Jenna Mindel - An Unexpected Family

“With what?” Cam asked.

“Her getting this.” His sister made a sweeping gesture.

“The street ? Really, Monica?” Cam chuckled.

Maple Springs was far from city life. The only thing remotely urbane was the people that flooded the area for a few months in summer and the winter ski season. And the trendier restaurants that came and went hoping to capture high-end patronage. Maple Springs needed this hole-in-the-wall, fifties-styled diner for the locals. It had been here for as long as Cam could remember.

The clattering sound of a plate hitting the floor followed by language he didn’t often hear in public brought Cam’s head up fast.

“Chuck, that’s enough!” Rose hissed.

The customers fell silent as the cook stripped off his white apron and threw it at Rose. “Fine.”

“Where, where are you going?” Her voice wavered.

“I’ve had enough of you and your scribbles. Get someone else!” With that, the cook stormed out the back with a slam of the screen door.

Rose’s face flamed. She turned to the boy who had hurried to her side ready to do battle and whispered something in his ear. The kid nodded, grabbed a pitcher of water and made the rounds.

Conversation picked up slowly. A table of four that had waited too long for their orders to be taken got up and walked out while Rose cleaned up the shattered plate.

“Ow!” He felt a sharp pinch to his forearm. “What?”

Monica poked him again. “Go help her.”

Cam rose to his feet with a sinking feeling. This was what becoming a better person meant. Helping someone in need. Trouble was that Rose Dean looked like a woman with a deep well of need and Cam was a shallow pan.

Her back was turned while she washed and then dried her hands. She moved to the grill and stared at it, lost.

“Do you have another apron?”

She turned to him, her eyes big and shiny. This close, he could see they were grass green. Her hair was clipped too short for his taste and its drowsy color lay somewhere between blond and brown. “What?”

“An apron? I know how to cook.” He knew what needed done and he had some time to kill. Not much, only a few days before heading for the first of three qualifying bass fishing tournaments.

The bell jingled.

She glanced at the door as more people flooded inside. The lunch crowd rolled in with a vengeance. “Uhh—”

“Hey, kid, apron?” Cam went to the sink and washed his hands.

The boy disappeared in back for a second and returned with a fresh one, but scowled as he handed it over.

“What’s your name?” Cam asked as he pulled the strings around his waist and tied a bow in front.

“My son, Greg.” Rose stared as if either he’d lost his mind or she had. Probably a little of both.

“Those people want to order.” Cam nodded toward the dining area.

Rose scurried off.

Greg stared him down as if weighing in on Cam’s motives.

Truly, he didn’t have any, other than a recent promise he’d made to God. “It’s okay, kid. I’ve done this before. Go help your mom.”

Greg not only looked satisfied with that answer, he smiled and then hurried to bus a table while Rose took another order. Cam spotted Monica sliding a few bills into the pocket of Rose’s ruffled red-checkered apron before waving goodbye as she left.

“Let’s see here.” Cam looked over Rose’s order slips and grimaced. This was going to take a minute to figure out.

euR w/ y’s.

ɹo /ʍ qɔ

Chuck had been right. Her scribbles resembled the periodic table hanging on the wall in his high school science class. Fortunately, he’d muddled through math and science. He’d worked in enough restaurants to figure out scribbled order tickets, too, even though it took time. Time he didn’t have.

He glanced at Rose, remembering the specials she’d told him earlier and the letters finally made sense. A Reuben with fries and a cheeseburger with onion rings. Relief washed through him but it wasn’t sweet.

He had to get back on the bass pro circuit. If he didn’t qualify for next year’s schedule, he’d be a goner. Without fishing, this was the best he could ever do and even that was tough when it came to reading order tickets.

He looked around, found the prep fridge and got to work making that hot grill sizzle.

* * *

It was nearly closing time and Rose made change for their last customer and laughed at something the old guy said. She had a great laugh—deep and rich sounding. Nothing fake or put on.

The front door opened with a jingle. Two men entered and Cam’s stomach turned when he recognized them as Karl and Kory Dean. They raked him over with arrogant smirks reminiscent of high school days. They’d always looked down at him and called him stupid—

“Well, if it isn’t Cam Zelinsky. Aren’t you supposed to be fishing somewhere?” Kory didn’t bother hiding a sneer.

Cam’s professional fishing career was no secret, especially in Maple Springs. He’d been a guest on local outdoors shows and a few articles had been written about him in the local paper. It had been a few years since he’d won big, but no matter how well he’d done, there were always guys like the Deans who thought he was a waste of skin, wasting time chasing fish.

Wiping his hands on the front of his apron, Cam came out from behind the service counter. “Just taking a break.”

“You work here?” Karl’s eyebrows rose.

“Filling in.” He wasn’t about to let on that Chuck had defected. That guy might cool down and come back.

“Hmm.” Karl looked around, as if he couldn’t care less what Cam did. “Is Rose here?”

Cam scanned the diner. Rose walked the customer she’d made change for to the door and then flipped the Open sign over to show Closed. Hadn’t these guys ever met her before? She was family, wasn’t she? “She’s right there.”

Kory sized her up, looking satisfied. “Rose Dean?”

Rose turned and smiled. “Yes?”

“I’m Kory and this is Karl. We’re Linda’s sons.”

Rose hesitated before finally reaching out her hand to each of them. “Hello.”

Kory turned to him. “Will you excuse us?”

Cam glanced at Rose. If she wanted him to stay, he would. In fact he hoped she did. He didn’t trust these guys, especially after what Monica had said about their not being happy with Rose inheriting the Grille.

“Cam, could you see if Greg needs help?” Obviously, Rose didn’t want him sticking around. To the Dean boys, she asked, “Can I get either of you a cup of coffee? If you’d like a meal, the grill is still hot.”

“No, nothing for us. We won’t be long.” Karl followed Rose to a table in front and sat down.

Cam waited a moment longer, but Rose didn’t glance his way. He entered the kitchen filled with the rattling sounds of Greg loading up the industrial dishwasher.

“Can I help?”

“Yeah.” Greg grinned and then nodded toward the diner. “Who are those guys?”

“Linda Dean’s sons Kory and Karl.”

The kid’s eyes grew round as a pair of bobbers. “Really? They’re my uncles.” He ran for the doorway and peeked out. “What do they want?”

“To talk to your mom. Haven’t you met them before?”

Greg shook his head, but continued to stare into the diner. “Nope. Never.”

Cam frowned. Evidently, Rose had married the oldest, Kurt Dean. Hadn’t she been welcomed into the Dean family? If that were true, then why had Linda left her the diner? Karl and Kory obviously didn’t know her. Rose must not have attended Linda’s funeral and clearly, Karl and Kory hadn’t been to Rose and Kurt’s wedding.

He glanced at Greg watching the Deans with wistful eyes, and his gut twisted. He knew that wish-filled feeling running through the kid. Wishing for things that couldn’t be or hadn’t been.