A Roux of Revenge (36 page)

“Oh. Oh, of course,” Barry said, looking up from his game and peering around Hank. “Come over here young man, and have a seat.”

Tommy looked up hopefully. Lucky was sure he was hungry and didn’t have money to buy anything.

“Where’s Guy tonight?” she asked.

“He’ll be here in a few minutes. He’s closing up the shop now.”

Lucky smiled and pulled over a chair for Tommy. “That’s good. We’ll be doing the pumpkin contest pretty soon. Your entry stands a very good chance.”

Tommy’s eyes widened, but his expression seemed to say he wasn’t hoping for very much.

“Do you know how to play Connect Four, Tommy?”
Hank asked.

The boy smiled. “Sure. Can I play with you?”

“Certainly can. Soon as you finish your soup and sandwich.”

Lucky was sure Tommy was in good hands with the men. She returned to the counter. The restaurant was so noisy she could barely make out any conversations. Some of the older kids were singing along with “Monster Mash.” She glanced over at Jack at the cash register. He
made a thumbs-up sign to her and smiled. Their Halloween promotion was a success.

The pumpkin entries with their numbers were lined up on the long table against the wall. The secret ballots were folded pieces of paper placed in a covered bean jug by the cash register. Every customer at the Spoonful that week had had a chance to vote for his or her favorite. Lucky had been rather disappointed
there hadn’t been more entries in the contest. Both Hank and Barry had donated their jack-o’-lanterns, as had Janie. Sage had carved one, and Sophie entered one that Lucky knew had been carved by Sage. There was Guy’s entry and Horace’s. Sage had given the fairy-tale pumpkin to Guy, and Guy had helped Tommy with the sharp knives, but Tommy had been adamant that his pumpkin had to be his design.
Neither Marjorie nor Cecily had been interested in the contest. They were willing to vote but not willing to actually carve a pumpkin. There was Meg’s pumpkin and Jack had created one just to add to the mix. Remy had found some time after his ordeal in the cornfield to contribute his entry. In all there were eleven carved pumpkins. Since the prize, three free all-you-can-eat meals for two, was something
that would only be helpful to a paying customer—Jack, Sophie, Sage, Janie, and Meg already ate for free—it boiled down to the fact that the real entrants were Hank, Barry, Remy, Horace, Guy and Tommy.

Lucky had called all of them and explained Tommy’s situation. And to their credit they had all readily agreed they had no problem with the pumpkin-carving contest being rigged in Tommy’s favor.
Sophie was in charge, and she planned to make a show of counting the votes and announcing Tommy as a winner.

Lucky glanced at the clock. It was almost four. Time to announce the contest winner. She was about to call out to Sophie, who was in the kitchen helping Sage prepare dishes, when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned around. It was Cecily. She hadn’t seen her arrive.

“Lucky, you’re
a dear. Thank you for cheering me up the other day. You were right. I was making a mountain out of a molehill.”

Lucky smiled ruefully. “We all do when feelings are involved.”

“Well, it was totally silly of me. I mean, we’re talking about one dinner date. That’s nothing. And no one seems to be treating me like the fool I feel like. At least I hope they’re not laughing behind my back.”

“I doubt that very much. First of all you’re well liked and well respected in town. And besides probably nobody even noticed you having dinner with Joe . . . I mean Devlin, up at the Lodge. No one who knows you anyway.”

“You’re right. It’s made me realize how wonderful it would be to have that in my life. You probably can’t understand. You’re young. You don’t see the window of opportunity
closing at your tender age.”

Lucky felt a pang in her chest. Little did Cecily know how miserable she felt about Elias right now. She didn’t respond.

Cecily squeezed her arm. “But, no matter what age you are, if love lands on your doorstep, don’t let it go.” Cecily smiled and moved away among the crowded tables.

“Pssst,” Sophie hissed through the hatch. “What are you doing out there?”

Lucky spotted Guy at the front door. She waved to him and pointed to where Tommy sat. She turned around. “Sorry. I’m losing track of time.”

Sophie gave her a quizzical look. “It’s time for my star turn, Ms. Jamieson.” She laughed and disappeared. A moment later she pushed through the swinging door from the kitchen. She took a position near the cash register and the bean jug. Lucky turned
down the volume on the CD player behind the counter so Sophie could be heard.

Sophie picked up a spoon and banged it against a glass. “Everyone. It’s time. It’s time for the counting of the ballots.” The restaurant fell silent. “Jack here will make sure there’s no cheating.”

Sophie lifted the lid of the bean jug and one by one opened the folded slips of paper. She whispered a name to Jack,
and Jack slipped the ballots into a drawer under the cash register and made a note on a pad of paper. When they had finished, Jack passed the notepad to Sophie.

Sophie looked at it carefully, a serious expression on her face. Lucky was admiring her acting skills. “Well, everyone did very well, actually. Hank, you received twelve votes. Barry, you received thirteen.” Lucky glanced over at the
men. Barry jabbed Hank in the ribs in victory. Hank ignored him. Tommy still sat at their table, his expression intent. “Remy . . .” Sophie looked around the restaurant. “Remy’s not here, but he’s coming later. Remy got eleven votes. Guy . . .” She looked around the restaurant and finally spotted Guy Bessette. “You got fifteen votes. Horace Winthorpe . . .”

“Here,” Horace called out, waving
a hand.

“Horace, you received the same number as Barry—thirteen. But . . .” Sophie took a dramatic pause. “None of you has received more votes than the winner.” Sophie raised her eyebrows and looked around the room.

Lucky noticed Tommy, his brow furrowed, staring at the long table of jack-o’-lanterns. She was sure he was trying to remember how many votes had been announced and mentally
counting the pumpkins.

“The winner is . . .” Sophie spoke more loudly. “Tommy Evans! Tommy Evans received seventeen votes!” She began to clap, and everyone in the restaurant followed her lead. The teenagers cheered.

Guy was grinning from ear to ear and winked at her. She smiled back.

“Let’s get Tommy up here to collect his prize. Where are you, Tommy?” Sophie called out.

“Here!
I’m here!” Tommy raised his hand and scooted off his chair. He rushed to the cash register, a huge smile on his face.

“You have won three all-you-can-eat meals for two at the Spoonful any time of your choosing.” Sophie looked over at Lucky. “Isn’t that right?”

“Sure is,” Lucky said. “Congratulations, Tommy.”

Tommy received another round of applause. He grasped the prize card—a printed
piece of cardstock that Lucky had created on the computer, and she and Jack had officially signed—and slipped it into his shirt pocket. Tommy, excited, rushed to Guy’s side, and Guy reached out to give him a high five.

“Great job, Sophie,” Jack said. “Couldn’t have done better myself.”

Sophie winked at Jack, smiled at Lucky and headed back to the kitchen.

Chapter 55

“A
RE YOU AN
idiot or what?” Sophie shouted. Lucky flinched, remembering how Elias had called himself an idiot. She couldn’t respond to Sophie’s accusation. They had retired to the office
with mugs of coffee after the customers had left for home or for trick-or-treating with their children. Guy had offered to take Tommy out for Halloween, but Tommy couldn’t wait to tell his mother about winning the prize. Only Horace, Hank and Barry were still in the restaurant with Jack.

“I thought you were crazy about Elias. What’s going on, Lucky?”

Lucky took a deep breath. “I’m not
really sure. It’s like a part of me just shut down. It’s hard to explain. When I thought Elias might have lied to me, when I thought the rumors might be true”—She glanced at her friend; Sophie’s face was heavy with concern—“a part of me just couldn’t believe it, but another part of me was sure it was true. It’s not that easy to just say, ‘Oh, yes, that’s fine. I’m still in love with you. The fact
that Paula had decided she wanted you is just fine with me. I understand. I understand that, of course, you had to hire her. That you didn’t tell me you had had a relationship before. Never once mentioned it, in fact.” Lucky shook her head. “I felt needy and dependent. And I hate feeling that way. That’s not me.”

“Ha!” Sophie laughed derisively. “That’s everybody who’s in love. Get over yourself.
You’re just afraid of being hurt.”

Lucky didn’t answer.

Sophie shook her head, a disgusted look on her face. “Advice from a good friend?”

“What?” Lucky lifted her chin defiantly.

“Get off your damn high horse!” Sophie exclaimed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I was right. You are an idiot. A stubborn idiot.” Sophie reached across and grasped Lucky’s hand. “Okay,
so even if his head was turned a little bit, which I don’t believe, not really, I don’t think he was getting reinvolved with Paula. I think Paula was a calculating witch, and you can spell that with a
B
.” She continued, “I think he was blindsided. I don’t think he ever meant to hurt his relationship with you.”

“So why was he so distant and dismissive when I got upset?”

“’Cause he knew
he hadn’t really been forthcoming about his past. He felt defensive. And in truth had you actually asked him about prior romances?”

“No,” Lucky replied grudgingly.

“Well, there. Think about it. You’re angry because he never mentioned something that
you
had never asked him about. That’s twisted logic if I ever heard it.” Sophie paused for breath. “What Paula did was pretty obnoxious but
not illegal. She was worried about her own survival. If this case goes against her, it’ll certainly hurt her career. She used Elias. She hurt you, but the way she saw it, she had to survive.” Sophie waited, but Lucky didn’t respond. “Are you listening to anything I’m saying?”

“Yes, of course I am.”

“Bottom line is, you’re angry at Elias because of what Paula’s done. He may have been a
real jerk, but he didn’t do anything
totally
unforgivable.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“I know I’m right. So stop sulking and go after the guy.”

Chapter 56

L
UCKY PULLED HER
collar up and snuggled into her jacket. Indian summer was over. It was cold enough tonight that her nose was red and her fingers were chilled. It didn’t help that she was
sitting on the hard wooden steps in front of Elias’s house. She was waiting for him. Perhaps it was Cecily’s words, or perhaps it was seeing the love in Eamon’s eyes when he gazed at Miriam. She couldn’t begin to conceive of the pain that he and Miriam had borne for so many years. To love so deeply and to have that love ripped away. To spend years wondering and railing against the fates. No matter
how closed Miriam’s heart had become, she hadn’t been able to completely deny the love she had for Eamon, the love she had hidden, even from herself, for so many years. While she, Lucky, had rejected Elias when he opened his heart to her.

She had called the Clinic and spoken to Rosemary and learned Elias had spent the day at the hospital in Lincoln Falls. Eager to gossip, Rosemary had babbled
for almost a half hour with the latest juicy news about Paula. Lucky did not let on she had already heard the story—mostly because she didn’t want any questions asked about her relationship with Elias.

Sophie was right. She was an idiot. She had been doing the very thing that Miriam had been forced to do her entire life—deny her heart. Why? Why had she hesitated when Elias declared his feelings?
Fear? Uncertainty? She had used her parents’ death as an excuse, but it was only an excuse. She had told herself she wasn’t ready, that it was too soon after too many life changes, but it hadn’t stopped her from falling in love.

When will he ever arrive?
she thought, shivering inside her jacket. She could have waited another day to see him, but she felt an urgency, a necessity to tear down
the barriers, to not delay in telling him how she felt. If only he would listen.