“I’d like to talk to you when you’ve got a free moment,” Catherine said as soon as Shana showed up for work Monday morning.
Dread instantly filled her. It was said bad news came in threes. Adam had left for Hawaii, Brad wanted her back—or so he’d claimed—and now she feared the worst calamity of all. Her most valued employee was about to quit. Shana could deal with just about anything except that.
“N-now is convenient,” she managed to stutter. It wasn’t, but she’d have an ulcer if she put this off.
Catherine joined her in the kitchen but kept an eye on the ice-cream counter in case a customer came in.
“You aren’t going to quit, are you?” Shana asked point-blank. Catherine had quickly become her friend and confidante. “Because if you do, I’m throwing in the towel right now.”
Catherine brushed aside her concern with a wave of her hand. “Of course I’m not quitting. I love my job.”
Relief washed over her, and Shana reached out to hug the other woman. “I’m so grateful... I don’t think I could take much more.”
“That’s one of the reasons I thought we should talk,” Catherine said. “I don’t mean to put my nose where it doesn’t belong, but like I said when you interviewed me, I worked in the school cafeteria for almost fifteen years. We were a close-knit group and were able to discuss everything with one another.”
“I want you to feel free to do the same here,” Shana assured her.
A smile relaxed the older woman’s features, and Shana could see that she’d been worried. “Okay. I have a couple of ideas I’d like to try out, so we can take ice-cream requests in a more orderly fashion,” Catherine said, “but I understand this is your business and I won’t take offense if you don’t think they’ll work.”
“Anything you can suggest would be appreciated,” Shana told her. “You’re my most important asset, and I want you to know that.”
“I wrote everything out for you to read at your leisure,” Catherine said, handing her an envelope.
Shana tucked it inside her apron pocket. “Please feel free to share any ideas you have with me,” she said. “I’m interested in all your suggestions.”
Catherine positively beamed at the praise. “Now, I don’t want you to get the notion that I’m taking over the shop or being dictatorial,” she said.
That notion was laughable. “I’d never have survived the last couple of weekends without you and your husband.”
Catherine’s eyes brightened at the mention of her husband. “Louis had the time of his life.”
They’d been wonderful with the customers and reminded Shana of the Olsens, who’d owned the shop for all those years. Catherine and Louis were so natural with children and treated everyone like family. Shana envied their ability, and knew this kind of friendliness was a big reason her customers returned over and over again. She’d been fortunate to hire Catherine, and Louis was a bonus...and a darling.
“You know who to call if you want another day off.” Catherine smiled. “In fact, Louis said if you’re ever looking to sell, we’d like the right of first refusal, but I told him you’d just bought the business and it wasn’t likely you’d be interested in selling.”
“No, but I’ll certainly keep that in mind.” Shana had invested her entire financial future in this shop. So far, she was meeting payroll and keeping her head above water, but this was her busy season. The Olsens had warned her that the winter months could be a fiscal challenge. Shana hoped to find ways to stay afloat when the weather was dreary. Ice-cream sales would decrease in winter, but she hoped the pizza part of the business would continue to flourish. Thankfully, Lincoln Park was much-used year round.
“Also,” Catherine added, sounding hesitant. “I know this isn’t any of my concern, but it seems to me you haven’t been yourself the last few days.”
So it was that obvious.
“Is there a problem?” the other woman asked gently, in the same way Ali might have done had she been there. Trading e-mails was better than nothing but they weren’t a substitute for face-to-face communication.
Shana slumped against the wall and automatically shook her head. For three nights straight, she hadn’t slept more than a couple of hours. When she did manage to drift off, she dreamed of Adam and then woke tired and depressed.
“Man troubles?” Catherine asked. “You don’t need to tell me, not unless you want. But sometimes just talking things out with someone else can help.”
Shana nodded, reflecting that the school district had lost a wonderful employee. In Shana’s opinion, Catherine was much too young to retire.
“It’s just that, well...this is complicated.” Shana wasn’t sure how to explain without going into more detail than necessary.
“Does this have to do with Brad or Adam?” Catherine prompted.
Shana’s mouth fell open. “How do you know about Brad?” Her eyes narrowed and she answered her own question. It could only be her niece. “Jazmine.”
Catherine nodded, folding her hands. She looked about as guilty as a woman can. “Jazmine and I are friends, and the truth of it is, she confided in me because she’s worried about you.”
“She is, is she?” Shana couldn’t wait to ask Jazmine about this.
“Jazmine is a dear girl and she meant well,” Catherine said immediately.
“Who else has she told?” Shana demanded. Apparently her heart-to-heart with her niece hadn’t been as effective as she’d hoped. Jazmine seemed intent on spreading Shana’s problems throughout the entire neighborhood.
“I don’t think she’s mentioned it to anyone else,” Catherine was quick to reassure her. “Certainly not Charles. I can’t be positive, of course, but...” Her voice trailed off.
“Of course,” Shana echoed. Jazmine was a handful. Spending her days at the park with friends or in the ice-cream parlor with Shana wasn’t the ideal situation, but it was the best that could be done for now. Unless Shana looked into some kind of summer camp for her...
“The only reason Jazmine said anything was because I asked her if she knew what was bothering you. So if anyone’s to blame, it’s me,” Catherine insisted, her face reddening. “I apologize, Shana.”
“Don’t worry about it.” But Shana decided she’d still ask Jazmine later.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Catherine offered. “Like I said, I’m a good listener.”
After several sleepless nights, Shana could use some advice. “All right,” she agreed with a deep sigh. “My life’s a bit of a mess at the moment,” she said, then proceeded to tell Catherine about her five-year relationship with Brad and how it had ended. She described how he’d been an important part of her life, and then he was gone; just after that, Jazmine had arrived and on the heels of her niece, Adam Kennedy showed up.
Catherine nodded often during the course of their lengthy one-sided discussion.
“Are you in love with Adam?” she asked when Shana had finished.
“Yes. No. How can I be?” She paused. “Good grief, I’m the last person who’d know.”
“You love Brad, though?” Catherine continued.
“No.” This came without the slightest hesitation. “Although I loved him at one time. At least, I believed I did.”
“I don’t think breaking off a relationship is ever as easy as we want it to be,” Catherine said thoughtfully. “We invest our hopes and dreams in a particular relationship, and when that doesn’t work out, we sometimes have difficulty admitting it.”
“That’s true.” Shana nodded, remembering the years she’d devoted to Brad with such hope for a future together.
“I wonder if what you really want is for Brad to recognize how much he wronged you.”
Shana grinned. That was so true, it was almost painful.
“It gives women a sense of vindication,” Catherine pronounced solemnly, “when a man realizes the error of his ways.”
Shana nodded again. She wished she’d talked to her friend weeks ago; Catherine saw everything with such clarity and insight.
“Are you tempted to take him back?”
“Not at all...” She let the rest fade.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, but...” The thought had only occurred to her now. “Until I talk to him...” Even as she said the words, Shana knew that a telephone conversation wouldn’t be enough. She needed to see Brad, talk to him in person, which she hadn’t really done, not after that one dramatic scene when she’d confronted him with what she knew about Sylvia. Then she’d gone to Seattle to think. She’d phoned him, but hadn’t spoken to him in person. Shana had never honestly explained her dissatisfaction with the relationship—aside from the Sylvia issue—nor had she made clear that reconciliation was out of the question. Her severing of the relationship wasn’t a ploy to get him back. And it wasn’t something she’d done on a whim.
Shana looked at Catherine.
“Actually,” Catherine said, “I think talking to Brad is a good idea.”
“I do, too.” Shana removed her apron and carelessly tossed it over the back of a chair. “Can you take over for me?”
“Now?” Catherine asked, seemingly surprised at how quickly Shana was acting.
“Please. I’ll take Jazmine to Portland with me.”
“I’ll need to call Louis, but I’m pretty sure he hasn’t got anything planned for the next few days. Let me find out.” She walked over to the phone, and after just a minute’s discussion, replaced the receiver. “He said he’d be delighted.”
“Good.” Her decision made, her resolve strong, Shana went outside to collect Jazmine.
“One question,” Catherine said, stopping her on her way out the door. “What do you want me to say if Adam phones?”
That wasn’t likely to happen, but she certainly didn’t want her friend to divulge that she’d gone off to see Brad. “Our last conversation ended kind of badly, so I doubt—”
“You said that earlier,” Catherine broke in, “but I bet he’ll be phoning soon. He probably regrets how things went as much as you do.”
Shana did regret it and although she hadn’t said so, Catherine had intuitively known. “Tell him I’m visiting an old friend out of town.” It would be the truth, because she planned to call Gwen Jackson as soon as she got home. As she spoke, Shana absently watched a delivery truck pull into the parking space in front of the restaurant.
The bell above the door jangled cheerfully, and Catherine hurried out of the kitchen. Shana followed her, sorry their conversation had been interrupted.
All she saw was a large FedEx box.
“Shana Berrie?” the delivery man asked.
Catherine gestured toward Shana.
“I’m Shana,” she responded, trying to remember if she’d recently ordered anything that would come by overnight courier. She couldn’t think of a thing.
Jazmine trailed the delivery man inside. “What’s that?” she asked excitedly.
“I don’t know yet.” Shana signed the clipboard and yanked the tab at the end of the box. The sender’s name was that of a floral company in... It started with a W but a large smudge obscured the rest of the word.
“It’s probably from Brad,” Jazmine muttered disdainfully. “I told you he wants you back.”
“No way,” Shana said, shaking her head. Anything he had to send her wouldn’t come in a box. She’d been waiting for a small jewelry box from him long enough to guarantee that.
When the carton was open, two orchid leis slid onto the counter. Waikiki—that was it. Hawaii. Well, that was one puzzle solved. Catherine gave an immediate gasp of wonder at their delicate beauty.
“Uncle Adam,” Jazmine burst out in a squeal of unrestrained delight.
“Is there a card?” Catherine asked.
Shana searched the inside of the box and found it. “To my two favorite girls. I miss you. Adam.”
Jazmine draped one of the leis over her shoulders, beaming with joy.
Shana wasn’t nearly as pleased. “That was a cowardly thing to do,” she declared. Just leave it to a man to let flowers do his talking for him. Well, she’d deal with Adam later, but at the moment she had another man on her mind, and that was Brad Moore.