Idle Hours (5 page)

Between the two of them, they managed to get the old mailbox out and the new one in place before the sun dipped toward the treetops. While Ben held the box’s wooden post in the wet concrete, Lia helped him position it straight.

“That’s it,” he said as he tucked the level into his back pocket and took a step back. “Looks pretty good, I’d say.”

“It certainly does,” Lia said. “Can I offer you a glass of water or some iced tea?”

Ben thought seriously about accepting her offer, until he considered how much business he might have lost to this little side trip up the hill. He’d left a sign on the bait shop’s front door saying he’d return in an hour.

Checking his watch, he groaned. A quarter until five. Good thing it was a Wednesday. Wednesdays were generally his slow days.

“I’m sorry but I’m going to have to pass,” he said. “I need to get back to the bait shop.”

“About that.” Lia leaned against the shovel and met his gaze with eyes the same color as the freshly polished copper pipes down at the hardware store. “I
might
be interested in. . .”

Interested in what? Him?
 

Ben set his cap back into place and tried not to puff his chest out too much. He was old but evidently not
that
old.
 

Just about the time he decided to ask her if she wanted to talk about her interest over supper over at the steakhouse, Lia’s expression turned sour. “What’s wrong?”
 

He swiveled to follow the direction where she stared and saw a taxi cab swerve to avoid a rut. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a taxi ‘round these parts. Why, the nearest airport’s-”

“Oh, it can’t be. She wouldn’t.” Lia stabbed the shovel into the loose dirt then brushed past him as if he weren’t even there.
 

Ben fell in step beside her. “What’s up?” When she didn’t respond, he gestured to the cab. “Someone you know?”

Lia stopped long enough to give him a look that told him she wasn’t pleased in the least. “You could say so. It’s my mother.”

Before Ben could blink twice, the driver had jumped from the cab to unload two large suitcases and stack them next to the mailbox. That job complete, he opened the back door.
 

A tall woman with silver hair stepped out of the taxi and handed the driver a wad of cash then gave him a hug. “You are an absolute dear. I don’t know what I would have done without you.” She held the man out at arms length then hugged him again. “I declare I’d be sitting by the side of the terminal back in Dallas waiting for a connection.”

“Dallas? Mother, that’s three hundred miles from here.”

Ben glanced over at Lia. “More actually,” he said. “It’s right at three hundred miles from Dallas to-”

“Darling!” The silver-haired woman headed their direction to engulf Lia in an embrace. Ben couldn’t help but notice that Lia’s mother treated her like she might break, gently patting her back before holding her at arms length. The contrast to the healthy hug the taxi driver got was striking.

Then the woman aimed her attention at Ben. “And who is this handsome man?”

“I’m Ben.” He stuck his hand out to avoid the hug he figured was on the way. “Ben Corbin.”

“He put in the mailbox today.” Lia touched Ben’s sleeve. “I’m sorry. Ben, meet my mother, Cordelia Stephanos.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” she said. “Thank you for seeing to the mailbox.”

Her expression told Ben he was dismissed. Then he caught the look on Lia’s face. Unless he missed his guess, she was practically begging him to stay.
 

“How about I haul these suitcases up to the house for you, Mrs. Stephanos?”
 

A few minutes, later the ladies were headed for the porch, leaving Ben to try and figure out how to keep from looking like a fool. The bags were much heavier than he’d expected, and by the time he’d accomplished the task of getting both items from the road to the front steps, his back was complaining and his knees had set to wobbling.
 

Once he had the bags situated in the spare room, he was more than a little happy to bid the Stephanos women good-bye and head his truck back to town. Thoughts of those copper-colored eyes and the way Lia flirted with him chased him all the way home.

So did something else: the image of that snake and how it seemed to be struck dead right in little Samantha’s hand.

 
Ben pulled into the parking lot of the bait shop and turned off the ignition. As the silence fell around him, he closed his eyes.
 

“Lord,” he whispered, “You heard me at the old Terro place, didn’t You? You listened when I begged You to do something, and You went and did it.”

No answer came, but Ben felt fairly sure of the answer. Just like his buddy said, the Lord had been waiting for him to sit still long enough to listen. If only he could know for sure.
 

* * *

There were two things Lia knew for sure about Cordelia Stephanos. First, her mother loved her family almost as much as she loved the Lord, and second, the woman could cook. Unfortunately, that’s all she seemed to want to do during her visit, until she slipped on that low spot on the porch and ended up in the emergency room with a broken ankle.

“I’ll just have to extend my visit for another few months. It’s a good thing I planned ahead.”

“Right.” Lia plumped the pillows around Mother and handed her the remote.
 

“I don’t need that,” her mother said. “But you could hand me my notebook? It’s over there in my bag.”

Lia reached for the brown leather journal. “Is this it?”

“It is.” She smiled. “My collection of recipes.
 

For the next half-hour, Lia listened to her mother’s reminiscences of days spent at the first Stephanos restaurant, each memory tied to a special recipe. Stories from her childhood came tumbling back in the honeyed tones of her mother’s Texas accent.
 

Lia smiled. Even after all these years in New York, Cordelia still sounded like she’d only recently made the trip north from San Antonio.

“Would you do it all again, Mama?” Lia tucked her feet under her and snuggled into the comfort of the sofa pillows. “Build a restaurant from the bottom up again, I mean.”

Her mother looked thoughtful and then a smile dawned. “Absolutely.” She punctuated the statement with a wink. “Your daddy taught you a thing or two about the business. I always wondered why you chose that English degree instead.”

Why indeed? Lia pondered a moment. “I suppose I wanted to do something on my own. Not be known as someone’s daughter.” She shrugged. “Besides, I love books.”

“Well, so do I,” she said as she folded up her notebook and put it away. “Wasn’t Cara coming by to bring us copies of her new book?”

“Oh, I forgot.” Lia rose and plumped the pillows. “The baby’s got the sniffles so I told her I would come by and get them.” She checked the clock on the mantel. “It’s still early. If I leave now, I can see Samantha before she goes down for a nap. Would you like to come along?”

“Thank you, dear,” Mother said, “but I think I might just watch that movie after all.” Mother’s eyes were shimmering with unshed tears when she lifted her gaze. “Which button is it that I push to start that thing?”

Lia knelt down and placed her hands atop her mother’s. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m a silly fool, Lia,” she said as the remote slipped from her fingers. “I’m sorry. I came here to take care of you, not the other way around.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” Lia swiped at her mother’s eyes with her shirt tail. “I love you. I know it’s hard without Papa.”

“It’s just that I miss him so.” She ran her hand over the smooth leather of the notebook. “And the cooking, oh, honey, the only time I feel like I haven’t lost that part of my life is when I’m standing in front of a stove. If only I could do that again.”

“Well maybe you can someday.” She tossed the comment offhandedly as she reached for her keys. And yet the idea took hold. What if?

“What’s that look for?” her mother asked.

“Just thinking.”
 

“More like planning. I know that look as well as I know you.” She stepped back to give Lia an appraising look. “Anything you would like to let your mother in on?”

Lia offered her a smile. “If you know me that well, then you know I’m not going to divulge anything until I’m done with my thinking.”

Mother’s chuckle and the hug that followed was answer enough. “You’ll be home in time for dinner,” was added just as Lia opened the door.

“Of course I will,” she said with a grin. “You know I’d never miss one of your meals.”

By the time she’d visited with her friend, read Samantha a nap time story, and cuddled with the baby, the thought had blossomed into a full blown idea which she handed to the Lord as she drove.
 

Lia pulled into the parking lot of Ben’s Bait and Tackle with a prayer and a plan. This time, the lot was empty and the door was locked. Beneath the ‘closed’ sign was a piece of cardboard attached with silver duct tape.
 

“Gone fishing,” she read as her heart sunk. So much for speaking to Ben while the plan was fresh and her good sense hadn’t yet kicked in.

CHAPTER NINE

The water was fine, and so was the new canoe Ben had been testing. Oh, he could’ve taken the thing for a spin around the cove after the shop closed, but anyone who needed bait or tackle before he got back knew where the key was. Leastwise, the ones he would trust to mark down what they bought and leave him the money in the till.

A flash of white caught his attention, and he glanced over to see a fancy SUV come to a stop inches from his front door. He patted Skipper and woke the hound up.

“Well, now, Skip, looks like we’ve got company.”

The dog roused, ears perked. A moment later, he sniffed at the air. Pulling hard on the right oar, Ben pointed the boat toward his dock.
 
Although he was still fifty yards from shore, he recognized the vehicle.

Ben also recognized the woman who stepped out of it. He watched Lia walk the length of the back of the shop. She seemed to be measuring something, taking long strides like a man without a ruler. Finally, she went back to her vehicle and rummaged around inside.

Ben reached for the oars and set the canoe on a path for the dock. Lia slammed the door and walked around to disappear on the other side of the SUV.

Before he realized he’d done it, Ben let out a whistle that probably stopped traffic three blocks away – if there was any traffic, that is. Skipper barked a protest at the sound. A pony-tailed head popped up over the roof of the SUV, and Ben let himself imagine he’d seen a smile on Lia’s face.

As he paddled toward the dock, he realized she
was
smiling.

“Well, hello, there,” he called, raising a paddle in greeting. “Lookin’ for a fishing lesson?”
 

Skipper added a yelp, his tail thumping a furious rhythm.

“Funny but that does hold some appeal,” she said. “However, I’m here to talk business.”

“Are you now?” Ben slowed the canoe and allowed it to drift sideways toward the dock. “I conduct a good part of my business out on the lake, you know. Why don’t you come on aboard?” He paused to gauge Lia’s reaction then decided his cruise was over. “I’ll talk business with you on dry land if you’ll promise to go fishing with me.”

She waited a second then nodded. “Deal.”

He stuck the oar in the water and slowed the boat’s progress. “When?”

“When what?”

“When will you go fishing with me?”

“Honestly, Ben, I don’t know.” She paused. “See, my mother’s here and I-”

“Sorry to hear about your mama’s broken ankle,” Ben said, fighting the tide to keep the canoe from reaching land. “I was gonna ask if she wanted to go but I guess we’ll have to go by ourselves.”

“I guess so.”

Ben couldn’t tell for sure but she seemed pleased with the invitation. “Wednesday afternoon?” he asked. “Say two o’clock?”

The canoe sat less than five feet from Lia with the tide inching him forward. Skipper stood at the ready, poised to land on the deck as soon as it was within reach.

If Lia didn’t answer him in about half a second he’d have to push off and row backwards. Skipper would probably jump in and swim the short distance.
 
He probably ought to warn her.

She shifted positions. “Make it three and I’m all yours.”

“All mine?” Ben lifted the oars and the vessel began to drift back toward the dock. “I like the sound of that.”

The dog hit the deck running, greeting their guest by circling twice then nudging her hand. Lia knelt to offer Skipper a belly rub.

“What’s your name, sweetie?” she asked the big lug.

“That’s Skipper,” Ben said. “He runs things around here. I’m just the guy who fills the food bowl and runs the shop.”

Lia gave the dog one last pat on the head then rose. “Maybe I ought to take up my business with him then.”

The dog jumped to his feet and sniffed the air. When he caught sight of a squirrel over near the oaks, his ears perked up and his tail wagged double time.

“Don’t worry,” Ben said. “I run everything by him for his opinion. How ‘bout we go inside? I think we’re interrupting the chairman of the board’s hunting.”

With Skipper in the lead, Ben climbed out to secure the canoe then escorted Lia to the door. Pausing, he tipped back a brick to retrieve the key. The door swung inward on silent hinges, attesting to the fact he had nothing better to do this afternoon. Meanwhile, Skipper broke ranks to race for the trees.

Lia watched the dog for a moment then swung her attention to Ben. “You keep the key to your business under a brick?”

“Sure. Never can tell when there’ll be a fishin’ emergency.” He stepped back to let her pass. “After you.”

Her pretty smile faded to serious. “I’ll be brief.”
 

He set the key down then leaned against the counter and looked past her to watch Skipper tree a squirrel. “Take your time,” he said over the sound of the dog barking.

Lia cast a slow glance around the room then fixed a stare on him. “I would like to make you an offer.”