A Pizza to Die For (4 page)

“That I can do,” the chief said.

He turned to Judson. “It’s time to leave, sir.”

Judson gave Maddy one last icy glare, and then said, “It would be my pleasure. This place has an unpleasant odor anyway, and I’m certain the pizza is inedible.”

Once he was gone, I turned to Maddy and said, “You didn’t help. You know that, don’t you?”

“Eleanor, I’m not about to just stand here while he destroys our business,” she said sharply.

I looked around and noticed that our customers were sitting in silence, watching us as though we were some kind of dinner theater. I could swear I saw tears on Karen’s face. This had to end right here.

I turned to my customers and said, “Folks, we’re sorry about the disturbance. Your meals are on the house, as our way of apologizing for the scene you just had to witness. We hope you enjoy them.”

I went back into the kitchen, with Maddy close on my heels.

It was clear from the storm clouds on her face that she was not at all happy with me at the moment. “Why did you do that?” she asked.

“It’s better than the alternative. I can’t afford to lose any customers, especially not right now. If it means giving away a little food, so be it.”

“They weren’t that upset,” Maddy said.

“Did you see Karen Green? She was in tears.”

“Oh, please, the woman cries at television commercials.” Maddy was not about to let this go, but I was finished talking about it, and the sooner she realized that, the better off we’d both be.

I waved a hand in the air. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

Greg came back with a sour look on his face. Before he could say anything, I cut him off. “Don’t you start in on me, too. I did what I had to do.”

“That part is fine with me,” Greg said. “That’s not what I’m upset about. I just can’t believe that Bobby Bannister and Jim Vance upped their orders to extra large specials to go once they heard your offer.”

I shook my head and had to laugh. “Tell them they’re both crazy, they’ll get what they first ordered. I’d be happy to make them anything else, but tell them that they’re paying for it.”

“Two small pizzas it is,” he said with a grin.

“Why are you smiling?” I asked Greg before he went back out front.

“I told them both that was exactly what you’d say, but they were pretty insistent that I try anyway.”

“Would you like me to tell them myself?” I asked.

Greg thought about it a second, and then shook his head. “No, but you might want to talk to Karen Green. She’s still pretty upset about what just happened.”

I nodded. “Maddy, handle the kitchen for me for the next few minutes. I’ll be right back.”

“Eleanor, are you punishing me for standing up for you?” she asked.

“Believe it or not, it’s not a bad thing working back here. I just need you to cover for me while I talk to Karen,” I said.

“Okay, but don’t be long.” I knew my sister wasn’t all that excited about running the kitchen by herself. That was only fair. When I had to wait tables and run the cash register instead of running the kitchen, I always felt out of my element, too.

She’d have to deal with it, though.

I had a customer to keep.

Karen was waiting by the kitchen door as I walked out. Before I could say a word, she said in a distressed voice, “Eleanor, is it true? I don’t know what I’ll do. Are you really going out of business?”

The woman’s voice carried all through the dining room, and the last thing I needed was for her sense of panic to spread to my other regulars.

“Of course not,” I said, matching her decibel level. “We’re here to stay, and you can count on it.”

She shook her head. “He’s trying to run you out of business though, isn’t he? He can’t, Eleanor, he just can’t.”

“Don’t worry,” I said. “We’ll be all right.”

“Why don’t I believe you?” she asked.

“Have some faith in me, Karen. Can I get you anything while you wait for your pizza?”

“I’m too upset to eat,” she said. That really was serious. The woman never went a day without pizza from us. I was about to say something when she added, “I’ll eat it later. Could you make my order to go?”

“You’ve got it. I’ll be right back.”

I ducked back into the kitchen just as her pizza came out of the oven. Maddy looked gratefully at me and started to take off her cooking apron, but I had to dash her hopes of escape. “You might as well leave it on. I’m just grabbing a pizza for takeout,” I said as I grabbed a box.

She did so, albeit reluctantly, and then leafed through the orders. “We didn’t have anything to go,” Maddy said.

“We do now. Karen’s decided to take hers home with her.”

I boxed the pizza, cut it, and shut the top. “I’ll be right back,” I said.

“You’d better.”

I handed Karen the pizza. She had the money out in her hand to pay, and tried to shove it to me.

I refused it, though. “Remember? It’s on the house,” I said.

“How are you going to survive if you start giving your food away?” she asked. “I insist that you take my money.”

Taking it would be a sign of weakness, one I couldn’t afford to show. “Thanks, but we’re fine.”

She put her money away, and then walked out of the pizzeria muttering softly to herself. At least I could count on her staying a customer.

I walked over to Jim and Bobby’s table. “Do you two need to talk to me?”

“No, ma’am,” they said in perfect unison. “We’re good.”

“All right then.”

I went back into the kitchen, and said, “Okay, you can work the front again.”

“Thanks,” Maddy replied, the relief thick in her voice. As she headed for the door, Maddy added, “Sis, I’m sorry I lost my cool in there.”

“Don’t worry about it. Thanks for sticking up for me.”

“I have to. We’re family,” she said with a grin.

The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful, and we were ten minutes from closing for the night when Maddy came into the kitchen.

“Do you have another order?” I asked. “It’s late, but I can probably squeeze one more in.”

“This isn’t about food. There’s someone here to see you.”

“Show them back, then,” I said. “I can talk while I start cleaning up.”

“Okay. Whatever you say.”

I wasn’t sure who was about to walk into my kitchen—but it certainly wasn’t anyone I would have guessed in a thousand tries—when the door opened and my visitor walked in.

Chapter 3

“H
ey, Eleanor,” David Quinton said as he walked in.

“David, what are you doing here?” I asked. He looked good, strong and tan. There was something about the way he carried himself that told me he was not the same man who’d left town a few months before.

“Don’t I get a hug?” he asked with a smile.

“You don’t want any part of this,” I said as I looked down at my dirty apron. “I’m a mess.”

“I don’t care,” he answered with a laugh. “I’ll take my chances.”

I hugged him, and as I did, I was surprised to find that there was still a spark there, no matter how much I’d been trying to deny it. I thought David was out of my life for good, and here he was, showing up again unexpectedly and catching me with my guard down.

“It’s good to see you,” I said as we broke apart.

“You look beautiful,” he said simply.

I put a hand to my hair. “Don’t even try to lie to me. I know exactly what I look like right now.”

He grinned. “I didn’t say you were at your best, just that you look really good to me. How have you been?”

“Fine,” I said.

“Despite the competition down the promenade?”

“How in the world did you find out about that?”

He laughed, and I realized how much I’d missed the sound of it. “Timber Ridge is a small town. I don’t have to tell you that.”

“Funny, I never heard a word that you were coming back. How long have you been in town, anyway?”

“Actually, I just got in. The home office asked me to come back and clear up a few things. I’ll be in town for three or four days, and I was hoping we could get together for a meal while I’m here. I know how crazy your schedule is, so I’ll make it breakfast, lunch, or dinner; your choice. Listen, don’t worry about it if you can’t make it. I understand completely, but it might do you some good to get out, and I know I’d love to spend some time with you.”

It wasn’t as though he was moving back. What could one lunch hurt? “Sure, why not? Are you free tomorrow?”

A frown crossed his lips. “I should have mentioned earlier that tomorrow will be tight. Are you still interested?”

“Of course I am,” I said, surprising myself with my enthusiasm. What was that all about?

David looked around the kitchen and said, “I know you’re busy, so I’ll let you get back to work.” He paused at the door and then he added, “It was good seeing you again, Eleanor. I’m looking forward to getting together soon.”

“It was good seeing you, too, David.” I was impressed. The old David I knew would have dropped everything at an invitation to see me. Had he grown stronger since he’d moved to Raleigh? That had been my main problem with him before, his lack of assertiveness when it came to our relationship. I had to admit that I liked the change I’d seen in him.

The second David was out of the kitchen, Maddy came bursting through the door. “Wow, was it just me, or did he look good?”

“It wasn’t just you,” I admitted.

“Eleanor, life doesn’t give you many second chances. I hope you’re not going to blow it this time.”

“He’s not moving back to Timber Ridge permanently,” I said. “He’s just here for a few days on business.”

“The least you can do is ask him out to lunch,” Maddy said.

“I can’t,” I said.

My sister was clearly unhappy with that response. “Would you mind telling me why not?”

I grinned at her as I explained, “Because he already asked me. We’re going out tomorrow.”

Maddy nodded her approval. “That’s my girl.” She looked around the kitchen, and then added, “This is going to take awhile. Why don’t we jump on this mess early?”

“I’m game if you are. Tell Greg and Josh they’re handling the front, and we’ll get started on cleaning up.”

Maddy nodded, and as she left the kitchen, I couldn’t help remembering the changes I’d just seen in David. It was as though in the short amount of time he’d spent in Raleigh, he’d grown more confident in himself. I had to admit, I really liked this new and improved version of the man.

It was just too bad he wasn’t back to stay.

As I ran hot water in the sink, I tried to clear my mind of daydreams about what might have been with David Quinton, though it was more difficult than I ever could have imagined. I had enough problems of my own to focus on without adding the complications of a love life into the mix. I couldn’t afford any distractions at the moment, and that included tall, handsome men who suddenly reappeared in my life.

Saturday, the morning of the grand opening for Italia’s, was incredibly beautiful, crisp and clear with just a hint of the cold to come. The sun shone through the dappled leaves, and if I was being honest with myself, I was disappointed we weren’t having freezing rain with dark, overcast clouds low enough to reach down and grab whoever dared show their face outside.

So much for good luck being on my side.

I drove to the Slice, parked in my usual space in back, and walked through the passageway that led between the alley and the front of the businesses on the promenade. The city’s crew always decorated this pleasant little brick path in an effort to get folks to use some of the parking in back. I wasn’t sure how effective it was, but I always enjoyed the changing tableaus. In honor of autumn, there were stacked bales of hay sporting pumpkins and a scarecrow that didn’t look out of place at all.

Two years before, they’d done it all up in Halloween style, with ghosts, goblins, and ghouls, but one complaint from a tourist from out of town, and the display had come down. I knew the decorated Christmas trees filled with offerings of seed and suet ornaments would likely be next to go, but I hoped not. I myself enjoyed seeing a lit menorah, even though I wasn’t Jewish, and some of my friends who were eagerly admitted that the sparkling and brightly decorated trees were among the things they looked forward to seeing in December every year. It was one thing I didn’t like about the modern age, despite advances in science, medicine, and just about every other thing that touched our daily lives: Some folks took themselves way too seriously and managed to wreck things for everyone who was just trying to spread a little beauty wherever they could manage it.

When I got to the Slice, I was surprised to find Bob Lemon standing at the front door, though we weren’t due to open for hours.

“Were you supposed to meet Maddy for breakfast?” I asked as I reached for my keys. “She didn’t say anything to me about it.”

“Actually, I was hoping to speak with you before she arrived.”

I unlocked the door and let him in, then locked it behind us. “Bob, I’m flattered that you’d ask me, but I’m sorry, I already have a date for lunch today.”

He looked startled. “Eleanor, I’m not here to ask you out.”

“I know that,” I said with a smile. “I was just trying to be funny.”

He nodded. “That’s good, then.”

“You don’t have to look so relieved,” I said. “Believe it or not, some people find me quite pleasant to be around.”

He was clearly not in any mood for my particular brand of humor. “Eleanor, this is serious. I found out who is backing your competition, and trust me, you’re not going to be pleased when you hear who’s behind this.”

That wiped the smile off my face. “Who is it?”

“Nathan Sizemore,” he said grimly.

“Are you sure?” Why was Bob acting so upset about the news?

“I’m positive,” he said.

“Hang on a second. We’re talking about that kook who lives on the edge of town, right? How can he afford to back a restaurant?” Nathan was famous in Timber Ridge, but not because of his wealth. If he were rich, he’d be labeled eccentric, but as far as I knew, he was just plain nuts. “The man goes around town claiming he invented dirt, Bob.”

The attorney shook his head. “It’s just a little joke of his. He didn’t invent it, but he certainly owns enough of it around here. I kept coming across his name in my research for the owners of Mountain Properties and Trust, so I did some digging into his assets. Nathan Sizemore owns ten thousand acres full of timber in North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, and he could buy everything in Timber Ridge with the interest he earns from just one of his accounts. This is not a man you want to go up against.”

I slumped down into a booth before I could fall down. “So, it’s over before it even begins. With pockets that deep, I don’t stand a chance.”

“It’s grim,” he agreed. “I thought you should know.”

“Thanks. I’ll tell Maddy you were by.”

He looked up and said, “There’s no need. She’s already here. I’ll go out and share the bad news with her myself, so you don’t have to deal with it.”

He unlocked the door and let himself out, while I just sat there, wondering what I could do now. Judson, I could have handled; at least the playing field would have been even. But with Nathan Sizemore backing him with more money than I had ever known he possessed, there was no doubt in my mind that I didn’t stand a chance. I wasn’t going to shut down A Slice of Delight yet, no matter how much fiscal sense that might make, but it was clear my days as a pizzeria owner were probably numbered. Not all of my customers would defect, I was sure of at least that, but enough would start buying their pizzas at Italia’s to effectively put me out of business. There just weren’t enough Karen Greens in the area to keep me going.

Maddy came in a few minutes later, and I was still sitting in the back booth feeling sorry for myself.

“Why aren’t you making the dough?” she asked. “We’re not going to just roll over, are we?”

“No, we’ll keep fighting,” I said as I stood and tried to shake the gloom off me, trying to put on a brave face for her benefit, if not my own.

“That’s the spirit.”

We walked into the back, and I started gathering the ingredients for my pizza dough. I’d done it a thousand times, and I could make it by heart, though I always glanced at the recipe every morning just for a little insurance.

As I worked on that, Maddy got out her cutting board and waved a knife in the air as she spoke. “Hey, you’ve got a big date today, don’t you?”

I’d forgotten all about meeting David after hearing Bob Lemon’s news. “I did, but I’m probably going to cancel it now. I doubt I’d be very good company, and David deserves better.”

“That might be true, but then again, he might be just what you need,” she said. “Staying here and stewing all day isn’t going to make things any easier on you.”

“I suppose you’ve got a point.”

“Besides, you might never have this chance again. I’m sure Greg and I will be able to handle things while you’re gone. He doesn’t have any classes today since it’s Saturday, so I asked him to come by and work. Is that okay?”

“It’s fine,” I said.

Too bad we didn’t need him. Though it was two hours before Italia’s grand opening, we had only one customer visit our restaurant, a young woman who wanted a Diet Coke to go, and nothing else.

By the time David arrived, I’d just about given up hope, at least for today.

“How about a picnic?” David asked as he met me outside the Slice holding two large plastic bags. “I got two hibachi steak orders from Nara’s.”

He held the bags up in the air, and his grin was infectious, as he added, “Why not? It’s certainly pretty enough out.”

I glanced over at Italia’s, where a crowd was already starting to gather for their grand opening, though it was still ninety minutes away. “That sounds fine, but do you mind if we eat someplace besides the promenade?”

He looked over at the new pizzeria. “Sorry about that. I would never have done this if I’d remembered that place was opening today at noon.” David frowned, and then suggested, “Why don’t we eat on one of the benches on the shortcut? I saw the decorations yesterday, and they’re really nice.”

“That sounds perfect,” I said as I followed him. I half hoped the two benches would be taken so we could get even farther away, but, again, I was out of luck.

We took the bench across from the mural and the stacks of hay, and David served us both.

“I must admit, this isn’t what I’d pictured,” I said as he handed me a paper plate and a set of plastic silverware.

“You still like Nara’s, don’t you?”

“I really do. I guess I was just expecting you to try to impress me a little more than this.”

He laughed. “Trust me, I’ve been dreaming about this food since I left town. Besides,” he added with a grin, “if anyone around here knows how hard you are to impress, it has to be me. Remember how much I used to try?”

“So what changed?” I asked, unable to hide my curiosity any longer.

He took a bite of steak, carrot, mushroom, and rice, and then asked, “What do you mean?”

“You’ve changed, David,” I said.

“How so?”

“You’re more confident, and not nearly so needy as you were before.”

I wasn’t sure if he’d be upset by my candor, but his smile surprised me. “Wow, don’t hold back, Eleanor. Tell me what you really think.”

I felt bad immediately. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so blunt.”

He laughed at that statement. “It’s fine. I’ve known you a long time, you don’t have to apologize to me for anything.” He took another bite, and when he was finished with it, he added, “I’ll be honest with you. Moving to Raleigh was the best thing that ever happened to me.”