The Way Home by Katherine Spencer Page B

screen. Daniel Merritt does all the big repairs and painting for us, but he can’t run over every minute.” She paused. “Do you have a driver’s license?”
    â€œYeah, I drove a cab, remember?”
    â€œYes, you did tell me that. Well, then you might drive guests back and forth to the station, and do errands in town, like shopping or going to the hardware store. You might also help with the outdoor work. You’d be good with the lawn mower, I just have a feeling. Better than me and Liza.”
    â€œIt’s like, I’d be working all over, wherever you needed me?”
    â€œThat right. That’s it exactly. It’s very important for the person who takes this job to be flexible. Then again, you would be doing something different almost every day. So it wouldn’t be boring. And meeting new people all the time is never dull. The guests who come here are very interesting.”
    Claire waited, giving him time to think things through. He had to make his own decision.
    Jamie nodded and bit the fingernail on his thumb, a gesture she suddenly remembered from his childhood. He did that when he was nervous and didn’t know what to say.
    â€œI’m sure you can do it. I’ll be right here, helping you every day.”
    He nodded and looked up at her. “Okay. I’d like to try.”
    â€œGood. I’m very glad,” Claire said honestly. “It’s just a summer job,” she added, making sure he realized that. “Liza will talk to you about your pay. But you would get free room and board, so you could save some money while you worked here. Until you found something better, that is.”
    â€œRoom and board is a good deal. You almost don’t have to pay me at all after that.”
    Claire laughed. “I don’t think you’ll say that after you’ve worked here a day or two.”
    â€œDo you live here year-round, too, Claire?”
    â€œI’m here so much, most people think I do. But no, I have a cottage on the other side of the island. It is a ride late at night or in bad weather, so I have a room here, too. I stay over most nights in the busy season so I can start breakfast on time and all that. I don’t mind. It’s a lovely place to be in the summer and easier for me, too.”
    â€œThat makes sense.” He nodded. She wondered if he had heard half of her explanation. He seemed to be thinking very hard about the job offer. He suddenly stood up from the table and took his dish to the sink. “Will you tell Liza I said yes?”
    â€œI’ll tell her,” Claire said, smiling.
    Jamie cleared the rest of the dishes off the table and started wiping it off with a sponge. Wasting no time getting started. That was a good sign, Claire thought.
    Everything was falling into place. As if it were all meant to be. She truly felt it was and took a moment to offer up another prayer of thanks for Jamie’s return to her life.
    * * *
    A VERY and her staff spent most of Tuesday morning doing more setup work in the café. There were still dishes and glassware to unpack, and cartons of nonperishables to be stored in the kitchen and small pantry that doubled as Avery’s office.
    Avery had bought some of the cookware used, at the same auction where she found the tables and chairs. Her new kitchen helper, Teresa Biggs, did not approve of the careworn pots and pans, and spent most of the morning scrubbing them down in the deep sink.
    Like most professionals, Avery had her own special sauté pan and a set of knives that traveled with her wherever she cooked. She had not put those items out in the kitchen yet and wouldn’t bring them in until Friday. For one thing, she didn’t want Teresa to pounce on her prized, seasoned pan and possibly scrub a hole in it.
    Teresa was a small, sturdy woman who wore her brown hair in a knot at the back of her head, and a red bandana tied low across her forehead. She needed a