Jake could never refuse his mother anything. “If it’s what you really want, I’ll help you open it again. I still say the man owes me nothing.”
“How about you look at it as something your brother wants to do for you? Your brother who does acknowledge you.” Owen said.
Jake didn’t want a single thing from his brother—not for himself—, but he could see the light shining in his mother’s eyes, her excitement about getting her beloved restaurant back.
“Fine. Agreed.”
“Ms. Landry, I was wondering if you would mind talking to me a bit about the restaurant.”
“Sylvia. Please call me Sylvia.”
“Sylvia, I’ve been looking at the restaurants in town and the growth in the area. I was wondering if you’d consider opening up a different kind of restaurant than you had before.”
“Her restaurant did fine how it was.” Jake was tired of his brother, tired of his know-it-all attitude.
“Let’s hear what Owen has to say.” His mother looked expectantly at Owen.
“There are already a handful of good home-cooked meal type restaurants in town. The only fancier place is out at The Plantation Inn outside of town. It’s only open for dinner on the weekends. I wondered if you’d consider opening up a restaurant that had a different kind of menu. We could get a liquor license for wine, beer, and drinks.”
Jake watched in amazement as his mother nodded in agreement.
“I think that’s a fabulous idea. I always cooked the same thing and had the same menu as my mother had. She only had it a few years before I took over. But I love to try out new recipes. I bet we could come up with a menu of items that would be different, but reasonably priced.”
Jake had to admit that his mother loved to experiment in the kitchen. She’d gone through a French stage of cooking and an Italian stage. He couldn’t even remember all the different types of cooking she’d experimented on for them. But she had always just done plain, homestyle cooking at the restaurant.
“The other idea I had was to open the second floor as a tea room type area. You would also rent the area out for events. Possibly use that first floor smaller room for a coffee shop area for some good coffee and pastries for the morning crowd.”
“Look, Owen. You’re moving too fast. Are you saying that if we take this building, we have all these strings attached?”
“Not at all. I’m just used to researching businesses my company buys. It’s what I do, see how companies can help their bottom line.”
“I think you have some very good ideas, Owen. I’d like to see the research and hear more of your thoughts.” His mother said.
“Great. I’ll get you a copy of my research and we can meet in a few days to discuss.”
“I’d like that.” His mother broke into a big smile. “Oh, and we’ll have our own place to live again. My family will be as excited about that as I am.”
Jake was unsure about this whole deal, but could see how happy his mother was. He’d do anything to make her happy after the hard couple of years she’d had. “We’re going to have to hire lots of help, Mama. You can’t overdo it.”
“If you like to experiment with recipes, maybe you could come up with a menu and we’ll get a cook in. I know you did a lot of the cooking before, and of course you can again, but I thought a chef from New Orleans that I have my eye on might like to move here for the job. You’d, of course, do any interviewing of staff. I’ve put aside projected expenses for the first year in an account for you.”
His mother’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “I’m going to go find my recipes right now and start working on what we could have for a menu.”
“I’ll get that research over to you and we’ll meet again soon.” Owen stood up.
“One thing, Owen. I don’t want you telling people about… us.” Jake stopped his brother.
“You mean that we’re brothers?”
“Exactly. It’s no one’s business. I don’t want the town talking about my mother again.”
“You have my word.” Owen nodded.
His mother got up and crossed over to Owen. Her slender arms wrapped around the surprised Owen and she hugged him.
“Thank you, Owen. You are a very kind man.”
“You are very welcome, Sylvia. I feel like it’s too little, too late. But I’m very glad you accepted my offer.”
Jake stood by the window and watched his brother walk back down the cobblestone pathway. So much had changed in the last hour. He wasn’t sure he liked it. He still didn’t want anything from a father who refused to admit he existed. But he couldn’t deny his mother was happier than he’d seen her in years. And Stephen Campbell owed her at least that, even from the grave.