Then Dan and the other guys left, and she locked up her house.Rory drove her, Lacy, and Frank in Rory’s pickup to the coffee shop.He seemed really happy to be behind the wheel again and not hemmed in.
When they reached the shop, they found the snow piled high against the windows and door.The road and parking spots had been cleared, but they still needed to work on the sidewalk.Rory got started on it.
Once he cleared a pathway to the front door, Florence unlocked it, and she, Lacy, and Frank went into the shop.
Florence called Ava while Lacy started the coffee.“Hey, Ava, I opened the coffee shop.I’m not sure if we’ll get anybody here so you don’t need to come in if you don’t want to.Lacy and Frank are here with me.Rory is out clearing the sidewalk with my snowblower.”
“No customers?”
“No, and we didn’t see anyone on the road either.”
“Okay, I’m staying home with the kids then.I’ll come in tomorrow.”
“That’s fine.I’ll let you know if business picks up.”
Rory was still clearing the sidewalk and finally put the snowblower in the truck, then came in for some hot chocolate and to warm up.“It’s done.”
Just as he spoke, customers were beginning to venture out, probably feeling just as snowbound as they had been.When they saw Florence’s shop was open, they began pulling into the parking lot.
“Looks like we’re open for business,” she said, thrilled they had come in to get things ready.
Frank finished his coffee and began bringing menus to everyone and getting them water.
“What a storm,” one couple said.“We were at the motel and didn’t think we would ever get out of there.The owners had to feed us until we could leave.”
“I’m so glad the storm is over,” Frank said.“Much longer, and we would all have gone a little stir crazy.”
“I agree.”
Then Frank took their orders and turned them over to Florence.She had just finished making the fresh soup and brought it to the table while Frank greeted Dan.
“Is everything taken care of?”Frank was referring to the brothers.
“Yeah.Done.”
“Are you here to pick up something to eat?”
“Yeah.We need some hot sandwiches to go—beef brisket, if Florence has the meat for it.”
“I sure do,” Florence said.“I’ll make them right away.”She had already cooked the brisket and frozen it, so it wouldn’t take long to reheat and grill the sandwiches.“How many do you need?”
“Seven.We’re all coming in to eat and then head out to help anyone in need due to the blizzard.”
“Coming right up.”Florence and Lacy both worked together to make the sandwiches.
Then more people came into the shop, and Rory finished his cocoa and started taking orders too.
Florence and Lacy finished the sandwiches and bagged them, but when she left the kitchen to give them to Dan, a man came to the door, opened it, and walked inside.Her jaw dropped.Dan turned around to see who was at the door and saw the exact clone of Timothy and Manning that she saw.
“Are you the sheriff?”the man asked.
“Yeah, I am.”
“I want to file a missing person’s report for my brothers, Timothy and Manning Wrangler.Your dispatcher said you were here.My brothers came here looking for?—”
Peering out of the kitchen to see what the problem was, Lacy dropped the knife she’d been using to cut up sandwiches, and it hit the floor with a clatter.
“Her!”the man said.“Where are they?Where are my brothers?”He sounded furious with Lacy for luring them to Yuma Town as if it were her fault that they had followed her there.
