He shook his head.“Tracy never did much of anything around the house.She’s moving out tomorrow morning, going back to Florida to be with an old boyfriend of hers.After she agreed to come to New Hampshire for the summer session at the Sports Center, I offered her a place to stay.Though it might have appeared differently, that’s all it was.She was my co-worker.Nothing more than friends.I’m too busy to get seriously involved with anyone.”
“Who’s going to take her place at the Center?”asked Hazel.
“Ross found a guy who’s willing to help us for the time being.We’ll see how he works out.The Sports Center is doing well, and we’re facing busier winter months.”
“That’s why I’m developing some new publicity ideas,” said Hazel.“I’ll present them to you and Ross after my mother leaves.”She handed Mike the water pitcher and checked the broccoli.
While the broccoli finished cooking, Hazel got out the ingredients for a tossed salad.
“Done,” said Mike, returning with the pitcher and sitting on one of the bar stools to watch her work.
A few minutes later, she handed him the salad bowl to place on the table and put together the broccoli dish her mother loved.
Hazel went to the sliding glass door to call her mother and Elliott to dinner, but stopped when she heard soft murmurs.Peering onto the deck, she saw her mother hugging Elliott and dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.
Not wanting to intrude, she stepped back.
A moment later, she called out in a cheerful voice, “Dinner’s ready!”
Her mother and Elliott appeared, smiling as if they’d resolved their issues.Hazel let out a sigh of relief.She knew how much her mother had wanted Elliott and her to marry and how hurt her mother’s best friend, Cassandra, was.
The four of them sat at the table in a comfortable group.Throughout dinner, Mike regaled them with stories of some of his experiences teaching tennis to a broad range of people.
“Mike has a real following here.Everyone wants at least one training session with him,” said Hazel, giving him a warm smile.
“You must have a lot of patience,” Hazel’s mother said to Mike.“The pro at our club chaffs a bit impatiently if people don’t listen or don’t seem to understand what he’s saying.”
“It can be frustrating at times,” said Mike, “but if people are sincere about wanting to learn, I don’t mind.”He chuckled.“They’re usually more frustrated than I am.”
“How about we have coffee and dessert on the deck?”said Hazel.“It’s a pleasant night.”
They all carried their dishes to the kitchen sink, and then Hazel said, “Elliott and I have this, Mom.You and Mike can relax outside.”
“I brought blueberry pie.Anyone want vanilla ice cream with it?”asked Elliott.“I brought that earlier.”
They all decided to add ice cream, and while Hazel cut slices of pie, Elliot served a dollop of ice cream on top.
“How did things go with Mom?”Hazel asked him.
“Better than I’d hoped.She’s sad that you and I won’t marry, but she seems genuinely glad for me,” Elliott said.
“My mother can be difficult, but she’s very honest.If she said she’s happy for you, then she truly is,” said Hazel.“I’m glad.Our families have been close for all of our lives.I would hate for anything to come between them.”
“I’m not going to spring anything too sudden onto our parents, but I’ve agreed to go out with Brooks Beckman.We’re going to a concert in Gilford.”
“Oh, that should be fun,” said Hazel.She gave him a quick hug and then helped to carry desserts outside.No one wanted coffee, so she brought out glasses and the water pitcher.
When they bit into the pie, the group as one groaned with pleasure.
“This is delicious,” her mother said.“No wonder the Café does so well.And, Hazel, you’ve done a wonderful job with dinner.I’m impressed with your cooking.”
“I confess I wrote to Marianne to ask for a few of the family recipes,” said Hazel.She turned to Mike.“Marianne has worked for our family for as long as I can remember.She’s a tiny woman with red hair and a heart of gold who wouldn’t let me or her daughter, Dolly, get away with anything growing up.”
“She’s been a fabulous help to me since she left her family’s farm all those years ago,” said her mother.“We were young mothers together, who helped each other.Dolly is a law student at LSU.”
Mike gave her mother a thoughtful look and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
Hazel knew he was comparing her past to his and sighed.He was far more accomplished than many of her spoiled friends, who merely followed in their parents’ footsteps, like Elliott’s parents had wanted him to do.
