The Unexpected Wedding(17)

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Cal pushed open the door to the Magnolia Cafe dressed in his last pair of clean jeans and a faded t-shirt. Scotty followed him in with freshly washed hair, clean clothes, and a newly skinned knee compliments of jumping off of a swing today.

Becky Lee looked up from where she was waiting on a customer and waved. He lifted a hand in greeting. Keely showed them to a table by the window. The routine was beginning to feel familiar. It was strange for so many people in town to know him already. He was used to being a loner. Moving around. But already he’d made friends with Becky Lee, Steve and Josh, Rebecca and Larry. Even Keely knew their names and asked about their day.

Becky Lee threaded her way through the tables and came up beside them. “Hi, guys.”

“Hi, Miss Tesson.” Scotty bounced a bit in his chair and Cal smiled. It was so good to see the boy perking back up.

“How about you call me Miss Becky? That’s what my friends’ kids call me.”

“Okay, I can do that. Right?” The boy looked at Cal.

“Whatever Becky Lee wants is fine with me.”

They ordered up dinner and soon were attacking their meals. Cal’s stomached rumbled in appreciation like he hadn’t eaten in days. He’d been too hot and tired at lunch the last two days to eat much, so he was famished by dinner.

He stealthily—at least he hoped he was stealthy—watched Becky Lee while he ate. She was efficient and friendly with the customers, juggling multiple tables with ease. He needed to do something about the dating angle of their plan. He just hadn’t had time to figure that out.

Becky Lee came over with a pitcher of tea and refilled his glass. “You look kind of wiped out.”

“Getting used to working in this heat.”

“Supposed to break in a few days. Get a bit cooler.”

“That’ll be nice.”

“I hear you’re going to rent Lucy’s cottage.”

Cal looked at her in surprise. “How did you know?”

“Well, Holly came by and she’d talked to Steve.”

Cal laughed. “I guess I’m not used to small towns.”

“We do know an awful lot about each other’s business. Anyway, I was thinking I could drop by tomorrow night. Holly said you were moving in tomorrow? Let me bring groceries for dinner.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“I want to. I’m off work tomorrow night. It won’t be a problem.”

It was hard for Cal to keep accepting help from people. It just wasn’t something he was used to.

Becky Lee stood waiting for an answer.

She was right anyway. They needed to be seen together. That would help get the town talking it up that they were a couple.

“Sure, that sounds great. We’ll see you tomorrow night.”





CHAPTER NINE





The next morning Becky Lee looked all over her house for her cell phone. She didn’t know why it always insisted on hiding from her. She probably shouldn’t have gotten her house phone line taken out since the cell phone played hide and seek regularly. She finally found it on the floor of her closet. No clue how it got there.

She slipped the phone into her purse and walked to Bella’s house to check on her. Bella had a couple of rough pregnancies with her boys and Becky Lee was worried about her this time. It was a busy season at her shop as well as her recent marriage and her boys trying to adjust to having a stepfather.

She was happy for Bella, she was. But she had to be honest that a pang, deep inside, twitched through her at the thought of Bella having a third child before she, herself, had a chance to even have one. At this rate, she wasn’t sure she’d ever have children, and that thought haunted her dreams. She’d always imagined having a passel of kids and a houseful of laughter and love. But she’d never found the right guy to have that with. She’d even thought of adopting a child, maybe an older child, but deep down, ingrained in her soul, was the longing for her own.

But none of that yearning was going to show now. She didn’t want Bella to feel awkward and she was truly happy for her friend.

Becky Lee knocked on the door to the carriage house. Normally, she would have just stepped inside, but since Bella had married Owen she’d gotten in the habit of waiting for someone to answer the door. Another change in their lives.

Timmy tugged the door open. “Hi, Miss Becky. Momma’s at the kitchen table. Eating crackers. What kind of breakfast is crackers?” The boy slid passed her. “I’m gonna go play outside.”

Becky Lee crossed over to the kitchen and sat across from her friend. “Can I do anything for you?”

“No. I’m fine. Just not really up for more than crackers.”