CHAPTER SIX
T he next morning, Dani came into the Café with Brad and Aaron Collister. Crystal walked over to their table. “Are you having a full breakfast or just a coffee break?”
“I want the works,” said Aaron, smiling at her with those deep, brown eyes that always seemed to know what people were feeling.
“Okay, then. What’ll you have?” Crystal said, quickly jotting down their orders and delivering them to the kitchen window opening before returning to the table to talk.
“What’s going on with you besides having dinner with our new doctor?” asked Dani, giving her an impish grin.
Crystal shook her head. Lilac Lake did have a drawback or two, one of which was having no secrets. “Emmett and I have a deal. Every time I deliver a luncheon order, he’ll take me out to dinner. Fins was special. It will be a little more low-key than that in the future. It’s just a friend thing while he gets acquainted with the townspeople.”
“He told us earlier that you were helping him,” said Aaron. “We’re doing the work on the house, and our day starts early, hoping to complete the work on schedule. He’s got an outstanding piece of property.”
“Yes, I think so too.”
“You should see the design for the house renovations,” said Dani. “It’s going to be fantastic.”
“A lot more open,” said Brad.
“That’ll be lovely,” said Crystal, waving to an older couple who’d just arrived. “Gotta go. Nice to see you.”
She left them and walked over to Edie and Bob Bullard, who owned the hardware store in town. “Good morning! How can I help you?”
They smiled as they greeted her. “You look especially nice today,” said Edie. “But then, you’re always beautiful.”
“Thanks,” Crystal said, leaning over and kissing her cheek. Edie had been one of the women in town who’d helped her with makeup and outfits for many of the high school dances. Her daughter, Sarah, now widowed and living out of town, always sought her out when she returned to Lilac Lake for a visit.
“Still keeping that hair purple, huh?” asked Bob, and both Edie and Crystal chuckled. Bob was a conservative guy who never got the reasoning behind Crystal’s choice and Edie’s love of it.
“We’ve met the new doctor in town,” said Edie. “Bob had to see him about a cut on his hand.”
Bob held up his left hand which was bandaged nicely. “He did a superb job of stitching me up. Seems like a great guy.”
“He’s very nice. Dr. Johnson is happy with him.”
“He told me he’s renovating the house, and Collister Construction is doing the job for him,” said Bob.
“It’s nice that all of you young folks are together again. It adds something wonderful to the town.” Edie teased her with a knowing smile. “And Dr. Chambers is really cute. And available.”
Crystal tried to stem the flow of red to her cheeks, but she could feel how hot they’d become. She seated them at a booth inside. “Here’s your waitress now.” She turned and hurried to the kitchen. Darned if the whole town wasn’t trying to put her together with Emmett.
Later, when he called to place an order, Crystal hesitated and decided she wouldn’t let gossip or her friends’ eagerness for her to find someone stop her. She’d just keep working and living as she normally would.
###
A t the appointed time . Crystal placed Emmett’s BLT sandwich in a bag, along with carrot sticks and a single chocolate chip cookie, and carried it out to her car. She wouldn’t stay long but wanted to see the work Dani and the Collister brothers were doing on the house.
Emmett met her at the front door to his medical offices. “Thanks. I haven’t got much time today, so I appreciate the service. The kitchen in the house is about to be torn apart, so I won’t be able to function there.”
“I came to see what they were doing to it. I met Dani and the men at the Café. They’re excited about doing the work.”
Emmett accepted the bag from her. “Let’s go take a look. They’ve knocked out the back wall of the house and are taking down some of the inner walls.”
As they walked to his house, Emmett took out his sandwich and took a big bite. “M-m-m-m.”
When they arrived at the house, Crystal could hardly believe the change. “Wow! The kitchen is a total mess. But I can already see what it will look like with the space extended in the back and becoming part of a sunroom. What are you going to do about keeping any wildlife out while the place is opened up?”
“Aaron and Brad are putting up heavy-duty plastic sheets and tacking them in place to protect the rest of the house. But I’m concerned about wildlife and the weather. Aaron says we have time to enclose the space before rainy weather lingers.” Emmett shook his head. “Aaron says he has a sense about these things, and I’m going to believe him. I’ve got too much on my mind to worry about it. The practice is busy.”
“I saw Bob Bullard earlier. He says you did a superb job with his hand.”
“Thanks for telling me.”
“You’re going to do just fine,” Crystal said.
“By the way, your warning came in handy. JoEllen Daniels came to see me. She told me she wanted to introduce herself and offer her services to help me to become comfortable in town. She was quite weird about it. I thanked her and told her I knew she worked at The Woodlands and would no doubt see her there.”
“I bet she didn’t like that,” Crystal said.
“No, she said she had more in mind than that.” He shrugged. “I don’t have time to get involved with anyone. I’ve got to get my practice running smoothly. There’s stuff I still don’t know about some people’s medical care requirements.”
Rather than be disappointed by his comment about not wanting to get involved with anyone, Crystal was relieved. Now they truly could just be friends.
“I’ve got to get back to work,” she said. “Thanks for letting me see the start of your reconstruction. It’s going to be beautiful.”
“I agree. I’m glad you and Whitney will help with the interior décor. That’s out of my league,” said Emmett walking with her back to the medical office building.
“It’s going to be fun. I loved renovating the Café, and Whitney did a superb job with the Lilac Lake Cottage, as she and her sisters are calling it. I keep telling her, it could become a real business if she wanted to do it.”
“What about her doing more television or movies?” asked Emmett.
“She told me it’s something she’ll decide on when and if the opportunity arises.”
They arrived at the office, and Crystal left with her head spinning. There was a lot for her to think about. The kiss they’d shared was much more than friendship.
###
O n Wednesday, Emmett showed up early at the Café and took a seat at the breakfast bar.
“I know we said we’d meet up a little later, but I’ve had a meeting with Collister Construction already and need a hot breakfast before we take off on our trip to Portsmouth and Maine.”
“No problem,” said Crystal. “It’s a beautiful day for a drive around the area. I’ve arranged to have the whole day off, and I’m ready any time after you eat. What’ll you have?”
“Large O.J., scrambled eggs on wheat toast, bacon, and hash browns,” he said. “And coffee.”
Crystal poured him a cup of coffee and placed the order with the kitchen. “Be right back. I see Nick and want to say hi.”
As she approached his table out on the patio, her ex-husband, Nick, glimpsed her and grinned. “Hi, Crystal. How are you doing? Whitney says you and the new doctor might be becoming friends. I hope it’s working out for you.”
Crystal drew a deep breath and took a seat opposite him. Though they’d ended their marriage, their friendship remained intact with Whitney’s blessing. It was Crystal who’d pushed Nick and Whitney to get together after sharing a teen romance. Strange as it might seem, the three of them had a solid friendship.
“Nick, you and Whitney know me better than anyone else. Do you think I’m foolish to leave myself open to getting to know Emmett Chambers better? There’s not much I know about him except he went to medical school in New York. I don’t find much about him on the internet but he’s ... interesting ... kind ... and has a good reputation.”
Nick gave her a thoughtful look. “Sounds like you’re already into him. Why don’t you see where it leads? You can end it whenever you feel it isn’t right.”
Crystal looked away. That’s pretty much what they’d said to one another when she and Nick realized their marriage was more about one friend taking care of another. He’d always been protective of her.
“Okay, thanks. I knew you’d be honest with me.” She hesitated. “I still wonder why he doesn’t talk about his family, but then again, I never like to talk about mine.”
“Just enjoy getting to know him. You don’t have to decide anything beyond that.”
“Thanks.” Crystal rose and headed inside, pleased by Nick’s encouragement. She and Emmett weren’t even dating yet. They were just two people getting to know one another as she helped him get acquainted with the area. Maybe that’s where it would end.