The feisty eighty-six-year-old grinned. She was a regular visitor to the center and one of the sweetest ladies Andrea had met. “I’m happier now that I’ve seen you. Are these Gordon’s potatoes?”
Andrea nodded. “He dug them out of the garden this afternoon.” She added an extra one to Mrs. Arnold’s plate. “If you want to tell Mr. Jessop how tasty they are, he’s sitting beside Charlie and Andy.”
With a mischievous smile, Mrs. Arnold held out her plate for a slice of the meatloaf Katie was serving. “I’ll join him soon. Are you ready to open the café?”
“Not quite, but we’ll get there.” Andrea added two potatoes to the next person’s plate.
Before Mrs. Arnold left the line, she handed Andrea an envelope. “My Zumba class wanted to give you a little something for the café. Everything is so expensive and we know how hard you’re working.”
Andrea’s heart sank when she saw how much money was inside the envelope. Mrs. Arnold and her friends weren’t wealthy, but they’d all pitched in to make her life a little easier. “That’s so lovely, but I can’t take this. The boys and I are sticking to our budget by doing things ourselves.”
“We want to help. Keep it until you open the café. If you don’t have any unexpected surprises, you can give it back to us then.” With a gentle smile, Mrs. Arnold left the line to sit beside Mr. Jessop.
Katie added a slice of meatloaf to the plate of the next person in the line. “You can’t say no to Mrs. Arnold,” she whispered. “She might look fragile, but when she sets her mind on something, she won’t budge.”
“It’s too much money.”
“She wants to make a difference. Let her.” Katie hurriedly sliced more meatloaf before the next person arrived. “And talking about making a difference, look who’s waiting in the line.”
Andrea turned and looked straight into David’s blue eyes. The heat of a blush hit her cheeks. Dragging her eyes away, she moved out of the way as another volunteer replaced her almost empty pan of potatoes.
Hadn’t she learned anything since she’d left her husband? Anyone with half a brain knew a handsome face and a kind word could hide a multitude of personality defects. Her stomach churned when she thought about her ex-husband and the ugliness he’d hidden from everyone else.
When the line of people started moving, she pretended nothing was wrong. She smiled and said something to each person. What happened at the center was important. For some of tonight’s guests, it could be the first time they’d spoken to anyone all day.
Sooner than she thought, David stood in front of her, holding out his plate. “John said to have dinner before I help clean the dining room.”
She looked at his plate and smiled. “I’m glad you have some green beans. They’re delicious.” She added two potatoes and glanced at Katie. She was looking at her as if she knew a secret no one else did. “Isn’t that right, Katie?”
“It is.” With a wide smile, she placed two slices of meatloaf on David’s plate and pointed to the table where Charlie and Andy were sitting. “When you’re ready to sit down, there’s a spare seat over there. Andrea will join you when we’re finished serving dinner.”
Andrea frowned. She didn’t want David to think he had to sit with them. “If you’d like to sit beside the boys, that’s more than okay. But don’t feel as though you have to.”
“They’ll be good company. Thanks for the potatoes and meatloaf.” With a smile that didn’t bode well for her heart, David followed the person in front of him to the carrots and pumpkin.
Ten minutes later, Andrea served the last person in line.
“Are you okay?” Katie asked as she covered the leftover meatloaf. “You haven’t said much since David arrived.”
“I’m a little tired, that’s all.” She stacked the empty serving dishes and followed Katie into the kitchen.
“You aren’t annoyed I told him he could sit with the boys, are you?”
“No. If he didn’t want to sit with them, he would have found another seat.”
“But he didn’t.”
Andrea studied the innocent expression on Katie’s face. “If you think something is going on between us, you’re wrong.”
“If I’m wrong, why did he keep glancing at you?”
She’d wondered the same thing. “Being engaged to the man of your dreams has addled your brain.”
“Not as much as you think.” Katie took the dirty pans out of Andrea’s hands. “At least promise me you’ll keep an open mind about him.”
“Okay, but there’s no point. David’s helping me find a way to buy the appliances for the café. After that, I won’t see him again.” She picked up a pan that had been left on another counter. “If I can’t find an oven and at least one refrigerator, I won’t be able to open the café.”
“You’ve been up against worst odds before.” Katie untied her apron. “Charlie and Andy are probably keeping David amused with stories about Sapphire Bay. You’d better join them before they start talking about you.”
