Chapter 7
Rebecca and Kacey walked into the kitchen and blinked.
Helen was already plating Mr. and Mrs. Hill’s breakfast on a tray to be carried out to the dining room. She looked up and greeted them. “Good morning.”
Kacey’s gaze drifted to the food. “Wow. That looks good. Is that oatmeal?”
Rebecca shook her head. “Of course it’s not oatmeal. It’s too fancy to be oatmeal.”
Helen beamed. “It’s custard oatmeal. Mrs. Hill requested that for breakfast from the menu I printed out.”
Kacey’s eyes grew wide. “There’s a menu?”
Helen nodded. “Over on the kitchen table. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get this out while it’s hot.”
Helen backed out of the kitchen with the tray and headed to the dining room.
Mrs. Hill looked up with a smile when she saw her. “Ah, Helen. I wanted to thank you for your note I found this morning. And the blanket. I don’t think I’ve ever had a more enjoyable morning.”
Helen’s smile stretched across her face. “I’m so glad. That means a lot.” She set the tray down on the sideboard and took the custard oatmeal and bacon off first. As she placed the breakfast in front of Mrs. Hill, they both gasped in delight.
“That looks delicious.” Mr. Hill eyed his wife’s bowl. “Maybe I should have gotten that.”
When Helen set his plate in front of him, his eyes widened. “No, maybe I ordered the right thing.” He looked up and smiled. “Thank you so much.”
Helen stepped back. “There is fresh squeezed orange juice in the refrigerator if you would like some with your breakfast. And, of course, an endless supply of coffee.”
She left them to enjoy themselves, and stepped out of the dining room where she almost ran into Kacey.
“Sorry.” Kacey stepped back. “It looks like you are getting on well, Helen.”
Helen nodded. “I’m still finding my footing, but it seems to be going well.” She followed Kacey back into the kitchen.
Rebecca held up the guests’ filled-out menu.
‘Helen, this is a great idea.” She studied the paper.
“I like how guests get an option. First option is eggs, bacon, grits, and toast. Second option is custard oatmeal with fruit of the day and nuts. Third option is yogurt cup with fruit and pastry of the day.” She frowned. “We have pastries of the day?”
Helen shrugged. “I made do with what was on hand. I found some ingredients for a coffee cake that I made before bed. Once I go shopping, I would like to offer items like scones, cinnamon rolls, and croissants. I love baking, and have some good recipes.”
Rebecca and Kacey looked at each other and blinked.
Helen cringed. “Is that okay? I should have asked about doing the menu thing before implementing it, and I don’t have to bake …”
Kacey shook her head. “No! Don’t stop with your brainstorming. Those are all great ideas. In fact, that’s one reason we wanted to open a bed and breakfast. We wanted a unique cozy experience for our guests.”
Rebecca nodded furiously. “Kacey is right. You’re doing a great job, Helen.”
Helen smiled, pleased with herself. “Thank you. I know I’ve never done anything but be a housewife, but working here feels … special.”
Rebecca grinned. “I’m so glad.” She glanced down at the guests’ breakfast requests. “So, you have three more guests to cook for?”
She nodded. “Yes, but Mrs. Lewis only wanted to have coffee, yogurt, and toast. And the other guests won’t be down until another twenty minutes.”
Rebecca clasped her hands together. “Perfect. That gives us time to chat.” She pulled out a chair and sat. Kacey and Helen followed her lead.
Rebecca cocked her head. “I’ve had some brainstorming ideas myself. Since Thanksgiving is in a few days, I would like to try to offer our guests a special dinner.”
Helen nodded. “Will we be fully booked? I meant to look yesterday, but time got away from me.”
Kacey shook her head and pulled out her phone. “Actually, no. We will have only two guests. One is a Mr. Wimbly, who is sixty-seven. And the second guest is Mr. Huntsforth. He’s thirty-one. Both will be spending Thanksgiving Day and checking out on Friday.”
Helen nodded. “Okay, so what do you think about me making Thanksgiving dinner? It would be a good trial run to see if you want to offer dinners in the future.”
Kacey and Rebecca both nodded.
“That’s what I was thinking.” Rebecca cocked her head. “Are you sure it’s not too much. Thanksgiving is only a few days away, and you have so much on your plate already.”
Helen opened her mouth to say it wouldn’t be a bother. But that wasn’t the reason she wanted to do it.
She cleared her throat. “This will be my first Thanksgiving since my divorce, and I have never spent it alone. I think I would much rather focus on making dinner for our guests than wondering what my ex-husband is doing with his new girlfriend.”
Rebecca’s brows knit together. “Oh, Helen, you are more than welcome to spend Thanksgiving with me and my mom. You don’t have to spend it alone.”
Kacey nodded. “That’s right. And you are more than welcome to come over to my house. It’s just going to be me and my husband this year so it will be cozy.”
Helen’s chest felt lighter. “I appreciate that. Both of you. But I think I’d rather spend Thanksgiving here.
Who knows? If the dinner goes great, maybe I can make Christmas dinner for the guests.
” Helen tapped a finger to her lips. “You know, I could start off just offering dinners on special holidays instead of doing dinners every night.”
Kacey’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t I think of that? Helen, I think you’re right.”
Rebecca grinned. “I knew we made the right decision when we hired you.” She glanced at the time on the phone. “I have to run, but let’s talk tonight about the Thanksgiving menu.”
Helen nodded and looked over at Jackie’s menu. “That works for me. Now I better get started on the rest of these breakfasts.”