The Strawberry Hearts Diner(34)

“You got that right . . . what did you say?” Vicky stammered.

“I said that I’m not going back to college.”

“Good God, Emily Diane Rawlins. You’ve got one year left. Only twenty-four college hours! You cannot quit now.”

“I’ll get my degree in a couple of years. I’m going to work in the diner and do evening classes on the computer to finish that way,” she said. “And I’m not changing my mind, Mama. I hate being away from Pick.”

Vicky felt her world crumbling. “You could make it one more year. You come home every holiday, even just those single days off, so you are never away for more than three months at the most.”

Emily’s mouth set in a firm line. “I love you and I hate to disappoint you, but it ain’t happenin’. I’ll take two classes a semester until I get finished, and that will take two years. I’ll have the degree and I can be right here.”

“Why now?” Vicky groaned. “With just one year left?”

Emily started for the door. “Because it’s what my heart tells me to do. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. You know how I’ve felt since day one.”

“Can we talk about it later in the summer?”

“We can talk about it every day until I’m old and gray, but I’m not changing my mind.” She turned and planted a kiss on her mother’s forehead. “Good night and I love you, Mama.”

“We definitely will discuss this more.” Vicky wasn’t giving in to this crazy idea easily. She’d regroup and come up with a plan to keep her daughter in school one more year.

“I’m sure we will. See you in the morning,” Emily said as she closed the door behind her.





CHAPTER EIGHT


The diner was packed fifteen minutes after Vicky opened the doors the next morning. Emily ran the booths, and Vicky took care of the customers who were sitting at the bar. It might be Memorial Day, but except for Christmas, the diner was always open.

It wasn’t the first time the diner had served as a conference hall in the twenty-five years it had been in business. But Vicky had never answered the same question or reassured the residents of Pick more times in her life. No, she was not one bit interested in Carlton Wolfe’s offer, and she was not going to cave in no matter what he threatened.

“He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Ryder chuckled.

“Absolutely,” Vicky said. “If that’s his real name, he should change it. If it’s not, then he chose the wrong one.”

“He ain’t goin’ to fleece us, is he?” Shane asked. “Wh-where’s Jancy?”

“We’ll hang his sorry carcass on one of the barbed-wire fences in town before we let him get a toe in our town,” Vicky said. “And Jancy took a few minutes off to run up to the bank to do some business.”

“Mark the spot and me and Shane will take care of that mangy old wolf.” Ryder’s big brown eyes sparkled. “And we won’t even charge you for it. I hate it when someone like that sucker comes into our little place.”

“It makes us appreciate what we got and reminds us that we might have to do battle for anything that is worthwhile,” Vicky said.

“You got that right,” Ryder said.

Shane nodded. “Just sometimes the fight is kind of scary.”

“But if we stick together, we can win.” Vicky smiled, and Ryder unexpectedly weighed in with a yawn.

“Long night?” Vicky asked.

“Yes, ma’am.” Ryder blushed.

“Regular old roustabout.” A wide grin split Shane’s face. “He even m-m-missed church last night.”

One booth of folks left and another pushed into the diner at the same time. Vicky hurried over to clean the table and get it ready for the newcomers. She glanced at the clock. Ten thirty. By this time most days, she was sitting at a booth or the counter with Nettie and Jancy having breakfast. It was beginning to look like there would be no letup until the noon rush. How on earth Nettie kept up with the orders and still had time to get her blue-plate special going was a miracle. The scent of ham, sweet potato casserole, and baked beans blended with all the breakfast food and made Vicky’s stomach grumble.

Jancy breezed back into the diner and through the swinging doors. She tied an apron around her waist and was about to start helping Nettie when Vicky stuck her face in the window. “You come on out here and take care of the counter. I’ll do kitchen duty.”

“I don’t mind,” Jancy said.

“My daughter and I need some space,” she said.

“Oh, yeah?” Jancy’s brows shot up.

Vicky joined Jancy and Nettie in the kitchen. “She says she’s not going back to school in the fall.”

“It’s a long time until then. She might change her mind,” Jancy said.

“She’s a lot like you, Vicky. When she makes up her mind, wild horses couldn’t get her to change it.” Nettie stirred the pot of beans.

“Got any advice, Jancy?” Vicky asked.

“Fightin’ her could make her set her heels even harder. Might be smarter to let it alone for a while and let her figure out for herself that it’s not such a good decision,” Jancy said.

Nettie chuckled. “The way they both like to argue a point until it’s died a dozen times, that won’t be easy.”