The Strawberry Hearts Diner(49)

“She’ll be so busy with wedding and baby that she won’t even think about firing you. Besides we need you, Jancy.” Emily fished her ringing phone out of her pocket. “Hello, Mama. Yes, we’re home.”

“I’ll grab a shower while you talk and then you can have the bathroom. See you in the morning.” Jancy could have sat down on the floor right there and wept out of pure jealousy. She would love to have still had a mother who cared enough to call her just to make sure she made it home safely. To be able to kiss her on the cheek and tell her good night or tell her all about her day, maybe to make macaroni and cheese out of a box and open a can of pork and beans to go with it.

But those days were gone, and crying or envying her new friends for their relationships couldn’t bring them back. She had already started running a bath when her phone rang. Thinking it was probably Shane, she answered it without even checking the ID.

“Hey, Jancy, I just wanted to tell you good night and to say thanks for all you are doing,” Vicky said. “God sure did bless us when he dropped you on our doorstep.”

“Thank you,” she said around the lump in her throat. “But I’m the one who got the blessing.”

“Guess we both did. Get a good night’s sleep and keep a watch on Emily. She’s up to something. I can feel it in my bones. See y’all tomorrow. Good night.”

The phone went dark before she could say a word, but the feeling inside her was so overwhelming that it brought tears to her eyes.





CHAPTER TWELVE


Jancy had been in a dead rush all morning, but she hadn’t worked a bit harder than Emily, who was cooking and keeping orders filled from the kitchen. They were about to see a little bit of daylight at the end of the breakfast-rush tunnel when Woody came into the diner and chose a bar stool not far from the cash register.

“Where’s Ryder and Shane?” He removed his cap and laid it on the counter in front of him.

“They’ll be here in about twenty minutes. Your favorite booth is open,” Jancy said.

“Yeah, but there’s two carloads of folks comin’ inside. One has two little kids and the other is four older folks,” Woody said. “I don’t mind eating my dinner right here. I’m sure glad that you girls are goin’ ahead with the blue-plate special today, because chicken-fried steak is my favorite thing that y’all make.”

“No one can complain about Nettie’s burgers or the desserts in this place.” Leonard parked his tall, lanky frame beside Woody. “But I’m glad, too, that y’all are keepin’ up with the program. I want the lunch special and a big glass of sweet tea.”

The little bell above the door jingled, and Jancy glanced over her shoulder to see Shane and Ryder, plus the folks Woody had mentioned arriving right behind them. She finished drawing up two glasses of tea while Shane washed his hands and slung an apron around his waist. Ryder went straight to the kitchen and came out a few minutes later drying his hands on a bar rag.

“Hey, Shane.” Woody waved. “You ain’t as pretty as Vicky, but it’s a good thing you guys are helpin’ out while Nettie is laid up.”

“Yeah, but I’m bigger than Vicky, so you better be nice,” Shane teased.

“When do you go start to work up in Frankston?” Leonard asked Ryder. “I know you’ve told me but don’t remember the exact day.”

“July 5. The day after the holiday,” Ryder said.

“Never pictured you as an inside guy,” Leonard said.

“I get to be close to home, and I can help Shane out on Saturdays for my dose of physical labor.” He looked to the pass-through for a moment. “Got to get busy. These women won’t feed us lunch if we slack off on our duties.”

“Order up!” Emily called as she slid two plates on the shelf.

Ryder grabbed them, checked the slips, and set one in front of Leonard and gave the other to Woody. “Looks pretty good, guys. Holler if you need anything else.”

“You got a woman, don’t you?” Leonard eyed him carefully.

“Ain’t a woman in these parts that he ain’t already had,” Woody chuckled.

“Naw, this one is serious. He’s settlin’ down to a job, and somebody told me he’s done bought a trailer and he’s puttin’ it over by Shane’s place,” Leonard said.

“Rumors have wings. And old men gossip worse than old women,” Ryder said and moved to the other end of the counter to take an order.

“Burgers and fries!” Two red plastic baskets appeared. Shane grabbed them and headed toward a booth.

Woody raised his voice. “If you really got a woman, I pity her.”

“Hey, now!” Ryder protested. “Why would you say that?”

“She’ll always wonder if she can really trust you not to go back to your old ways,” Woody said.

“You was the Ryder of our day, and Irma settled you down but good,” Leonard said. “Hey, tell Emily that this is some fine grub. Some man is going to get a really good woman when he lassoes that filly.”

Jancy grabbed the next order that Emily shoved through the window. Shane moved in right behind her to get a couple of cupcakes and took time to squeeze her hand gently.

“Aww, W-Woody, wh-when old Ryder falls in the fountain of love, he’ll go right in the deep end. He’ll settle right down. His woman won’t have a thing to worry about,” Shane said.