“All right, here’s what you’re going to do. One, call your accountant and don’t be embarrassed about talking with him. If he’s worth his salt, he’ll guide you. That’s what you pay him for.”
“He’s going to think I’m stupid,” she said.
“Sugar, you’re not stupid. You’re just uninformed, that’s all. And if the accountant gives you attitude, kick him to the sidewalk.”
“I think you mean the curb, Ms.McAllister.”
“You can do that too. Second, you’re going to swallow your pride and get advice from Tanner.”
Her eyes widened. “I can’t do that.”
“Do you want your café to succeed?”
She paused as if she was thinking over the question. Then she lifted her chin. “Yes, I do.”
“Then he’s the person you need to go to. Everyone in town knows he’s been running that diner for the past year or so anyway, so he knows all the ins and outs of running a restaurant. A café isn’t the same thing, but there are things he can teach you that you can apply to your business.”
Anita’s confidence faltered. “What if he refuses to help me?”
“Then he’s not the man I thought he was, and you can kick him to the curb and sidewalk too. Better yet, I’ll do it.” When Anita laughed, Erma knew she had broken through to the young woman. “Three, I’m tangled up in wedding plans, but once that’s over, I’ll help you with whatever you need. I can guarantee that your friends will too. You just have to ask.”
She nodded. “I understand. All right, I’ll do one and three.”
“What about talking to Tanner?”
“I have to think about that.”
Fair enough. Greece wasn’t built in a day. Or was that Rome? She’d never been good at world history. Anita was willing to accept help. That was the point. And Erma would bet her crochet hook that once she solved some of the business issues, she would be able to talk to Tanner. Hopefully that conversation wouldn’t beallbusiness.
The bell rang over the front door. “I’ll be, we actually have a customer,” Erma said, rising from the couch. Every joint in her body protested, but she was used to that.
This getting-old thing is getting old.
Anita stood. “Thank you so much, Ms.McAllister.” She gave her a hug. “I feel better.”
“That’s what I want to see—your sweet, smiling face. Anytime, sugar. Anytime.”
“Once the café is open, your coffee is on me.”
Erma grinned. What a peach. Tanner would be a fool to let Anita get away. She would say an extra prayer at bedtime tonight that he wasn’t.
Chapter21
On Friday evening, a month after Anita had joined her and Tanner for lunch, Rosa returned home from the bottling company to find a note from Tanner.
Working late tonight at Sunshine. Be home later. Tanner
She managed a half-hearted smile. Today had been rough, and seeing a note from her thoughtful son shined a little beam of light on it. But it didn’t help the nausea in her stomach or the fact she felt like she’d been run over by a truck. Usually she changed clothes before settling in to watch her prerecorded telenovelas, but tonight all she could do was plop into her chair.
Closing her eyes, she prayed for the nausea to subside. It wasn’t unusual for her to be tired by the end of the week, but tonight the fatigue was more pronounced. She tried to ignore how she felt and failed, just like she had failed to refrain from worrying about Tanner and Anita. When he’dcome home that Tuesday night after the business meeting, he told her that he’d bought the diner. She was thrilled, but she could tell he was upset. He quickly mentioned Anita opening up a new café, then hurried upstairs to his room. She didn’t understand why he wasn’t happy for Anita. Rosa was impressed that she was striking out on her own.
She didn’t dare bring up the topic with him. He was working even more now than he had before, and she was worried about him. Then again, did a mother ever stop worrying about her son? On top of Tanner’s problems, Lonzo and Molly had broken up. She hated that both her boys had broken hearts.
Her sour stomach subsided slightly. She hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, and that was probably the problem. A few saltines and a cup of tea should do the trick. She rose from her chair.
A heavy pain spread across her chest. She paused, taking in some deep breaths. This wasn’t the first time that had happened, and usually if she took a moment to rest, the pain went away.
This time it didn’t.
