Читать книгу Heaven's Kiss - Lois Richer - Страница 12

“L ucas, my boy. What brings you into my bakery again today?” Miss Winifred peered at him over the rim of her bifocals.

She hated those glasses, he remembered. Complained that they made her nose stuffy. Luc wondered if she remembered she was still wearing them.

“I, uh, well…I need some help,” he muttered, feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment.

“Help? With what?” She deftly rearranged the doughnuts into a more attractive display, her fingers nimbly moving from there to the next tray in the glass case. “Well?” She stopped what she was doing to glare at him.

“Is something wrong, Miss Winifred? You look frazzled.” It was true. It was also shocking. During the months he’d been in Blessing, Luc had never seen Winifred look anything less than calm and competent.

“If you’re trying to flatter her, it isn’t working.” Dani DeWitt stood behind him in the doorway. “Most women don’t like to be told they look frazzled, Doc.” She took a second look at the little baker. “Though I have to admit, it is true. Hey, Miss Win. What’s up?”

To Luc’s utter dismay, Winifred Blessing burst into tears. He hated tears. He scanned the room hopefully. Shucks. Dani was blocking the doorway. He was stuck here.

“If you must know, Furly and I had an argument.”

He opened his mouth to ask a question, but Dani nudged him with her elbow, shook her head, her green-gold eyes flashing a warning.

“I’m so sorry. Here, why don’t you come and sit down for a minute on one of these dainty little chairs. You need a break.”

“What I need is to apologize.” Miss Blessing allowed herself to be shepherded to one of the four café tables she’d installed last year. She sat down, dabbing at her eyes. “Furly Bowes and I have run this place together for thirty years. We’ve never argued even once, not until today. I yelled at her. She quit.” She burst into a paroxysm of new tears.

Luc stared over her head at Dani, hoping he’d find some answers there. She shrugged her slim shoulders, pushed one fat black curl behind her ear and gnawed on her bottom lip, thinking. He hoped she would come up with something soon. Those sobs were getting to him.

“Miss Winifred, Furly loves you and she knows you love her. I’m sure she’s hurting as badly as you are. Why don’t you run over to her house and make up. Doc and I will watch things here for you.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but Dani’s black-fringed eyes flashed a warning he couldn’t misinterpret: Be quiet!

“Would you?” Miss Winifred smiled. “Oh, you are such dears. Yes, that’s exactly what I will do. Poor Furly. It wasn’t her fault at all. It’s just that dratted oven. I should have replaced it years ago, but I thought I’d be retired by now, you see.”

“You can’t retire. Blessing needs you too much.” Dani frowned as Miss Winifred burst into new tears. “There’s something else wrong, isn’t there.”

The gray head bobbed once, twice. “I didn’t want to admit it, Dani, but this dinner theater thing has me tied in knots.”

Now this he could empathize with. Luc knew how she felt.

“What, exactly, is the problem?” Dani sat down beside her and waited.

“Well, you see, to seat that many people is a strain on our church fellowship hall. Getting waiters to and from the tables will be almost impossible in the short time between acts, and the limited space only makes it worse.” She sniffed pathetically.

“So we’ll find a new hall,” Dani said. “No big deal.”

“But the seniors’ hall won’t be ready in time. That fire was bad.”

“Miss Win, you’ve been worrying about this too much. Doc and I will check into things, see if we can come up with an alternative. But you are not to worry about it.”

Luc sat up straight. How had he gotten roped into this?

Dani wrapped an arm around the slumped shoulders and hugged. He couldn’t help noticing how frayed her cuff was, or that she’d been less than successful at repairing a tear on the arm.

“Promise me there will be no more of this, Miss Win. You tell me what you need and I’ll see to it. I don’t want you taking on the cares and woes of that project. You do enough.”

“Well, thank you, dear. That’s very kind of you to say.” Winifred stood, removed her spotted white apron and patted her hair. “Now I must go see Furly. I’m ashamed of myself.” She bustled out the door without a backward look, her steps firm and determined.

“Looks like it’s just you and me, Doc.” Dani grinned. “Ever worked in a bakery before?”

“No. And I can’t now. I’ve got to visit a patient.”

“Really? Who is it?” She blinked at his frown, her clear skin glowing with some inner translucence. “Maybe I can help.”

“It would be wrong for me to reveal a professional confidence,” he muttered, wishing he’d stayed in his office instead of racing over to get Miss Blessing’s help. If everyone in town did that, it was no wonder she was frazzled.

“So don’t reveal any confidences, Doc. Just tell me what you need.” She walked over to a coffeepot sitting in the corner, poured two cups and carried them back to the table. “Go ahead.”

“There’s a man,” he began, trying to remember not to give too many details. “He’s elderly and he lives alone. I’m concerned that he isn’t eating properly and I was going to ask Miss Blessing to help me find a way to get him a healthy meal—at least once a day.”

“I see.” She chewed her bottom lip, eyes thoughtful as she swung one slim leg back and forth.

Luc forced his attention back to the subject at hand. Dani DeWitt distracted him too easily.

“He’s proud, you see. It would hurt him to think I’d gone behind his back to ask for help.”

“I get your drift, Doc.” She grinned at him. “Obviously today is not a good day to ask Miss Winifred to work on this. She’s a little stirred up, and in my opinion she needs a break from thinking about meals.”

“What do you suggest?” He waited, knowing she’d come up with something. That was one thing he was learning about Dani—she always had an idea.

“I have a hunch we’re talking about old Mr. Potter, aren’t we.”

“I never—”

“No, you didn’t. And that’s to your credit. But I’ve lived around here almost all my life, Doc. Nothing stays a secret in Blessing. Let me think for a minute.”

She tapped one blunt fingernail against the table, obviously tossing around the possibilities. Her worn leather boots tap-danced their own rhythm against the ceramic tiles.

He frowned. This was taking way too long. He’d been so careful. Wouldn’t the gossips just love seeing the two of them huddled together at Blessing Bakery?

“I’ve got to get out there. I promised to drop off his medication before lunch.”

“Hang on a sec, Doc. I’m thinking as fast as I can.”

Luc watched her glance around the bakery, saw the way her eyes lit when they rested on the individual meat pies chilling in the cooler.

“You’ve thought of something. What is it?”

“I don’t have a long-term solution, yet. But for today, why not take him a couple of those potpies and one of those little salads from the grocery? You could pick up an apple or something for dessert, and maybe a quart of milk.”

“I guess.” It wasn’t exactly the solution he’d hoped for.

“If you took three, you could eat lunch with him.” She studied his face. “What’s wrong with that?”

Luc tried to hide his reaction. “I—uh, that is, I don’t know that I’ll have time to wait while they heat up. I’ve got a clinic this afternoon.”

Dani glanced at the clock.

“Miss Winifred’s oven is empty by now. Let’s pop three of them in and let them heat while we wait for her. Then there won’t be any delay.” She snatched three of the pies off the shelf and scurried into the back, returning with empty hands a few moments later. “Won’t take long in that monster.”

“I can’t wait here, Dani. I’ve got work to do.” Which wasn’t exactly true. His last two patients had canceled this morning, which was why he’d agreed to take Mr. Potter’s tablets out to him.

“Is there something you don’t like about Blessing, Doc?”

Luc’s head jerked back as he stared at her, only now realizing how tiny she was. Somehow Dani seemed like one of those people who were larger than life. She inspired thoughts of grandeur. Which was about as fanciful as a guy could get.

“Why would you say that?” he demanded. “I certainly never gave—”

“No, no.” Dani brushed away his objections. “You never said a word. It’s more the way you act. Take the church groups, for instance. I heard that you don’t join in, haven’t signed up to be on any committees, except for the dinner theater. Why, you even missed the pie social last week, and nobody in their right mind misses that!”

“I didn’t realize it was imperative I be there. I’ll be sure to attend the next one.” He couldn’t disguise his sour tone.

“Keep that attitude and no one will give you even a sliver.” She frowned and cupped her palm around her chin, elbow perched on the table. “What’s with you, Doc? Why are you so afraid to get involved with us?”

“I’m not afraid. Not at all.” Luc searched desperately for another subject, but nothing came to mind.

“Sure you are. In the social department, you act like a big chicken. Why is that? Have you got some secret you don’t want us to know about?”

She was like a dog with a bone, relentless.

“I don’t have any secrets,” he insisted, wishing he’d never walked through the bakery door. “I just enjoy my privacy.”

“Uh-huh.” Dani rose, dealt with a customer, then plopped back down beside him. “You’ve been in town long enough that you should be getting tired of your own company.”

He smirked. “What can I say? I’m an interesting person.”

“Uh-uh. Not buying that, Doc.” She pursed her lips, narrowed her cat eyes and frowned. “How old are you?”

“What?” He couldn’t believe she’d asked that, today of all days.

“Your age, Doc. Forty?”

“Hardly!” He was furious until he noticed the tic of laughter at the corner of her full lips, begging to be released. “Thirty—uh—thirty-four,” he admitted.

“When’s your birthday?”

Oh boy. “Why?”

She shook her black head, the curls dancing around her cheeks as she tut-tutted at his prevarication. “When?”

When he didn’t answer, Dani got up, walked to the phone and dialed. “Hi, Nicole. This is Dani DeWitt. Do you know when Doc—Luc’s—birthday is? Sure, I’ll wait.” She twisted to face him, her eyebrows rising as she listened. “I see. Well, thanks so much. Very interesting. Yes, indeed. I will let you know. Bye.”

“Dani, I—”

She waggled a finger at him. “If I were you, I wouldn’t say another word, Doc. Your secret is out. Thirty-four today.”

He sighed. “Let it go, okay. I saw what the town did for Joshua’s birthday. Believe me when I say I do not want crows all over my yard. Not in the least.”

“So what were you going to do? Pick up a cake and celebrate at home alone tonight?” She clucked her tongue at his guilty look. “Birthdays are meant to be shared, don’t you know that?”

“Well…”

“You have friends here, Luc. Blessing folks would love an opportunity to wish you happy birthday and share in your special day, especially after all you’ve done for them in that clinic.”

“I guess I’m not really into sharing,” he muttered, embarrassed by her soft remonstrance.

“I wonder why that is.”

“Why what is, Dani?” Miss Winifred waltzed through the door, her face beaming. She glanced from Dani to Luc, then shrugged. “Thank you so much for minding the store, my dears. I’ve had a word with Furly and the rift is mended. I’ll make a special note to watch my cantankerous tongue from now on, you can be sure.”

Her curious stare moved from Luc to Dani, then back to Luc, her forehead pleated in a frown of contemplation.

“Have I missed something?”

Dani shot to her feet. “Not a thing, Miss Win. Luc’s going out to a patient’s house to drop off some medicine. I’m going to show him the way. I popped three meat pies in the oven to warm. Hope you don’t mind?”

“Of course not. Are you headed out to Gordon Potter’s?”

Luc stood, shook his head in disbelief. How did these women know this stuff?

“I’m hoping you are because I made a banana loaf for him today. I don’t make them often, but yesterday Dr. Darling mentioned something to the druggist about a refill while I was in there. I meant to phone him.”

“We’ll take it.” Dani prodded Luc with her elbow. “Won’t we, Doc?”

“What? Sure.” We? He’d intended to make a quick trip out, to drop off the pills and something to eat for the man who shared his birth date. He hadn’t intended the whole town to get in on the act. “I’d also like you to box up that small chocolate cake. I’ll take it along too.”

“Is it Gordon’s birthday?” Miss Winifred checked a large white calendar on her wall and nodded. “Yes, it is. I’d forgotten that. Thank you for thinking of it, Luc. Gordon loves chocolate. Just let me write on it, okay?” She picked up a tube of bright yellow icing and wrote across the cake. “There now.”

“Hey, Doc, why don’t you pick up that milk and those salads from the store and meet me back here? It will take a few minutes to wrap up those pies so they don’t get cooled off on the way out.”

“No, it won’t. I have—”

Dani began coughing loudly so that the rest of Miss Winifred’s words were drowned out. He didn’t need his medical degree to know it was a fake cough.

“Go ahead, Doc,” Dani said huskily, patting her chest. “I’ll meet you back here. We’ll take my truck. The road out there isn’t great.”

And what was new about that? Luc wondered. None of the side roads around Blessing were in great condition.

“Fine. It will only take me five minutes,” he warned.

“That’s great.”

He glanced from Dani to Miss Winifred, trying to decipher the strange looks passing between the two. It was no use. He’d never been good at figuring out that unspoken stuff. He pulled open the door and stepped outside.

By the time he returned to the Blessing Bakery, considerably longer than five minutes had elapsed. It was as if everyone in the small grocery store had conspired to delay him by chatting about the most inconsequential things. Luc shoved open the door, and stopped short when Dani’s head popped up and Miss Winifred stopped midsentence.

“Are you ready?” he asked when no one said anything.

“Ready?” Dani frowned.

“Of course she is, Lucas. We just got gabbing and lost sight of the time. I’ll pack those pies into my new Styrofoam boxes and they’ll stay warm as toast.” Miss Winifred bustled away, humming a little tune as she worked in the back room.