have to call home. You don’t have to tell them where you are, just let them know you’re all right and have a safe place to stay for a day or two.”
“Okay.”
Laura took Ivy to the motel office, found a couple of her father’s old shirts to wear while they painted, and handed Ivy a key. “Room five, right in front. I can’t afford to hire anyone to clean, so that’s up to you. The laundry is in the breezeway behind the office. Cleaning supplies in the storeroom by the laundry.”
The tired, heavy look in Ivy’s eyes was gone. “Thanks.”
“Get settled and come back here.” Taking in a strange kid could bring trouble, but Laura couldn’t turn her away when she had all those empty rooms. How could parents throw a kid out when she needed them the most?
There wasn’t much food left, but Laura found a can of soup, a box of crackers, and some cheese for lunch.
Before they got the tables and chairs moved out of the way to start painting, Luke walked in. He looked at the can of paint and screwed up his face. “Pink suede? You’re painting this place pink?”
Laura’s hands flew to her hips. “If you don’t like it, tough. It’s my café, not yours.”
Ignoring her remark, he grabbed a can of white ceiling paint. “We’ll start with this.”
They worked together the rest of the afternoon. Ivy got down on the floor and painted the lower wall and baseboards, while Laura painted around the windows and the upper walls, as high as she could reach. Luke worked on the ceiling and the upper walls.
The ceiling looked like it hadn’t been painted since the building was new. Laura had cleaned it the best she could the day Florence brought all those people to help, but cleaning wasn’t enough. She could scrub for a month, but the ceiling wouldn’t be white again without paint.
“I wish we had some music,” said Ivy. “A radio or CD player or something.”
“A CD player wouldn’t do any good without CD’s,” said Laura.
“I had an old boom box with a cassette player at home, but it was too heavy to carry.”
Luke said, “I have one of those at home somewhere. I’ll bring it tomorrow. Do you have any cassettes, Laura?”
“I found an old Elvis tape in Queenie’s room the other day, but that’s it.”
Ivy looked up. “If she had a tape, she must have had something to play it on.”
“Nope. I looked.”
“They why did she keep the tape?” asked Luke.
“I have no idea.” But Laura was beginning to wonder if that really was an Elvis tape she found. That tape had been hidden, taped to the back of a drawer. Why would Queenie hide an Elvis tape?
They were nearly finished with the first coat of paint when they ran out. Laura groaned. “I was so sure I had enough.” She’d bought two gallons of wall paint, but these old plaster walls soaked it up.
The paint had dried on the far wall, but she could still see the scuff marks and ketchup stains. It needed another coat, but she didn’t have enough money to buy more paint and groceries, too. “Maybe the bank will come through with a loan.”
“I’ll buy you another gallon of paint,” said Luke.
“You mean loan me enough to buy more paint?”
“Okay, I’ll loan you the money. I’m hungry. How about a pizza? My treat.”
Ivy’s eyes lit up. “Mmm, that sounds good.”
While Ivy and Laura went to their rooms to clean up, Luke washed the brushes and scrubbed the paint off himself. He had white freckles all over his face from painting the ceiling.
He was ready to go when Laura and Ivy came back. Ivy cleaned up nice. She had dark blond hair, very long and straight, big brown eyes, and dimples. Cute kid.
Laura was pretty, especially when she smiled. Her eyes seemed to change color depending on her mood. At times, they were blue-gray and sparkling and at other times, they were as dark as angry thunder clouds. When she wore blue, her eyes were more blue, and if she wore green, they looked green. Interesting. Everything about her was
“Okay.”
Laura took Ivy to the motel office, found a couple of her father’s old shirts to wear while they painted, and handed Ivy a key. “Room five, right in front. I can’t afford to hire anyone to clean, so that’s up to you. The laundry is in the breezeway behind the office. Cleaning supplies in the storeroom by the laundry.”
The tired, heavy look in Ivy’s eyes was gone. “Thanks.”
“Get settled and come back here.” Taking in a strange kid could bring trouble, but Laura couldn’t turn her away when she had all those empty rooms. How could parents throw a kid out when she needed them the most?
There wasn’t much food left, but Laura found a can of soup, a box of crackers, and some cheese for lunch.
Before they got the tables and chairs moved out of the way to start painting, Luke walked in. He looked at the can of paint and screwed up his face. “Pink suede? You’re painting this place pink?”
Laura’s hands flew to her hips. “If you don’t like it, tough. It’s my café, not yours.”
Ignoring her remark, he grabbed a can of white ceiling paint. “We’ll start with this.”
They worked together the rest of the afternoon. Ivy got down on the floor and painted the lower wall and baseboards, while Laura painted around the windows and the upper walls, as high as she could reach. Luke worked on the ceiling and the upper walls.
The ceiling looked like it hadn’t been painted since the building was new. Laura had cleaned it the best she could the day Florence brought all those people to help, but cleaning wasn’t enough. She could scrub for a month, but the ceiling wouldn’t be white again without paint.
“I wish we had some music,” said Ivy. “A radio or CD player or something.”
“A CD player wouldn’t do any good without CD’s,” said Laura.
“I had an old boom box with a cassette player at home, but it was too heavy to carry.”
Luke said, “I have one of those at home somewhere. I’ll bring it tomorrow. Do you have any cassettes, Laura?”
“I found an old Elvis tape in Queenie’s room the other day, but that’s it.”
Ivy looked up. “If she had a tape, she must have had something to play it on.”
“Nope. I looked.”
“They why did she keep the tape?” asked Luke.
“I have no idea.” But Laura was beginning to wonder if that really was an Elvis tape she found. That tape had been hidden, taped to the back of a drawer. Why would Queenie hide an Elvis tape?
They were nearly finished with the first coat of paint when they ran out. Laura groaned. “I was so sure I had enough.” She’d bought two gallons of wall paint, but these old plaster walls soaked it up.
The paint had dried on the far wall, but she could still see the scuff marks and ketchup stains. It needed another coat, but she didn’t have enough money to buy more paint and groceries, too. “Maybe the bank will come through with a loan.”
“I’ll buy you another gallon of paint,” said Luke.
“You mean loan me enough to buy more paint?”
“Okay, I’ll loan you the money. I’m hungry. How about a pizza? My treat.”
Ivy’s eyes lit up. “Mmm, that sounds good.”
While Ivy and Laura went to their rooms to clean up, Luke washed the brushes and scrubbed the paint off himself. He had white freckles all over his face from painting the ceiling.
He was ready to go when Laura and Ivy came back. Ivy cleaned up nice. She had dark blond hair, very long and straight, big brown eyes, and dimples. Cute kid.
Laura was pretty, especially when she smiled. Her eyes seemed to change color depending on her mood. At times, they were blue-gray and sparkling and at other times, they were as dark as angry thunder clouds. When she wore blue, her eyes were more blue, and if she wore green, they looked green. Interesting. Everything about her was
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