Chapter Eight
“Here you go, Mrs. Violet,” I said, handing her the three containers packed full of the Spanish Rooster. This was the second time she’d been to the truck today, and I was surprised, to say the least. “That’s a lot of tacos.”
“Major, I told you to call me Audrey,” she said, but her smile was shifty when she grasped the taco container to her chest. “This is the last time we’ll see these babies for months! When I told Alan that, he sent me right back for more. Looks like I just made it.”
I glanced around the truck with a nod. “We’re sold out.
It was a busy afternoon, but it was nice to see that everyone came out to support the kids.
They worked hard, so it was fun to hear the nice things people had to say about the truck and the food.
I’m sure this will be one of the hottest tickets in town next year when it comes time to find workers to run it. ”
“I think you’re right!” Audrey said, her smile shifting into a gleeful one. “Especially if they end up with a daily special like this one,” she said, motioning at the boxes. “The rooster will be hard to top, though.”
“Don’t count me out yet, Audrey!” Jaelyn called from the back of the truck somewhere. “I’ve got a few more tricks up my sleeve!”
Was it silly that my smile grew bigger than it already was? Probably, but Jaelyn had made the entire afternoon a joyful experience for the kids, the customers, and me, so she deserved every bit of praise she got.
I leaned over the window so no one could overhear me.
“Word on the street is, our petition may be granted.” Her face lit up as her lips made the perfect O.
“It would be hard for Ivy to deny how successful they’ve been on the truck.
The few times she ran the special at the diner, it was standing room only for both lunch and dinner.
I’ll make sure to head to the diner and lament how much I’ll miss the Spanish Rooster now that the food truck is done for the season. ”
“Me too!” With a frown, she stomped her foot once before she toddled off to her car, just as the van from the farm pulled in.
Becca climbed out and walked over, a smile on her lips as she took in the destruction around the truck. “Dr. Warren,” she said, her surprise evident. “I heard there was a celebrity chef, but little did I know it was also our esteemed new doctor.”
“Call me Major,” I said, shaking her hand. “I’ve never been one to stand on titles. Besides, today was way more fun than being a doctor.”
“It looks like you’ve been busy.”
“Understatement,” I said, wiping my brow. “We’re sold out of everything.”
“This town is always ready to support a great cause,” she said wistfully. “Once the truck is cleaned up, I’m taking the kids to the diner for pie to celebrate. You and Jaelyn should come too!”
“How nice of you,” I said, grabbing my wallet and handing over some cash. “Let me cover their treats. It was an honor to work with them today. They planned to help Jaelyn clean the truck, but I’d rather the kids get a little extra time to relax. I’ll help her clean.”
Becca waved away the money. “Kind of you, but there isn’t a chance this side of hell that Ivy Lund will let me pay for anything at the diner.”
“I should have thought of that,” I said with laughter, tucking the cash in the jar they had out for donations to the school-to-work program. “I’m still new to the ways of a small town.”
“If you’re sticking around, it won’t take you long,” she promised, nodding at the tip jar in thanks. “Are you sure you don’t want the kids to stay and help?”
Once again, I leaned over the window so no one could hear me. “This is me flipping into doctor mode now. AJ is sore and tired, so as her doctor, I’d like to get her somewhere to rest sooner rather than later. She won’t leave until Grady does, so you’ll have to take them all.”
“Gotcha,” she said, stealing a glance at the girl sitting in the shade with her foot up. “Maybe I should take her home?”
“You can ask her, but something tells me she’ll say she wants to go to the diner with the team. I feel terrible that she’s suffering and missing out on her senior year festivities, so we should leave it up to her.”
“You got it, Doc. Let me help her into the van first.”
“I’ll round everyone else up,” I said as she waved and walked toward AJ, who was picking up her crutches. They had a short conversation, and I could tell by their laughter that I’d been correct about her wanting to go to the diner.
Motioning for everyone to stop what they were doing, I pointed at the van. “Becca is here to take you for a celebratory treat. There’s not much left to do on the truck, so if Jaelyn says it’s okay, I’ll help her finish up, and you guys can take off.”
Four sets of eyes flicked to the woman I hadn’t taken my eyes off all day, and she smiled. “You’ve earned the afternoon off. Go have fun, and I’ll see you at our meeting next week.”
A round of hugs was given before they all headed toward the van and piled in. Once they were out of sight, Jaelyn sighed. “What a day that was. I’m used to being busy at the diner, but even I’m worn out.”
“I don’t know how you do it. I may need several days to recover,” I agreed. “Oh, we were invited to join them for treats at the diner, but I told Becca to take the kids and have fun. Didn’t think you’d mind having a little quiet time.”
“You’re not kidding,” she said with a grin. “I love them, but teenagers are a lot all the time. Besides, after being cooped up here, I want to get out of this box and stretch out.”
“Let’s do that,” I said. “No rule that says we can’t take a little walk before we clean up, right?”
Her shrug was slow. “As long as we close everything down, I don’t see why not, as long as we stay in the park. Since we sold out of literally everything, there isn’t much left to do here. All the cleaning happens back at the diner.”
“I’ll grab the window,” I said, making for the back door. “It was a great day, but I am bummed that I missed out on the cupcakes. Those flew out the door as fast as the roosters did. I’ll have to stop in at the bakery and buy one.”
After carefully climbing down the stairs so I didn’t accidentally face-plant on the awkward pitch, I lowered the window and locked it with the padlocks.
Then, I carried the sign to the back of the truck, where she stashed it.
The cupcake table had already been folded up and was leaning against the side, so I handed that to her as well.
Once everything was ready to be transported back to the diner, she grabbed something from the cooler and jumped down from the truck before she locked it.
“Whatcha got there?” I asked, nodding at the container in her hand.
“Cake,” she answered with a smile as we walked up the path. “I saved a couple after you said you’d never had one.”
“That was kind of you,” I said, grinning. “Now my mouth is watering.”
“Sit,” she said, motioning at a bench near the gazebo.
The building was formidable in its simplicity.
If you were in Bells Pass for longer than ten minutes, someone mentioned the building for one reason or another.
It was smack dab in the middle of the park and the focal point of the town.
They spoke of it almost as though it were a living, breathing entity.
Gazing at it in the bright light of the afternoon sun, I could understand why.
It stood as a timeless sentinel. A wooden structure, painted in soft hues of white and blue that radiated charm and whimsy.
The octagonal roof, crowned with intricate latticework, provided shelter while allowing the warm, golden rays of the afternoon sun to filter through.
Wooden columns supported the roof, creating a harmonious balance between sturdiness and grace.
The open sides invited gentle breezes that carried the sweet scent of blooming flowers or the winter aroma of pine to sweep through the gazebo.
A set of stairs directly off the path offered access to those looking to stand on the old, wooden, scuffed floor, while a wheelchair ramp on the side made it accessible to all.
The building bestowed a sense of peace and contemplation unlike anything I’d seen in a big city.
“Why is the gazebo so high?” I asked, curious about the structure now that I’d given it my full attention. The last time I was here, my eyes never left her face. “I’ve never seen one with that much space under it.”
“The story goes that the founders wanted people to see the entire area while standing in it. They also wanted people to feel important whenever they were inside the building, so elevating it like a throne made everyone feel like a king or queen.”
“Interesting,” I said, nodding as the sun warmed us. The heat of the rays had changed over the last week, and we had reached the time of year when fall was transitioning into winter. I was here for it.
“While they couldn’t have known it two hundred years ago, all of the space under the building now holds an AV room,” she explained.
“Back in the seventies, they closed it in and added a door at the back, which they used for storage. Over time, it evolved into adding sound equipment for events. You’ll see if you’re still here for the tree lighting next month. ”
“Still here? Where would I go?”
“Sorry, I should have said, if you can make it to the tree lighting. You might be on call.”
“That’s Black Friday, right?” I asked, and she nodded. I could tell that my knowing the date surprised her.
“I’m working the day shift, but Dr. Russel insisted that he’d take call that night since it was my first tree lighting in Bells Pass. He said I had to be here for it.”
“That was nice of him. He’s a great guy, but he’s also correct. You haven’t experienced Bells Pass until you experience the holiday season. There’s even a legend with that gazebo,” she said, cracking open the box of cake and holding it out to me.