heading off in the opposite direction.
She’d already taken a trip down the rabbit hole…
When she’d first met Andrew, he’d come across as friendly and welcoming. She’d just started working for his company as a general foot in the door clerk. Everyone working for him had looked so sophisticated and worldly, while she’d struggled to put together a decent outfit. Andrew had taken her under his wing, gently guiding her away from her staid wardrobe toward a more polished look. At the time, she’d been too eager to fit in, and too naïve to realize how much of her life he was taking over, turning her into his pet project and controlling every aspect of her life until she couldn’t take a step without relying on him...
Now she only wanted to belong to herself. To make her own decisions and not have to rely on anyone else, for anything.
“Actually, I appreciate the invitation but I have to get going.”
Chapter Three
“An egg white omelet with spinach and cottage cheese, please. Oh, and some peppermint tea.” Elizabeth set her menu down and smiled at the waitress.
“Um... I’m not sure we do those, but I’ll check with Joyce.”
“Okay.” Not giving it much thought, she returned her attention to the magazine she’d been flicking through. She’d gone through a pile of them. Each one had a feature article about people making sea changes and moving to the country to start new lives and pursue new ventures, their excitement jumping out of the pages and their backgrounds diverse enough for Elizabeth to really start believing she too could do it.
One story in particular had piqued her interest. A woman about her age with a background in office work had set up a remote typing service with a sideline business in making pickles, at first selling her goods at local farmers’ markets and gradually increasing production and selling to gourmet shops in the city. Then there was the single mother of two, with a modest start up capital and no particular skills. She’d joined a local sewing group and had taught herself to make educational felt toys...
“Hello, you’re back.”
Looking up, she saw Joyce approaching her table. “Hi. I never left.”
“I haven’t seen you around, so I assumed you’d gone on your way.”
She could feel herself wincing. It had been a couple of days since she’d made up an excuse to avoid joining Mitch, his sister and her fiancé for brunch. Exercising caution and shying away from spending time with new people didn’t make sense when she’d already taken the plunge, deciding to dig her heels in and make Eden her home...
She brushed her hand across her brow. While reluctant to play the blaming game, Andrew really had done a thorough job on her. Why else would she feel so wary?
“I’ve made a couple of trips into town, but I’ve mostly been exploring the countryside.” Trying to get a feel for the area, to understand what made Eden tick. “It’s so pretty around here.”
“You should see it when the leaves turn. It’s a huge tourist drawcard. We get people by the busloads coming through on their way up to Bright.”
Something to look forward to, she thought. It was nearly the end of summer. Although, despite her determination, she wasn’t sure she’d be here long enough…
“So...” Joyce sighed. “You’re going to be a troublemaker.”
“Pardon?”
“Egg white omelet? Did Mitch put you up to this?”
Mention of his name had Elizabeth shifting in her chair. Despite making several trips into town, she hadn’t caught sight of him. Out of sight, out of mind, she’d thought every time she’d walked past the pub.
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Fess up. He asked you to come in and order an egg white omelet.”
“Why would he do that?”
“To get back at me.”
Elizabeth forced herself to blink. Her first day in Eden had been... peculiar. Bizarre, Mitch had called it. Granted, she hadn’t quite been herself. Then the second day had been odd, in a fun way, bumping into Mitch outside Brilliant Baubles. He’d been on his way to play some sort of prank on Theo Kendrick...
“Um, well... If he’s trying to get back at you, I doubt he’d recruit me to help him out. Remember, I’m only new—”
“Being new is no excuse, we’re not shy about giving people a baptism by fire. And you’d be a perfect accomplice. No one would suspect you.”
“You have my promise,” she said sounding prissy even to her own ears. “He didn’t put me up to anything.” She brushed her hand across her brow again. “If something’s going on between you and Mitch—” Elizabeth hadn’t meant to make the leading remark but it would make sense for Joyce to be interested in Mitch, if she was single...
“It’s not what you think. He’s sworn off women. Besides, he’s not my type.”
Wanting to move away from the subject, she picked up the menu. “I didn’t mean to stir anything up. Your menu says you’ll cook eggs to order—”
“Why would you want to desecrate an egg by having the yolk removed?�
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Because old habits died hard? She’d already taken an over the precipice leap, the rest would follow, eventually. Although, it didn’t mean she had to give everything up. She rather liked egg white omelets. “You feel strongly about this?”
Joyce tipped her chin down and looked at her Mary Jane pumps. “At Joyce’s Café, we don’t like doing things by half measures. I have a reputation to uphold. I’m sorry if this sounds like poor customer service, but that’s just the way it is. If you have your heart set on an egg white omelet, you could go over to the pub.” She smiled. “I hear they specialize in them now.”
Elizabeth frowned. “I’m sure I overheard you complain the pub wasn’t doing breakfast.”
“Yes, but that’s all been sorted out now. They just needed a little push.”
It was happening again.
She frowned at the thought. However, it made sense. The couple of encounters she’s had with locals had left her feeling as if she’d been standing near a whirlpool. Like an undertow, coaxing her into their world.
And, it almost felt as if they were eager for her to join in.
A part of her insisted she needed to tread with caution and pace herself. She had no reason to look over her shoulder, to fear her old life would pounce on her and drag her back.
Maybe this wasn’t the time for tentative steps or saying no to new experiences. What’s the worst that could have happened if she’d gone along and joined Mitch for brunch? He seemed harmless enough, and his sister had been easygoing. In fact, she’d liked them all, and had been surprised by how comfortable they’d made her feel, but if her experience with Andrew had taught her anything about herself, it was that she could be excessively needy. So eager to fit in, she’d lost every trait that had set her apart from everyone else. If she wasn’t careful, she risked falling into that vicious cycle of conformity again, of molding herself to suit people’s expectations...
She shook her head, but the intrusive thoughts remained.
Mitch had been onto something when he’d said she was on a journey of self-discovery. She needed to find herself. On the other hand, if she was going to make Eden her home, she couldn’t keep herself apart from everyone. What sort of message would that send?
“All right. I’ll give the pub a whirl. Although, I was looking forward to reading some magazines while I ate—”
“You can take them with you and return them when you’re finished.”
“Thank you, I’ll do that. And that’s very generous of you.” Elizabeth gathered her bag and magazines and stood up. Was she allowing herself to be easily led and manipulated... again? “Out of curiosity, why would Mitch feel he has to pay you back?”
Joyce pressed her lips together and shrugged. “Men. I can’t figure them out. Can you?”
“Not even on a good day,” she said.
Elizabeth hugged the magazines to her chest, and strode over to the next street. Today was as good a day as any to venture into the pub. Although, she didn’t really expect to find any inspiration there. For the last couple of days, she’d been scouting around, looking at the businesses in the area and trying to gauge consumer needs by the type of stores that lined the main street in Eden. She’d also kept a lookout for help wanted signs. Although, she didn’t necessarily wish to work for someone else. Somehow, she needed to tap into a niche market... or need... or something.
She groaned under her breath. Her skills weren’t exactly in high demand. She’d studied art history but she hadn’t gained qualifications to teach and while her parents had been supportive enough to pay for her studies, she hadn’t expected them to keep paying her bills while she decided what to do next. Armed with an adequate typing speed, she’d managed to gain entry into an office role, but then Andrew had swept her off...
Elizabeth pulled the plug on her inner dialogue. She didn’t need to be reminded how she’d spent three years working as Andrew’s general lackey, leading the life of a kept woman instead of focusing on developing a career...
Pushing the front door of the pub open, she hesitated, the suspicion she was being toyed with or dragged into some sort of private joke gathering momentum. Then someone came up behind her and, stretching a hand over her, opened the door wider.
“Going in?” the man asked.
“Y-yes.” She stepped inside the pub, taking a moment to adjust her eyes to the dimmed light. The bar was empty, so she followed the hum of voices and found herself in the dining area where a waitress greeted her.
“Table for one?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Hey, Elizabeth,” someone called out.
She turned and saw Eddie Faydon waving to her.
“Come and join us.”
Eddie wasn’t alone...
Elizabeth knew she couldn’t turn down the invitation to join them again. While she still felt raw and unsure of herself, she couldn’t put her life on hold until she became the person she wanted to be. It was time to get on with the business of living.
She approached the table and made a conscious effort to avoid lingering over Mitch’s handsome face... and broad shoulders...
“We were afraid Mitch had scared you off. This is my other brother, Matthew. If Mitch gives you any trouble, you can take it up with him. He’s under strict orders to keep Mitch on course along that straight and narrow—”
Mitch grumbled. “My sister is trying to goad us into providing some light entertainment while we wait for breakfast. Something along the lines of a Punch and Mitch show.”
“And then I came along to offer my own brand of light relief?”
Matthew Faydon smiled at her. “She has a sense of humor. I like her.”
Both brothers scored highly on the looks department, but Mitch Faydon had a certain...
Don’t go there, Elizabeth.
“I heard the pub was doing breakfast again. I thought I’d give it a try.” She drew in a breath, and pushed it out slowly. “Actually, Joyce gave me an encouraging shove this way.”
“Interesting.” Mitch brushed his hand across his chin. “Tell us more.”
“Oh... I didn’t mean to imply—”
“Joyce is always up to no good.” He shrugged. “It’s a safe assumption. Tried and tested.”
Eddie smiled. “I’d jump to her defense because she’s my friend, but Mitch is right.”
Mitch stood up and pulled out a chair for her. “Join us.”
“Thank you.” She smiled and sat down next to Eddie Faydon.
Mitch gave her an easy smile. “My brother Markus is playing waitress today. Here he comes. Oh hell, is he grinning? That’s never a good sign.”
* * *
Mitch sat back and brushed the palms of his hands along his thighs. What the hell was up with him? He was waffling, that’s what. Yesterday he’d driven past Rosebud Cottage, the bed and breakfast Joyce had mentioned recommending to Elizabeth, and had seen her sleek luxury car parked in the driveway. His heart had jack hammered its way up to his throat before dropping to his stomach. Somehow, he’d managed to keep driving, but he’d spent the rest of the day thinking up excuses to drop by and say hello.
Markus set a plate down in front of him and introduced himself to Elizabeth. Mitch wasn’t sure how to interpret his body’s response, but if the sharp tightening in his gut was anything to go by—
He looked down at his plate. “What the hell is this?” he asked shooting darts at Markus.
“Shut up and eat it.”
“It’s not what I ordered.”
“No, it’s not. It’s what you’re getting. Hannah wants to impress us.”
“With this?”
“It’s her specialty.”
“It has no color.” Mitch tipped his plate one way, and then the other. “Does it even have a name?”
“I think it’s called a healthy option. Protein without the cholesterol,” Elizabeth piped in.
He turned disbelieving eyes toward her and noticed her looking down at her hands and biting the edge of her l
ip as if concerned she’d said the wrong thing.
“Are you saying you’re familiar with this?”
“I’ve...” she shrugged, “I’ve been known to indulge.”
She looked every which way but at him, so it was hard to tell if she was pulling his leg. Then she ducked her head down and turned her attention to the menu, studying it with intense focus, her long fingers tapping the edge of the laminated page.
Markus returned with two more plates, one for Eddie and one for Matthew. Both laden with a last meal on earth goodness.
“What will you have?” Markus asked Elizabeth, his tone lacking his usual gruffness.
She seemed to hesitate, her eyes darting toward his mound of white glob and then back to the menu.
“Um... I’ll have...” She drew in a deep breath, her eyes dancing around the page. “I’ll actually have a regular omelet with...” She sat up straighter and gave a firm nod, “Crispy bacon on the side, and some hash browns, please.”
“That sounds like a fine choice to me,” Markus said and strode off with a light bounce in his step.
Mitch sat back and hooked his arm over his chair. “That’s a lot of breakfast for someone who—” He stopped and remembered what it had cost her to take that first bite of the Puff Doughnut. He sat forward again. “Don’t mind me, I’m sleep deprived because someone, I won’t name names, told me I had to attend this business breakfast.”
“Oh, I’m intruding—”
“Absolutely not. This is about passing judgment on our new chef,” he said and sunk his fork into his egg white omelet. “I doubt I’ll have much to say about this, but we’ll welcome your input.”
“I’m sure it’s all good.”
“So what have you been up to?” Eddie asked. “We haven’t seen you around.”
Her cheeks colored and she played around with the cutlery. Mitch decided she didn’t look that comfortable with the question and racked his brain but couldn’t think of a lifeline to throw her way. “There’s a reason why breakfast is considered to be the most important meal of the day,” he grumbled under his breath.
