Spicing Things Up Read online

  They parted on that note, and Tyne decided that Daphne had one hell of a good friend in Miriam. She had another one in him.

  Chapter 18

  Daphne glanced at the clock. Only three more minutes and she’d turn the sign on the door to CLOSED. It had been a slow day. Gray clouds brooded over Mill Pond since early morning. Cold rain pelted her storefront windows, making customers few and far between. She loved rainy days, loved holing up and losing herself in projects. She’d spent most of her time in the workroom, creating more inventory.

  When the minute hand hit the twelve on the clock, she closed up shop. A few moments later, her phone buzzed. She glanced at the I.D. and smiled. “Hey, what’s up?” Miriam’s stories about her students usually entertained her. Not this time.

  Miriam ended with, “Your friend, Tyne, didn’t give up on me, didn’t walk away. He sat there with me until I’d worked through the worst of it.”

  “I wish you’d have called me. I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

  “Your parents would have gotten squirrely. They’re leaving soon, and if you’d have stood them up, your mom would have gotten shitty about it. She barely tolerates me, as is. Doesn’t like my potty mouth. If I took you away from them, I’d have sunk even lower on her list.”

  Daphne couldn’t argue. “I still wish I’d have been there when you needed me.”

  “Tyne stood in for you. You’re lucky you have him. He doesn’t back away.”

  “Not even when you tell him to.” She admired that about him even when it frustrated her at times. “I’m glad he showed up.” And she was, but somewhere deep inside it made her feel unsettled. Why?

  “He matched up Maxwell and Steph, too, didn’t he?”

  “Yeah, he came through for both of them.” He’d been in Mill Pond for less than a year, and he’d already connected with more people than she had after a lifetime here. What was wrong with her? People liked her, but she wasn’t close to most of them. She came through for people when she could, but no one came to her with their problems except Miriam. And Miriam hadn’t called last night. She hadn’t wanted to displease Mom and Dad.

  When Miriam hung up, saying she needed to scrounge for something to make for supper, Daphne sagged onto her work stool and brooded. She always told herself she liked being self-contained, but did she? Another thought niggled in the back of her mind. To Tyne, she was just another friend who needed a boost, but would he grow impatient with her over time? She’d never be as adventurous as he was, as outgoing. She’d bore him sooner rather than later.

  She shook her thoughts away and went to grab her raincoat. If she was late picking up her parents, she’d hear about it. They often ate at Chase’s on Thursdays, and since her mother was trying to empty the refrigerator before they left on their trip, this was a perfect night for it. There wasn’t much food in the house.

  “We might have to eat out every night before we leave,” Dad said on the short ride to the bar.

  Mom gave Daphne a sheepish smile. “I can buy enough to fix suppers for you before we leave, though, dear.”

  Daphne shook her head. “No need to. We’ll eat out and enjoy each other’s company before you go. I vote for pizza tomorrow night.”

  “We’ll treat you to dinner at Ralph’s diner on Saturday,” Dad said.

  Daphne got into the spirit of near-vacation time. “What if I cook something and have you come to my place on Sunday?” She could tell by the deafening silence that she’d made a mistake. Her mother didn’t like it when she tried to cook. Not that it took much to discourage her. She’d rather do crafts than spend time in the kitchen, but still, she hurried to remedy it. “I’ll throw hot dogs on the grill and buy sides at the deli.”

  Her mother nodded. “Buy the hot dogs with no nitrates and preservatives. The store has them now. And no buns.”

  And no chili sauce or cheese. What was the use of having a hot dog if it was that damn healthy? Daphne bit her lip. Had she really thought that? She gave a bright smile. “This will be fun. You can meet my cat before you leave Mill Pond.”

  Her mother stiffened. “I’m allergic. You know that. We’ll have to make other plans.”

  Daphne sighed. “I could lock Shadow in my bedroom.”

  “There’d still be fur everywhere. It’s out of the question.” Her mother smiled. “We’ll grill. You bring the deli to our house.”

  Not the same, but Daphne gave in gracefully. She sometimes wondered if her mother was really allergic or if she simply hated pets. Everyone had their quirks, she reminded herself. When they reached the bar, the rain came down harder. Daphne pulled up the hood on her raincoat, and her dad opened his umbrella for him and Mom.

  Autumn rain didn’t have the joy of its spring counterpoint. It served as a foreboding for worse weather to come. When they walked inside the bar, warmth greeted them. There were more empty tables than usual, and Daphne saw Paula sitting at a table by herself. She waved them over.

  Mom tried to hide a grimace. She didn’t approve of Paula’s small eyebrow ring and the stud in her cheek. She glanced away from her tattoos.

  But Paula was all smiles and cheerfulness. “Hi! I hear there’s a trip in your near future.”

  Mom’s eyebrows shot up, surprised. “Where did you hear that?”

  “Tyne told us. He said you’re going to Carolina.”

  The eyebrows furrowed into a frown. “Really?” She shot a dirty look at Daphne.

  Daphne hung her raincoat on a nearby peg and held up her hands in surrender. “He asked me about meeting him for supper next week, and I said I could because you’d be out of town.”

  Her mother didn’t look happy. Her dad looked downright nervous.

  Daphne shrugged. “I didn’t know your trip was a secret.”

  “It’s not.” Mom left it at that.

  Paula looked back and forth between them, confused. “What’s wrong with having Tyne feed your daughter? He’s one hell of a cook.”

  “We’ve heard.” Mom’s tone could form glaciers.

  Louise Draper came to take their orders. Paula already had a hamburger, and they each ordered one, too. Of course, Mom and Dad ordered theirs plain, no bun.

  When Louise left, Daphne decided it was a good time to change the subject. She turned to Paula. “Tyne’s brother is a chef, too, isn’t he?”

  When Paula’s lips twitched, Daphne knew she’d recognized her dodge tactic. But Daphne had to give her credit. She answered quickly, “Holden’s won lots of awards. Of course, that’s what his parents expected. They always thought Holden would do well. He was a straight-A student and excelled at culinary school. They never expected much out of Tyne.”

  Daphne could feel heat rush through her veins. “Why not? It’s hard to miss his talent.” Her voice held more of an edge than she expected. Her mother narrowed her eyes.

  Paula glanced at the bar where Chase was taking someone’s order. “Tyne does things his own way, like Chase. Neither of them care if they impress anyone or not, and that didn’t impress Tyne’s parents. They’re big into status.”

  Daphne fiddled with the paper napkin on her lap. What was wrong with Tyne’s parents? How could they miss how wonderful he was? She’d have never guessed Tyne had any challenges in his life. He seemed so sure of himself, so successful. She’d assumed everyone encouraged him, like her parents encouraged her.

  When no one said anything, Paula went on. “Tyne came to Mill Pond to get experience, so that he can open his own restaurant someday.”

  Mom breathed a sigh of relief. “So he doesn’t plan on staying here?”

  Louise returned with their drinks—water with lemon for Mom and Dad, wine for Daphne.

  Daphne gulped down disappointment. Most people moved to Mill Pond and never left. They fell in love with the area. But Tyne wasn’t like most people. Her heart lurched, surprising her. She didn’t want Tyne to leave. She realized she’d liked him from the moment they met, when he wanted to rent the apartment above her shop. It was an instant cli
ck. She often found herself watching for him on the nature trail that wound behind her cabin. Not because she had a crush on him or anything. He was just fun to be around. He was a good person. A friend.

  Paula didn’t sound too concerned about losing Tyne. “He plans on staying a year or two, but you know how that goes. Mill Pond is a great place to live. It’ll be harder for him to leave us than he thinks.”

  Mom grimaced, and Paula gave her an odd look. Daphne tried to think of a new topic to change the conversation again when Chase came to sit with them.

  Paula looked at him and said, “What’s wrong?”

  “Steph just called. She can’t make it to the inn tomorrow morning. She’ll have to make all of the bread for Maxwell. He just rushed India to the emergency room, and the docs are keeping her for some tests.”

  Paula chewed on her bottom lip. “She hasn’t been doing well lately.”

  “She smokes too much.” Daphne’s mom sounded judgmental, and everyone stared at her. She shrugged. “What can you expect when you have as many bad habits as she does?”

  “Mom!” Daphne couldn’t believe her mom didn’t have a little sympathy for India. “I still feel sorry for her and Maxwell.”

  “It’s a waste of time.” Her mom’s lips pinched together before she went on. “People with genetic diseases deserve sympathy. They didn’t do anything wrong, and they’re being punished anyway. But people who know better and don’t care? They brought their problems on themselves.”

  Daphne blinked. Her mother had always been opinionated, but she was growing less tolerant the older she got. She wondered why. She was more conservative and fearful, too. Daphne sighed. Mom had been more fun when she was less rigid. Was my way or the highway part of aging? Then Daphne thought of Grams. Nope, attitude was a life choice, too, just as much as habits.

  A group of people walked into the bar and Chase had to leave the table. A man Dad worked with came in with his wife, and Dad waved hello to them. The man smiled as if he’d like Dad to stop by his table and say hi, but Dad glanced at Daphne, torn.

  “Go on,” Daphne said. “You have a minute before our food gets here.”

  When Mom and Dad left to greet Dad’s friend, Daphne studied Paula with a thoughtful expression.

  Paula quirked an eyebrow. “Just ask. It’s better to be direct.”

  Daphne built up her courage and blurted, “Was Chase ever interested in me?”

  Paula laughed. “He doted on you, had a crush a mile wide. If anyone said anything derogatory about you, Lord help them.”

  Daphne felt dazed. She shook her head, surprised. “I never realized.”

  “And I thank you for that.” Paula smiled. “When you didn’t give him any encouragement—nada, nothing—he turned his attention to me. A man can’t live on fantasies.”

  “I was such an idiot, fawning over Patrick like I did.”

  “Hey, I thought I wanted Jason Baxter, and I couldn’t think of a thing to do to make him notice me.”

  “That’s a good thing. He’s stupid and petty.” Daphne’s eyes grew round and she put a hand over her mouth. “I can’t believe I said that.”

  Paula leaned closer to her. “Why shouldn’t you? You’re right. If everyone said what they think, there’d be a lot less misunderstandings in the world.”

  “I don’t want to sound like my mom.” This time, heat soared up Daphne’s throat and face, she was so embarrassed. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me. Things are just popping out of my mouth.”

  Paula studied her, amused. “That’s what Tyne does.”

  Daphne nodded. “There’s no guessing with him. If he likes you, you know it. If he doesn’t, you know that, too. You always know where he stands on things.”

  “He says what he thinks.”

  Daphne pursed her lips, trying to sort the conflicting thoughts buzzing in her head. “I don’t want to mess up again. How can you tell if you’re interested in the right guy?”

  Paula thought a minute, then shook her head in defeat. “Damned if I know. Like I said, I set my sights on Jason Baxter.”

  Louise came with their food, and Daphne’s parents returned to the table. Paula glanced at her watch and said, “It’s time to pick up my kids. Gotta go.” She looked at Daphne. “It was great talking to you.”

  Daphne smiled. She’d enjoyed it, too.

  Her mother’s scowl returned, and Daphne asked them about the historical sites they meant to visit in Carolina. The talk turned to general subjects while they enjoyed their supper.

  Chapter 19

  Friday nights were low-key, and that was a relief. It was one supper that Tyne didn’t have to fuss over. He’d gone to visit India at the hospital this afternoon. She was in good spirits, but Maxwell was a mess. Seeing Maxwell’s distress had thrown Tyne off. He was glad he didn’t have to concentrate tonight.

  He took the prime rib and salmon out of the oven. Guests looked forward to them. They didn’t care what version of salmon Tyne chose, as long as it was on the buffet. Tonight, he made baked potatoes and red beans and rice as accompaniments. He added a caramelized apple salad with blue cheese and walnuts and a huge tossed salad for variety. Guests could pick and choose.

  Cody helped him carry food to the buffet before he started rinsing the pans and bowls used for food prep.

  “Your truck sounded rough when you pulled in,” Tyne told him.

  “My muffler’s falling off. I can’t afford a new one for a few more weeks.”

  “We can wire it in place.”

  Cody scrunched his nose. “I can’t. Don’t know how.”

  “If you can stay after work for a while, I can do it for you.”

  Cody looked relieved. “You already helped me with the spark plugs.”

  “That’s how you learn. You watch someone tinker.”

  At six sharp, the guests filed into the dining room and things got busy. People lingered over their meals longer than usual since the weather wasn’t conducive for leaving the inn. Ian’s wife, Tessa, had supplied coconut cakes and chocolate fudge pies with a praline crumble for dessert. When guests finished those, they wandered into the large lobby where urns kept water hot for instant hot chocolate or tea, and bags of microwave popcorn were fanned out for late-evening snacks. Ian did everything possible to make his guests’ stay pleasurable when the weather turned bad.

  Some people settled in the comfortable seating areas with books or magazines. Others grabbed snacks and headed to their rooms to rent a movie or watch sports on their large screen TVs. Some reached for their partners’ hands and obviously had other things in mind.

  Tyne and Cody worked with the kitchen crew to finish cleaning up, then headed outside to work on Cody’s truck. “Pull it under the portico, out of the rain,” Tyne told him.

  Ian’s brother, Brody, had built a roof for Jason to pull under when he delivered supplies to the inn. The space wasn’t heated, but it was dry. Tyne changed into his jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt before skootching under the vehicle to work on the muffler. The cement felt cool and damp, even with a tarp on the ground that he kept in his Jeep. He got situated, then called, “You can hand me the wire now.”

  Cody bent to place the heavy wire and a pair of pliers in Tyne’s hand and watched as Tyne started securing the muffler in place. He was concentrating on what he was doing, so when someone wrapped a hand around his privates and squeezed, he jerked with surprise. His forehead banged the metal pipe, and it hurt.

  “Damn it all to hell, what are you playing at?” He slid out from under the truck, rubbing his head, and blinked at Chantelle.

  She wore skintight jeans, a low-cut sweater, and a seductive smile. “Did you hurt yourself? You smeared dirt on your forehead when you rubbed it. Here, let me help you.” She bent so low, he thought her boobs might pop out of their moorings, and great boobs they were. She brandished a handkerchief to dab at the dirt.

  He wiped at it with his sleeve. “I’ll live.”

  Her gaze lowered to his crotch.
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

  Lots of women couldn’t, but Tyne had his limits. “I don’t walk up and grab your ass or rub your tits,” he snapped.

  Her smile widened. “You could.”

  “It’ll never happen, so don’t do that again.”

  Cody rolled back and forth from the balls of his feet to his heels. He looked like he’d run if someone lunged for him. “Are you all right?” he asked Tyne.

  “I’m gonna have a bruise, that’s for sure.” Tyne raised an eyebrow at Chantelle. “What are you here for?” He knew better than to say What do you want?

  She pouted. “You get off work early on Fridays. I thought you could take me to Chase’s and we could dance.”

  “Can’t. I promised Cody I’d help him work on his truck.”

  “I never see you at Chase’s.” Her dark eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Where do you usually go?”

  He almost said none of your business, but she was Leona’s cousin, and Garth and Leona were together now. He considered Garth a friend, so he decided to keep things polite. “I like to switch things up every week and surprise myself.”

  A lie. He usually headed to Harley’s winery and hung out with him behind the bar. That way, women couldn’t bother him. Tyne had a bartending license, so in a pinch, he could even help out with the wine tastings.

  “Have you ever gone to Chase’s on the weekends?” Chantelle had pulled her long, auburn hair up, so that loose curls fell at random. The girl was all dressed up and ready for action.

  “Only once.” He’d barely made it out alive. He loved to dance, but when he got on the dance floor, women circled him and mimicked his moves. They didn’t let him leave until the band stopped for a break. When Daphne had been his partner at Harley’s, though, women had left him alone. There was something classy enough about her, they felt cheap making moves on him when he was with her. All but Chantelle, of course. The girl had no shame.

  “When you finish here tonight, where are you going?”

  “Haven’t decided yet.” She gave him a poison look that he returned with one of his smiles. “This is going to take us some time. You might as well take off and have a nice night.”