The Other Lady Vanishes (Burning Cove #2)(5)

He wore his customary uniform, a crisply pressed white shirt, an elegantly knotted tie, a cream-colored jacket, and dark brown trousers.

She knew that he was aware that she was approaching his table, but he waited until she came to a halt, pencil hovering over the order pad, before he looked up from the newspaper. She braced herself as she always did for the little electric thrill that crackled through her whenever she was this close to him.

He nodded once, gravely polite. “Good morning, Miss Brockton.”

“Good morning, Mr. Truett.” She gave him her bright, customer-friendly smile. “Will you be having the usual today?”

“Yes, please. The green tea. No sugar. No tea cakes. No scones. No cookies.”

His voice, low, resonant, and so very masculine, sent another whisper of excitement through her.

“Right,” she said. “Will that be all, then?”

He glanced at the pencil and pad she was holding. “You didn’t write down my order.”

“No need.” She tapped the side of her waitress cap with the tip of the pencil. “I’ve got a pretty good memory.”

“And I am nothing if not boringly predictable.”

She was horrified. “I didn’t mean to imply that you were boring. Not at all. I’m very sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I am boringly predictable. In fact, you could say I am going out of my way to be boring and predictable. My doctor suggested I stick to a strict routine, you see. Supposedly it’s good for exhausted nerves.”

Adelaide cleared her throat. “In my experience the so-called experts don’t always know what’s best for exhausted nerves.”

“I’m inclined to agree with you. The green tea you serve here at Refresh has done me more good than any nerve tonic.”

She frowned. “You take a tonic for your nerves?”

“Well, no. The doctor prescribed one but I’m not taking it. Promise you won’t tell him?”

For a moment she wondered if he was trying to make a small joke. But she could not be certain so she played it safe.

“Of course I won’t tell him,” she said.

“Thank you. It occurs to me that I should mention your special teas and herbal blends to my doctor. He might be interested in offering them to his other patients.”

“No.” Panic flashed through her. The very last thing she wanted was to draw the attention of a doctor who was in the business of treating disorders of the nervous system. She recovered her poise with an effort of will. “I mean, I don’t think that it would be a good idea to tell your doctor about the blends we serve here at Refresh. They aren’t anything special, just traditional herbs and a variety of imported teas. No modern-thinking doctor would approve of using them to treat problems associated with the nerves.”

“I see.” Mr. Truett assumed a politely interested air. “You obviously know a lot about the subject. Do you mind if I ask where you received your training in herbs and teas?”

She hesitated. There was only one person in town who knew something about her past. Raina Kirk was another newcomer to Burning Cove, and it was clear that she was also concealing a lot about her own personal history. In addition to the knowledge that they were both trying to reinvent themselves in Burning Cove, the understanding that they each had things to hide had produced an unusual bond between them.

But not even Raina knew about the Rushbrook Sanitarium and the wedding ring that was now concealed in the floor safe under Adelaide’s bed.

“You could say I grew up in the business,” she said. “My mother was a botanist.”

“And your father?”

“A chemist.” This was getting dangerous. It was past time to change the subject. “Thanks for your order, Mr. Truett. I’ll be right back.”

“Good. I need the tea to take the edge off the three cups of coffee I had for breakfast.”

Shocked, she stared at him. “You had three cups of coffee this morning?”

“I like coffee in the mornings.”

“Mr. Truett, I realize this is none of my business, but if you’re having trouble with your nerves, the last thing you should drink is a lot of coffee.”

“Call me Jake. I’m supposed to be relaxing by the seaside, remember? When you call me Mr. Truett, you make me think of business. The doctor instructed me not to concern myself with business matters.”

She cleared her throat. “I was under the impression that you had sold your business in L.A.”

Something that might have been amusement briefly came and went in Jake’s eyes. “I’ve always heard that rumors get around quickly in small towns like Burning Cove.”

She flushed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“Don’t worry about it. The rumors are true. Like you, I grew up in a family business. In my case it was an import-export firm. Three generations of Truetts operated the company. I inherited the firm after my father died. I was nineteen. It’s the only business I’ve ever known.”

“And now you’re out of that business?”

“Apparently.”

“Because it wasn’t good for your nerves.”

“Right.”

“What will you do now?” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

“I have no idea. That’s one of the things I’m not supposed to think about.”