but he didn’t know much about motels and apartments. What if he was wrong? What if she agreed to let him turn the motel into apartments and it didn’t work? But why wouldn’t it work? There weren’t many apartments in Kingston, just a couple of duplexes and some rusty old trailers people rented out to the snowbirds every winter. It was an excellent location, easy commuting distance to both Melbourne and Vero Beach. Even if the apartments weren’t all rented year-round, they’d have to bring in more money than the motel.
<>
The next day, Greg Totino, King County Health Department Inspector, paid another visit to the café. He checked off everything on his list. “Miss Whitfield, you passed with flying colors. I can’t believe you got that stove clean. I was sure you’d have to replace it.”
He signed the form and gave her a copy. “You can open again as soon as you get the license in your own name.”
Laura sighed with relief. Another major obstacle out of the way. She still had a few to overcome. The biggest, of course, was the lack of money.
As soon as the man left, she went out and applied for the license. That took most of her money, but she couldn’t run a business without a license. She stopped at the hardware store on her way home to buy paint for the dining area. For the walls, she chose a shade of mauve so pale the color barely showed at all. She’d seen it at a friend’s house years ago and loved the way it seemed to change color with the light. It would give the room a slight glow when the sun hit it just right, and it would look nice with the new carpet and window shades she’d picked out.
She was struggling with the ladder, dragging it from the motel storeroom to the café, when a kid wearing baggy clothes wandered into the parking lot. Runaway? “Hi. Something I can do for you?”
“I’m lookin’ for a job,” said the girl.
Laura laughed. “Have you ever come to the wrong place. I can’t even afford to pay myself.”
“You own this place?”
“Yeah.” The girl, somewhere between the ages of twelve and sixteen, looked tired and hungry. Laura didn’t have much, but she couldn’t send this kid on her way without something to eat. “Are you hungry?”
The kid smiled. “Yeah, starving, but I don’t have any money.”
Laura hadn’t been grocery shopping in over two weeks. She’d filled her gas tank instead of buying food. There should be soup and crackers in the pantry. It wasn’t much, but they wouldn’t starve.
“I’m Laura. What’s your name?”
“Ivy.”
“Oh, that’s pretty.”
She shrugged. “I guess. My brother calls me Poison Ivy.”
Laura lugged the ladder to the door of the café and Ivy held the door open for her. “Where you from, Ivy?”
“Up north.”
“How old are you?”
“Eighteen.”
Laura dragged the ladder into the dining area. “If I’m going to feed you, the least you can do is tell me the truth.”
“Sixteen. I’m sixteen. My folks threw me out because I’m pregnant.”
That explained the baggy clothes. Poor kid. “Do you have anyplace to go, relatives you can stay with?”
“No.” Ivy’s answer came out in a whisper.
Laura tried not to stare as she opened the ladder in the corner of the dining area. “How long ago did you leave home?”
“Last week. My dad told me I couldn’t ever come back, and my mother doesn’t want her friends to know. She told everyone I went away to school.”
Laura didn’t know whether to believe her or not. The kid looked younger than sixteen. Still, she couldn’t let the girl starve. “Where you headed?”
“Anywhere. Nowhere.” She shrugged again. “I don’t know.”
“Okay, I’ll make a deal with you. If you’ll help me paint I’ll give you a room to sleep in tonight. I can’t pay you anything. I can’t even open this place until I get a loan.”
Ivy’s face lit up. “If you’ll let me stay, you don’t have to pay me.”
“There’s just one condition. You
<>
The next day, Greg Totino, King County Health Department Inspector, paid another visit to the café. He checked off everything on his list. “Miss Whitfield, you passed with flying colors. I can’t believe you got that stove clean. I was sure you’d have to replace it.”
He signed the form and gave her a copy. “You can open again as soon as you get the license in your own name.”
Laura sighed with relief. Another major obstacle out of the way. She still had a few to overcome. The biggest, of course, was the lack of money.
As soon as the man left, she went out and applied for the license. That took most of her money, but she couldn’t run a business without a license. She stopped at the hardware store on her way home to buy paint for the dining area. For the walls, she chose a shade of mauve so pale the color barely showed at all. She’d seen it at a friend’s house years ago and loved the way it seemed to change color with the light. It would give the room a slight glow when the sun hit it just right, and it would look nice with the new carpet and window shades she’d picked out.
She was struggling with the ladder, dragging it from the motel storeroom to the café, when a kid wearing baggy clothes wandered into the parking lot. Runaway? “Hi. Something I can do for you?”
“I’m lookin’ for a job,” said the girl.
Laura laughed. “Have you ever come to the wrong place. I can’t even afford to pay myself.”
“You own this place?”
“Yeah.” The girl, somewhere between the ages of twelve and sixteen, looked tired and hungry. Laura didn’t have much, but she couldn’t send this kid on her way without something to eat. “Are you hungry?”
The kid smiled. “Yeah, starving, but I don’t have any money.”
Laura hadn’t been grocery shopping in over two weeks. She’d filled her gas tank instead of buying food. There should be soup and crackers in the pantry. It wasn’t much, but they wouldn’t starve.
“I’m Laura. What’s your name?”
“Ivy.”
“Oh, that’s pretty.”
She shrugged. “I guess. My brother calls me Poison Ivy.”
Laura lugged the ladder to the door of the café and Ivy held the door open for her. “Where you from, Ivy?”
“Up north.”
“How old are you?”
“Eighteen.”
Laura dragged the ladder into the dining area. “If I’m going to feed you, the least you can do is tell me the truth.”
“Sixteen. I’m sixteen. My folks threw me out because I’m pregnant.”
That explained the baggy clothes. Poor kid. “Do you have anyplace to go, relatives you can stay with?”
“No.” Ivy’s answer came out in a whisper.
Laura tried not to stare as she opened the ladder in the corner of the dining area. “How long ago did you leave home?”
“Last week. My dad told me I couldn’t ever come back, and my mother doesn’t want her friends to know. She told everyone I went away to school.”
Laura didn’t know whether to believe her or not. The kid looked younger than sixteen. Still, she couldn’t let the girl starve. “Where you headed?”
“Anywhere. Nowhere.” She shrugged again. “I don’t know.”
“Okay, I’ll make a deal with you. If you’ll help me paint I’ll give you a room to sleep in tonight. I can’t pay you anything. I can’t even open this place until I get a loan.”
Ivy’s face lit up. “If you’ll let me stay, you don’t have to pay me.”
“There’s just one condition. You
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