Chapter 6 #2
“Oh,” he said. “Sure, that makes sense.” It should have given him relief. It wouldn’t be as hard to keep his hands off her if they agreed that anything else was a bad idea. And apparently they did.
But suddenly the notion of spending every day with her and not touching her felt like it might kill him. And he must be a glutton for punishment, because he asked for more. “Manny’s final night is Friday.”
“I know.”
“Of course you do, you and your dad have been helpin’ out there.”
“I’m not needed now that Manny’s back, but Dad’s still helping Rosa in the kitchen like before.”
“Manny’s saving some tables for the family. You’re joinin’ us, right?”
She lifted her eyebrows, and he saw something in her eyes, but he was damned if he knew what. Then she heaved a sigh, like maybe he’d exasperated her somehow, and said, “Yeah, sure.”
“Good,” he said. Then he couldn’t think of anything else to add. The birds were singing up a storm, and the sun beamed on the two of them like a spotlight. If he stood up, they’d be so close their bodies would be touching.
He didn’t stand up. He slid sideways on the bench first, then rose to his feet, and his whole body howled in disappointment. “Come on,” he said. “I’ll drive you home.”
The line was out the door when Lily and her dad arrived at Manny’s.
Hyram had been cooking all afternoon, and both he and Cat Shaw planned to assist with the serving tonight.
Still, he’d taken a break to dress up for the big event.
He wore cowboy boots, jeans, and a brown shirt with onyx snaps.
Lily had chosen a yellow sundress with a halter neck and a pale blue sweater.
There were cars overflowing the parking lot and lined up along the roadside in either direction.
There were tables set up in back, and spilling around the sides of the building to boot.
She clasped her dad’s hand.
“This place is going to do great,” Hyram said. “Look how many people love it.”
Lily nodded. She’d told her father her plan, but not all of it. Now was as good a time as any. “Ethan’s hired me to help him get it up and running, and if all goes well, to manage it for him when he goes back on the road.”
He clapped his hands and said, “Yes!” And then he frowned. “Wait, he’s going back on the road?”
“Right after the opening,” she said, averting her eyes and changing the subject. “Think you can handle cooking full-time again?”
“With a small staff,” he said without missing a beat. Then he rubbed his hands together. “I want in as much as the two of you will let me.”
“Really?” She tilted her head to one side, watching her father’s face.
His eyes were sparkling. “It’s been like old times, Lily. Cooking, running a kitchen again while Manny’s been down, I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed it.”
Someone grabbed her forearm, and she turned her head sharply. Ethan, tall and broad in a black shirt with pearl snaps and a matching Stetson. Looking at him, especially up close like this, always made it a little hard for Lily to catch her breath.
“Here, this way,” Ethan said. “Manny set us up at a couple’a big tables in the back. We saved you both a spot.”
He moved his hand from her forearm to her upper arm, just resting it there, as if to guide her through the crowd.
The line was uneven, splitting into multiple lines and uniting again as people milled, edging ever forward.
They were going inside, where family members greeted them and pointed them toward the nearest table, some of which were out the rear door in the grassy area between the cantina and the spot where the river ran through.
As they moved away from the door, someone shouted, “Hyram! Hey, Hy!”
They all turned to see Cat Shaw moving their way. She wore a rhinestone-trimmed top, and her wild brown-and-silver curls were all caught up on top of her head.
Hyram watched her approach and elbowed Ethan. “Can we squeeze in one more?” He asked from the side of his mouth, eyes on the woman hurrying toward them. Her tall black boots clicked fast under a broomstick skirt of green and gold.
Ethan said, “Sure we can. Cat, come join us at our table.”
“Thank you, Ethan!” She linked her arm right through Hyram’s.
Lily pressed her lips into a smile that felt thin and tight, and cursed her inner pettiness.
Ethan said, “You remember Cat, don’t you Lily?”
“Hello again, Lily,” Cat said, smiling like she hadn’t detected Lily’s flash of annoyance. If she’d been an actual cat, her back would have been arched and her claws would’ve extended. Lily wanted to hiss at her but that was unreasonable and childish.
Instead she said, “Hi, Cat,” and tried for a genuine-looking smile.
“This way,” Ethan said, hand still on Lily’s arm, moving to the top of her shoulder as they left the line behind. “There’s a side door I never knew about, all the years I’ve been comin’ here. Right in that wall we want to knock out.”
He pointed at the door as they neared it.
On the right side of the clapboard-sided building, there was a double door for deliveries.
There were also two huge trash bins, a stack of crates, and a lot of scrubby brush.
About fifty feet from the building there was a small garden shed, red with white trim.
“It’s just wasted space now,” Lily said. “Aside from the shed.”
“It’s already mostly level, too. No trees in the way,” Ethan added, looking around as he reached for the door.
“Perfect for the addition.” He opened the side door, and the noise of human voices, laughter, clattering dishes, and a mariachi band gusted out.
Ethan led the way, waving her in behind him with the hand that had been on her shoulder.
She missed his touch but knew she should have shrugged it off sooner.
“It’s a packed house,” he said. “Best take my hand.” He reached back and clasped her hand in his big, warm one, and she got a chill right up her spine. She liked it too much to remind him of their hands-off policy. Her spine was like jelly where he was concerned.
He pulled her through the crowd, and just before they were swallowed up, she reached behind her to take her father’s hand, and grudgingly hoped he had hold of Cat Shaw’s.
Locals called out greetings as they made their way.
Mariachis were working their way through the crowd while playing their instruments and singing. She didn’t know how they managed it.
Eventually, she spotted her brother at a long table in the back, four chairs on each side, one on each end.
Harrison was beside Maria and had two empty seats to his left for her and Dad, she figured, but it would have to be Dad and Cat.
They’d want to sit together. She spotted Orrin and Drew sitting together with their backs to them.
Baxter was twisted around looking back at them from one end, and Willow was at the other end of the table, waving.
There were two empty seats on the facing side, next to Orrin and Drew.
Lily headed toward one of them, not surprised when Ethan slid into the one beside her.
He gave her a casual smile and reached for a big cloth napkin.
There were two smaller tables filled up with the Elder-Brands, close but not close enough for conversation without shouting.
Trevor came in, late and laughing about it and yelling, “Anybody save me a seat?”
“Take mine,” Lily’s father said. “I have a mission in the kitchen .” He said it as a rhythmic rhyme with a wink at Lily, then he got up and moved away, heading behind the bar unchallenged, and through twin doors with porthole windows into the kitchen.
Cat looked around the table, maybe feeling a little uncomfortable. She got up, and said, “I’ll see if I can help Hyram.”
She left, weaving the same path Hyram had. Lily looked at Harrison and they shared one of those brother-sister conversations that didn’t require words. They needed to show Cat a better welcome. They acknowledged it and vowed to do better without a word exchanged.
Then Maria leaned over the table a bit to ask, “Has your dad perfected Rosa’s taco-makin’ process? Tell me he has!”
Lily said, “He’s been cookin’ all afternoon, so you’re about to find out.”
“Hot damn and hallelujah!” Maria rarely cussed, but this was apparently a special occasion.
Hyram returned a little while later with a huge platter of tacos, and Cat behind him with all the sauces, salsas, and chips galore.
A cheer went up, and Lily sent an extra bright smile Cat’s way when she leaned over to put some of them on the table like only a pro could do.
“I didn’t know you’d been a server. We should compare notes sometime. ”
Cat beamed. “I’d love that. I tended bar for twenty years, too,” she said, then with a wink, “I know things.” Then she continued placing condiments, before she and Hyram headed back to the kitchen for more.
As usual, all the Brands were talking at once, yet somehow communicating perfectly. She noticed the way Ethan looked around the crowded cantina after taking off his hat.
People were looking at him. Not because he was a small-time celebrity, but because they’d known him for most of his life and had probably never known his true origin story.
Maybe the left-on-the-doorstep part, but not the father-murdered-mother part.
She’d certainly never heard anyone mention it outside the family.
He was hot gossip, all right. It was obvious, now that she was paying attention.
People looked openly and even glanced her way with speculation in their eyes.
And then they whispered behind their hands.
Not very subtle, were they? She saw one person doing that and stuck her tongue out at them, an act witnessed by most of those staring Ethan’s way since she was sitting right beside him.
People turned their attention back to their own business in a hurry.
Lily faced front in her seat again to find Ethan looking at her.