Chapter TWENTY-EIGHT
Melissa was in the kitchen getting her morning coffee when her cell rang. Nettie. Her pulse sprinted. “Hello?”
“Hi, Melissa. Great news, I think. Jason and I are willing to come to take a look at Lilac Lake. Neither of us is about to jump ship easily, but we’re excited to think of other possibilities. That’s all I’ll say. How about we come in two weeks? There’s a quiet period after school starts. We can come then for the first few days of that week.”
“Wonderful! That will give me time after returning from New Jersey with Ross to give my full attention to the idea. In the meantime, Crystal and I will think about what we need to discuss. Oh, Nettie! Maybe this will work.”
Nettie chuckled. “I’m liking the idea more and more. The dinner restaurant service night after night is a real grind.”
“Tell me about it,”
said Melissa, relieved she wouldn’t have to be part of that now or maybe ever.
“I’ll talk to you later,”
said Nettie. “I’m looking up information about Lilac Lake and the entire area online.”
“Smart idea,”
said Melissa. “No matter what you might read, it’s even better when you see it for yourself.”
As soon as she ended the call, Melissa phoned Crystal. “Let’s meet. I’ve got some encouraging news.”
“Okay, come by the café mid-afternoon. I should be able to talk then.”
After ending the call, Melissa decided to visit her parents. Her father was home from the hospital, and though he reportedly was grumpy from his change in diet and the need to exercise, her mother promised her that he was fine.
She drove to their house in an older, quiet part of town. Houses there tended to be large and on good-sized lots.
As she pulled up in front of the gray clapboard colonial, Melissa remembered her days as a child living there. Often, her parents were gone, working at the restaurant, and she’d been alone with her babysitter, an older woman named Mrs. Williams, or Willy, as Melissa had called her.
Gazing at the house, Melissa thought of Ross and wondered if he, like his brothers, wanted a large family. She wasn’t sure about having a lot of kids, but she knew she wanted at least two. As an only child, she’d often wished for a sibling to talk to to help her navigate life with a mother who both approved and disapproved of her, making life difficult and creating insecurity in her. It was hard not measuring up in appearance and behavior but winning accolades for her help in the kitchen.
Melissa decided to say as little as possible about her relationship with Ross, do as Crystal suggested, and wait and see how it evolved. She cared about Ross in a way she’d never experienced.
Melissas shook her head at herself. She might as well admit the truth. She loved Ross, loved the way he made her feel, loved that he was a friend as well as a lover. But until she knew he felt the same way about her, saying nothing was her best protection.
She got out of the car and went to the front door.
Her mother greeted her, looking frazzled.
“Mom? Is everything all right?”
Melissa asked.
“We’re still trying to get into our new routine while working with our lawyer and real estate advisor to try and sell the remains of our restaurant. The sooner we get it sold, the better it will be. Your father is already having second thoughts about leaving the business even though he promised me he would.”
Her mother looked so fragile, so Melissa reached out and hugged her. “Even though it’s inevitable, change can be hard. I’ve got some news to share.”
They walked into the huge kitchen at the back of the house to find her father sitting at the kitchen table.
“Hi, Dad,”
said Melissa. “It looks like another beautiful day. I swear I smell a hint of fall in the air.”
Her father smiled hello and went back to the papers he was reading.
“What’s this?”
Melissa asked after kissing him on the cheek. “Do you have a buyer already?”
Her father made a face. “Looks like it might happen. The people who run Fresh Restaurant outside of town are considering buying it. Though I wouldn't say I like the thought of selling, their concept of fresh, farm-to-table food is appealing. And, they’re excited about adding fresh fish to their menu.”
“I think they’d do well in town,”
said Melissa.
“They’d be getting a hell of a bargain,”
grumped her father. “All those years of building our reputation certainly helps them. Right now, it’s caught up in many legal and financial issues, but your mother is delighted everyone wants to make it work.”
“Except you?”
Melissa asked, giving him a knowing look.
He gave her a sheepish grin. “I know it’s the right thing to do. I’m just not ready.”
“Dad, you’ve been talking about retiring for the past three years. It’s time.”
Seeing him looking as frail as her mother brought tears to her eyes. After going through the pain of Ross losing his father, seeing them this way scared her.
“What can I do to help?”
she asked as her mother placed a hand on her father’s shoulder.
“It’s all going to work out,”
her mother said calmly. “Now tell us what’s going on with you.”
“Let me grab a cup of coffee, and I’ll fill you in.”
She poured herself a cup of the drip coffee she loved and sat at the kitchen table. “I’ve come up with an idea to explore.”
She told them about Crystal possibly selling the café, that Nettie and Jason were visiting, and about her idea for scheduled gourmet dinners at the café. “I want to keep my hand in cooking, but I don’t want to commit to a full-time job until I’ve had a chance for some time to myself.”
“What about Ross?”
her mother asked.
“We’ll see how that plays out. The most important thing is for me to figure out my next move. I need a creative outlet, and cooking does that for me,”
Melissa replied, unwilling to say more.
“He’s a fine man. You could have an outstanding future with him,”
her mother said with a note of warning.
Melissa took a deep breath so she wouldn’t snap back at her. “I’m just taking it day by day.”
“How’s he holding up with his father’s death?”
her mother asked, her words gentle now.
“It’s hard, but he has a wonderful family who are supportive of one another,”
said Melissa. “That helps. We’re flying to New Jersey on Friday. His father’s service is going to be on Saturday.”
“It’s nice that you can support him,”
said her mother.
“These gourmet dinners would be once a month?”
asked her father. “What if the demand is for more?”
“That’s something we’d need to think about,”
said Melissa. “Crystal is very excited to do a different kind of cooking. We’re both at a point where we want some time to ourselves.”
“I feel bad that you’ve worked so hard at our restaurant,”
said her mother. “But that’s the business.”
“Yes, we all know that, which is why coming together might work for Crystal and me,”
said Melissa. “Besides, you know I loved working in the kitchen with Dad.”
“It was a privilege to have you there,”
said her father, getting a little emotional.
Melissa exchanged glances with her mother.
Her mother checked her watch. “It’s time to go to the rehab center, Fran.”
“Not that again,”
her father grumped.
“I’ll leave you to it,”
said Melissa, taking the opportunity to leave. Since the fire at the restaurant, things had been very different for all of them.
###
Melissa stood with Crystal in the Café’s kitchen, inspecting all its features.
“What suggestions do you have for making it better for the type of cooking you want to do?”
Crystal asked.
Together, they made a list of additional items that could be added.
“And remember the table linens, silver, dishes, and glasses for the dinners,”
said Melissa. “If we’re going to do it, we should make it upscale, don’t you think?”
“Yes,”
said Crystal.
They walked into the main room and studied it.
Crystal indicated the area with a sweep of her hand. “Fortunately, the room will lend itself to making it more upscale, and the outdoor dining area is perfect except for those winter evenings that will make it impossible without heaters and firepits.”
“A lot will depend on what Nettie and Jason think and if they’re willing to make a major change in their lives,”
said Melissa. “If they don’t, maybe you and I can work something out.”
“I’m not giving up my independence by marrying Emmett,”
said Crystal. “But I want more time with him. He’s very busy as the new doctor in town, but we want to enjoy things together.”
“I understand completely. I don’t feel I have to be married to live life well, but I want a loving relationship.”
Melissa looked at Crystal.
Crystal clapped a hand on Melissa’s shoulder. “Well said. And, God help me; I’m tired of having to get up at the crack of dawn to open the café for breakfast.”
“I understand,”
Melissa said. The few early mornings she’d had making love with Ross was a wonderful way to start the day. “When are you and Emmett going to get married?”
“I don’t know. His father is a U.S. Senator, so his parents want a big wedding. But with his mother’s ongoing recovery from alcohol addiction, we’d rather have a small, private affair. I was even thinking of an outdoor wedding on the grounds of Emmett’s house. It’s lovely by the river.”
“Oh, that sounds perfect,”
gushed Melissa.
“Why don’t you and Emmett plan to come to my house for dinner tomorrow? I’d love to have you. Ross and I will leave for New Jersey the next day, but I want the four of us to get together sooner rather than later.”
Crystal smiled. “I’m sure we can work it out. Let me check with Emmett, and I’ll get back to you. Thanks for the invitation.”
“Just let me know. It won’t be a gourmet meal, just something summery and easy.”
Melissa left the café full of excitement, thinking of not only working with Crystal but also forming a real friendship with her.
###
Later, she walked over to Ross’s house.
Mike answered the door.
“Is Ross here?”
she asked.
“Sure, come in. We’re working in the den. We’re stoked about adding the indoor baseball facility. I think it’s going to work.”
“I heard you might be interested in someone in town,”
said Melissa, unable to resist teasing him.
“Yeah, well, I’m not sure who I’m interested in right now. I’m used to playing the field, or in my case, playing the court.”
Melissa laughed at Mike’s tennis joke. He was a likable guy, someone Ross trusted. That meant a lot to her.
Ross looked up from his computer when Melissa walked into the room. “Hi. How’d your meeting with Crystal go?”
“Good. I’ve invited Crystal and Emmett for dinner tomorrow night. I hope you’re free.”
“If he isn’t, I am,”
kidded Mike. “Anything for your cooking.”
“Okay, you’re invited too,”
said Melissa, pleased.
“Better make a lot of food. Mike’s a big eater,”
teased Ross. “And yes, I’ll be there. Do you want to go out to dinner with me tonight?”
“Can we go to Fresh? I haven’t been there in a while, and I want to check them out,”
said Melissa.
“I’ll call and make reservations. Mike, you’re on your own,”
said Ross.
“I’ve already made plans,”
said Mike. “That’s the thing about staying here with you. We don’t have to worry about one another.”
The guys laughed, and Melissa joined in, liking their easy companionship. Being business partners with someone meant you had to get along and think alike. She wondered how that would work between Crystal, Nettie, Jason, and her.