She sat down across from Katherine. “How’s the planning going?”
“I made up a list of other stores in town that I think we should contact. I’m going to make some calls this afternoon.”
“I talked to Jenny, who talked to the band director at the school. He’s all excited about having the band march in the parade. The high school cheerleaders are all set to march, too. I also found out that Steve Bergeron—you know him, don’t you? A builder here in town. He’s friends with my brother, Gil. Anyway, he had a truck, a sound system he can run to play music, and a flatbed that we can use for a float.”
Becky Lee dropped off a cup of coffee and hurried to wait on a new table of customers. Bella took a sip of the hot coffee. “Man, I love whoever invented coffee.”
Katherine laughed. “I’m kind of that way about tea.”
Bella opened up her ever-present notebook and dug in her purse for a pen. She carefully turned to the section on Summerfest and looked at her list. “Oh, and Doc Benson and Holly—she’s the new vet that just came to town. She dates Steve Bergeron.”
“The Steve of the truck, flatbed, and sound system?” Katherine smiled.
“Very same one. Well, they are going to have a float with one of the rescue groups with a few of the pets they’ll have for adoption.”
In a case of dueling notebooks, Katherine looked down at her list. “Miss Judy said her dance class could walk in the parade, too. They’ll wear their costumes from their last recital. The Adventurer Club is going to be in it, too. The boys are so excited.”
“I pity the leader keeping all those little boys in line in the parade.” Bella grinned.
Katherine checked off her list. “I’ve gotten a lot of donations for the ice cream social on that Saturday afternoon. We have permission to have it in the town park. I have three bands set to play music that afternoon and evening in the park in the gazebo.”
“Wow, impressive. You’ve been busy.”
“It’s the most productive I’ve felt in years. I love planning all this. I think it’s all coming together nicely.”
Katherine’s eyes shown with enthusiasm. Bella could see this project was good for her.
“You know. I’ve felt like I’ve been Poor Katherine for years. The sad girl who was in that accident. I’m tired of that. I don’t want anyone’s pity I want people to see me as… well, as just Katherine.”
“If people don’t think you’re capable after all this hard work, they’re nuts. You’ve done such a great job. And I thought I was the ultimate planner. I think you might have to steal my title.” Bella realized she’d been one of those people who thought of Katherine as Poor Katherine. That was ending right now. She’d grown into a capable young woman. “Okay, Just Katherine, let’s get back to planning.”
Katherine threw back her head and laughed out loud, her eyes sparkling with mirth. Bella saw Becky Lee look across the cafe, grin, and nod her head slightly. Bella smiled back.
~ * ~
Keely pulled the door of the Magnolia Cafe closed behind her. The cool night air draped around her as she dug in her purse, fumbling to find her keys. She sighed and dredged the fathomless depths until she finally felt the keys. With a triumphant flourish, she locked the door and dropped the keys back into the purse.
There were still quite a few people walking along Main Street tonight. The cafe closed at nine on weeknights and she’d managed to walk out the door not fifteen minutes later. She turned from the door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Time to relax and let the stress of the day slip away.
“Well, hello there, Keely.”
She looked up at the impeccably dressed woman standing before her with her arm entwined with a man in business suit that fairly screamed ‘I have money.’
“Camille.” She and Hunt should never had talked about her. It was like they’d conjured Camille’s spirit from Mobile and dropped it to torment her right onto Main Street in Comfort Crossing.
“I see you’re still working at your family’s diner.”
Technically the Magnolia Cafe was almost a diner. But Camille said the word like it was some kind of greasy-spoon truck stop.
“I am. Just closed up and headed home.”
“This is Delbert Hamilton from the Hamilton Hotels. You’ve heard of them, right?” Camille clung to stuffy old Del’s arm and practically simpered at him. “Delbert, this is Keely. She’s a waitress at the diner.”
Keely wasn’t even going to rise to the bait. Camille knew darn well that she ran the cafe now and had for years.