AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I wasn’t lying to her when I said I didn’t have expectations and didn’t want to rush the steps but I can’t deny that I’m damn happy with the way the night turned out.
In the bedroom, Hadley’s adventurous and up for anything.
She’s sweet and kind and strong and there is absolutely no way I can let her go again.
“Mm. That smells amazing,” she says, walking into my kitchen in my t-shirt.
I spread out an arm and she comes to me immediately. Tucking her close, I kiss the top of her head. “Hungry?”
She wraps her arms around my waist and gives me a squeeze. “Mmm. Definitely.”
“How do you like your eggs?”
“Should we make omelets? What fixings do you have?”
“Cheese, onions, peppers. I might have some ham, too.”
“Perfect.”
After pouring our coffee and doctoring it up the way we like it – I learn she usually drinks hers with a flavor of creamer I’ve never heard of so I mentally add it to my next grocery list – we get to work on our breakfast.
“What do you have planned for the day?” I ask her, flipping over one omelet with less than expert skill.
“You tell me.”
“I have you for the entire day? Do you need to go to the diner at all?”
She shakes her head. “Nope. I hired someone to manage the diner. I’ll keep working there, baking pies and helping as often as I can. But after Dorothy’s heart attack, I realized that I can’t just rely on everyone’s graciousness. In a few weeks, Dorothy and I will sign the papers for me to officially buy the diner from her, something that should have happened a while ago but we kept putting it off for one reason or another.”
“You didn’t tell me,” I say, hoping I don’t sound annoyed. I place one omelet on a plate and start on the next.
“I know. Forks?” I point to the drawer and she gets two out, placing them on the counter. “This, buying the diner and having that responsibility, has been a lot to take in for me but I needed to know I could do it on my own without anyone holding my hand along the way. I grew up with people doing everything for us. My parents didn’t even do our own laundry. When I moved here to Red Oak, I had to basically learn how to do everything on my own.”
“What about when you and Trotter were married?” I ask, my eyes still focused on the pan.
“As you know, Trotter liked the lifestyle our money brought us. We had a housekeeper, someone who prepared our meals, a driver. It’s crazy to think about now, because I can’t imagine not doing those things for myself. And I enjoy it, but it was a learning curve. Dorothy was the one who told me I had to separate clothes. I felt so stupid.”
“It’s not stupid,” I explain. “It’s all about how you were raised. My mom was bad about teaching us how do to those things as well, because she did it all on her own. It wasn’t until my parents divorced that she realized we needed to know how to take care of ourselves, too. When I was in college, I’d just bring home all my dirty laundry and she’d have it washed and folded by the time I was heading back to school.” I shake my head. “When I think about how we all took advantage of that, it breaks my heart. She always did so much for us and we just expected it.”
“And rather than my parents doing anything for me, they had people do it for them, and I came to expect it as well.”
“Exactly. See, you’re not much different than me. We all have to learn some time.”
She nods. “I guess so.”
I slide the other omelet onto a plate and we sit at the island to eat.
“Back to the diner…” I begin. “You have a manager now?”
She smiles around a bite of eggs. “Yes. And she’s going to hire an assistant manager, too. I told Sarah, that’s the manager, I would like to be involved in the hiring but she has final say. Dorothy heard through the grapevine the building next to the diner is coming up for lease and I’ve been thinking of expanding. I’m not sure what we will do.”
“Red Oak needs more options for eating out,” I comment. “A good pizza place, maybe something a little nicer for date nights.”
Hadley nods, agreeing with me. “That’s what I’ve been thinking, too. Obviously Red Oak isn’t large enough to have an upscale restaurant, but something fancier would be nice.”
We toss ideas around while we finish our breakfast, clean up the dishes, and drink another cup of coffee. We’re still discussing all the possibilities when her phone buzzes on the coffee table.
She flinches. “I didn’t even charge it last night. I hope Brooklyn’s okay.”
