good-sized catfish, a perch, and Ben’s heart.
Taking her home was the hardest part of the trip. When she declined his offer to clean the fish, he knew it was time to go.
“Thank you.” She offered him a sly smile. “Same time next Wednesday.”
“Sure.” Ben took three steps toward the truck then jogged back. “Lia, I don’t believe I’ve met anyone quite like you before.”
“Likewise, Ben.”
“Well, good night, then.” For a minute he thought she might respond, but instead she ducked her head and disappeared inside, leaving the screen door to close behind her.
The next week and the week after, Ben felt like he’d rather pull his eye teeth than walk her to the door after their fishing trips. Still, he held back and played the gentleman. Something about Lia Stephanos had him thinking he needed to watch his ways and move slow.
After all, the Lord had been mentioning to him that He might think she was just the kind of fish he ought to land; that she might be the one for him. And that kind of news set a man back a few paces.
It also made him a might curious as to how the Heavenly Father was going to pull off such an improbable feat.
* * *
Three weeks later, Lia returned home from her meeting with realtor to find her mother sound asleep, the remote in her hand. Lia clicked off the television and gently shook her mother.
“Hey there, sweetie,” Mother said as she roused. “Ready to start cooking?”
“In more ways than one.” In response to Mother’s raised eyebrow, Lia knelt beside her. “Mother, how would you like to stay awhile after your cast comes off? I haven’t gotten around to fixing up the guest room in any fashion other than functional, so you’d have free reign to do with it as you saw fit.”
“Well, now, I don’t know.” She sat up and patted her hair into submission. “What did you have in mind?”
“A restaurant. With a view.” Lia pulled the envelope from her purse and handed it to her mother. “I bought the bait shop. The one on the lake. I’m opening a restaurant.” She shook her head. “No, that’s not right. We are opening a restaurant. By the end of the year. If you’re agreeable to it, that is. You see, I was hoping you’d agree to do the cooking. Or at least supervise the cooking.”
She waited for Mother to comment. To Lia’s surprise, her mother began to cry. “Are you serious, honey?”
“I am.” Lia climbed onto the sofa to settle beside her mother. “What do you think?”
Mother set the envelope aside and swiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands. “I think I’d better get busy. If we’re going to open a restaurant by the end of the year, we can’t be sitting on our duffs.”
“Hold on now, Mother. It’s not as simple as all that.”
“Well of course it is.” She shrugged. “Of course there are menus to plan and dishes to test out. And of course we will want to make decisions on decor, although I don’t think anything too fancy would work in that setting, do you?” She paused long enough to give Lia a hug. “You have made an old woman happy. I never thought….” She straightened and smiled. “Oh, look at me. I’m a mess. Where is my handkerchief? We have work to do and I’m sitting here crying like a baby.”
“Remember you can’t say a word until after the fishing tournament at the end of July. I promised Ben Corbin.”
Her mother waved away the warning with a sweep of her hand. “You don’t have to worry about me. No one will know a thing about this.” She moved to settle at the table and then opened her notebook.
“What are you doing? I thought you’d decided what we were having for dinner.”
“Oh,” she said with a grin. “I have. No time like the present to begin planning dishes for . . .” She shook her head. “What are we going to call it, dear?”
Lia looked up at the print of Victorian ladies idling on the beach that now hung over the mantle. “I was thinking about naming it Idle
Taking her home was the hardest part of the trip. When she declined his offer to clean the fish, he knew it was time to go.
“Thank you.” She offered him a sly smile. “Same time next Wednesday.”
“Sure.” Ben took three steps toward the truck then jogged back. “Lia, I don’t believe I’ve met anyone quite like you before.”
“Likewise, Ben.”
“Well, good night, then.” For a minute he thought she might respond, but instead she ducked her head and disappeared inside, leaving the screen door to close behind her.
The next week and the week after, Ben felt like he’d rather pull his eye teeth than walk her to the door after their fishing trips. Still, he held back and played the gentleman. Something about Lia Stephanos had him thinking he needed to watch his ways and move slow.
After all, the Lord had been mentioning to him that He might think she was just the kind of fish he ought to land; that she might be the one for him. And that kind of news set a man back a few paces.
It also made him a might curious as to how the Heavenly Father was going to pull off such an improbable feat.
* * *
Three weeks later, Lia returned home from her meeting with realtor to find her mother sound asleep, the remote in her hand. Lia clicked off the television and gently shook her mother.
“Hey there, sweetie,” Mother said as she roused. “Ready to start cooking?”
“In more ways than one.” In response to Mother’s raised eyebrow, Lia knelt beside her. “Mother, how would you like to stay awhile after your cast comes off? I haven’t gotten around to fixing up the guest room in any fashion other than functional, so you’d have free reign to do with it as you saw fit.”
“Well, now, I don’t know.” She sat up and patted her hair into submission. “What did you have in mind?”
“A restaurant. With a view.” Lia pulled the envelope from her purse and handed it to her mother. “I bought the bait shop. The one on the lake. I’m opening a restaurant.” She shook her head. “No, that’s not right. We are opening a restaurant. By the end of the year. If you’re agreeable to it, that is. You see, I was hoping you’d agree to do the cooking. Or at least supervise the cooking.”
She waited for Mother to comment. To Lia’s surprise, her mother began to cry. “Are you serious, honey?”
“I am.” Lia climbed onto the sofa to settle beside her mother. “What do you think?”
Mother set the envelope aside and swiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands. “I think I’d better get busy. If we’re going to open a restaurant by the end of the year, we can’t be sitting on our duffs.”
“Hold on now, Mother. It’s not as simple as all that.”
“Well of course it is.” She shrugged. “Of course there are menus to plan and dishes to test out. And of course we will want to make decisions on decor, although I don’t think anything too fancy would work in that setting, do you?” She paused long enough to give Lia a hug. “You have made an old woman happy. I never thought….” She straightened and smiled. “Oh, look at me. I’m a mess. Where is my handkerchief? We have work to do and I’m sitting here crying like a baby.”
“Remember you can’t say a word until after the fishing tournament at the end of July. I promised Ben Corbin.”
Her mother waved away the warning with a sweep of her hand. “You don’t have to worry about me. No one will know a thing about this.” She moved to settle at the table and then opened her notebook.
“What are you doing? I thought you’d decided what we were having for dinner.”
“Oh,” she said with a grin. “I have. No time like the present to begin planning dishes for . . .” She shook her head. “What are we going to call it, dear?”
Lia looked up at the print of Victorian ladies idling on the beach that now hung over the mantle. “I was thinking about naming it Idle
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