The Newcomer (Thunder Point #2)(63)

He looked down briefly. Shyly.

“Listen, could you please not tell about the hospital? I think my reputation as a lunatic is going to be hard enough to get over.”

“I would never tell anything you tell me,” he said.

They talked for an hour, off the subject of proms and Downy, and on to what colleges they were interested in, what they’d like to do for careers, where they’d most like to live. Frank wasn’t sure what he would study, only that it would have a lot to do with math, and his dream career would be as an inventor. He had questions for her about her goals, none of which she could answer. She had always wanted to follow Downy to college and she hadn’t thought she would ever leave Thunder Point. She had no real career ideas besides being a wife and mother. Things with Downy had changed all that.

* * *

Gina had been helping in her mother’s deli for a good twenty years. Carrie did all the baking and experimenting with new recipes, but Gina could slap together deli sandwiches in record time. If she had time after leaving the diner, Gina would go across the street and give her mother a couple of hours and when Carrie had a party or wedding to cater, it was usually Gina—and sometimes Ashley, as well—to help her serve and clean up after the event. It was rare that neither of them were available, but on those occasions Carrie had a few friends who didn’t mind making a little extra money.

Carrie’s business had grown lately, which kept Gina busier than usual. People were already ordering graduation cakes. Cooper had made a contract with Carrie for her wrapped and premade deli items for his bar and, with the weather warming up, summer coming and more people on the beach, especially on weekends, he was doing a bigger business—and more food was needed. While Ben, the previous owner, had been happy with simple sandwiches, Cooper encouraged her to try out some new things. She came up with some turkey, ham and salami wraps dressed with spinach leaves and sweet mustard, crab cakes that Cooper could just warm up, shrimp salads, big tomatoes stuffed with shrimp or crab salad, and her special pizzas all made up and ready to pop in the oven for twenty minutes. She had sausage rolls, crab rolls, Caesar salads, fruit plates. All these things could be made ahead and they lasted for three days. Cooper was thrilled and bragged to his friends constantly about the awesome food he served.

Carrie entered the diner in the midafternoon, right before Gina was finished for the day. She was holding her battered notebook, which usually meant she wanted to brainstorm menu ideas with Gina. Carrie had a few events coming up—a wedding, a baby shower, an anniversary party and the grand opening of the new clinic across the street.

“Coffee, Mom?” she asked.

“Please. I’m trying to come up with some new ideas for the same old chicken reception dinner and want your opinion.”

“Just chicken, huh?”

“If they’d spend another fifty cents per plate it could be chicken and salmon, but like most young couples, they want to keep the price down. I can actually save them money with this chicken stroganoff recipe.”

“I love that,” Gina said, mouth watering.

“I can get by with a little less meat....”

The door to the diner opened and in walked Marjorie Downy. She was the client who was throwing herself a twentieth anniversary party. Thunder Point people seldom went all out like this, hiring a caterer. But Marjorie was quite proud of this anniversary and Gina had heard she was planning on renewing her vows with her husband.

“Hello, Marjorie,” Gina said.

“Well, hello,” Carrie added.

But Marjorie glided forward with a look on her face as though she might have a problem. “I guess it’s best that I caught both of you together, though I tried the deli first. I was going to just take this up with you, Carrie.”

Carrie closed her notebook. “We can walk across the street, if you like.”

“No, no. This actually concerns Gina, as well.” She took a deep breath. “Party time is coming up. I know you rely on Gina and Ashley to help cater events, but I think this time it might not be the best idea. Crawford is coming home for the party.”

Gina was flabbergasted. “Marjorie, you can’t possibly think I’d let Ashley serve at your party when her ex-boyfriend will be there! This has been hard enough on her!”

“Oh, my,” she said, hand to her breast. “I should have known you’d understand, Gina.” Marjorie wasn’t a particularly pretty woman; she was very plain and would be more attractive without so much makeup, and with a more flattering haircut and color. She was hooked on perms and her hair tended to frizz. Her natural color had been dark but with the onset of some gray, she took to yellow streaks. Not blond. Yellow. It appeared striped and the girls in town joked that she was the bride of Frankenstein.

Her appearance wasn’t the problem, of course. She was jealous and insincere by nature and this is what people found most objectionable about her.

“Of course you heard about the possibility of being a first round draft pick for Crawford?”

And uppity.

“Of course,” Gina said. “I guess congratulations are in order.”

“Yes, thank you. And he’ll be bringing Selena home. It’s getting more serious. She comes from such a nice family. Her father works for a congressman. He’s a lawyer.”

Gina ground her teeth. “You must be looking forward to that.”