Rest Thy Head (6 page)

“No. Would it make a difference to you?”

Peyton shook her head. “I’d still want to be his friend.”

“Yeah, well, Jake doesn’t see it that way.” He threw up his hands in a sign of defeat. “There’s nothing I can do about it. Say hello to him for me, will you?”

“I’d be glad to.” It was too bad Jake couldn’t see what a good friend he had in Andy Russell. How could he have allowed a silly thing like a scar to make him lose a friend? Friends counted in this world. If she found a true friend, she wouldn’t give him or her up.

By the time Peyton got back to Rest Thy Head, people had already started to gather for dinner. Something smelled great, but she had to take her jug upstairs before she could eat. She moved a pair of pewter candlesticks and put the jug on the mantle, then she stood back to admire it. It was perfect. Her stomach growled, reminding her she was hungry, so she hurried back downstairs for dinner.

***

After eating a delicious rib eye for dinner and taking a leisurely bath in the claw foot tub, Peyton called Ashley. “Hey, Ashley, it’s me.”

“Peyton! Is everything okay?”

Peyton stuffed her pillow under her head. “Yeah, I guess. I talked to Mother today.”

“What did she say? You sound kind of down.”

Peyton told her. “It hurt my feelings, but it didn’t surprise me. I didn’t think she’d change her mind and let me come home.”

“No, I didn’t either.”

“I’m just hoping once she has a chance to think about it, she may see losing Drew is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Ashley sighed. “I hope so too, but no matter what Mother eventually does you’ll always have Griffin and me. You know how much we both love you.”

Peyton forced a laugh even though she felt like doing anything but laughing. “If you don’t hush we’ll both end up bawling our heads off. Let me tell you what I’ve decided to do.” She told Ashley about her job and concluded, “I wish you could see this place. It’s exactly what you always dreamed of owning.”

“It sounds wonderful,” Ashley agreed, her voice sounding wistful and small. “Not too much like the carwash. Do you think you’ll like working there?”

“I guess I’ll find out.”

“I’d love to have a chance like that. Enjoy it as long as you can. Call me tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah, tomorrow.”

***

The next morning when Peyton awoke she immediately noticed that her jug no longer sat on the mantle. Who had taken it? She jerked on her robe, but before she could look for it she heard a tap on the door. “Come in.”

Annie effortlessly glided into the room. “Hi, Peyton. I’ll pack your things for you while you have breakfast if you like.”

“That’s sweet, but you don’t have to do that. I work here now just like you do.”

Something about that statement seemed to tickle Annie. She smiled from ear to ear. Maybe she was happy to have another friend on staff. “Yes, but I like you because you’re a nice person. I don’t mind helping you at all. I’ve already moved your jug for you.”

“So that’s what happened to it. I thought someone had taken it.”

“Someone did.”

Both women laughed. Peyton supposed she should be annoyed Annie kept coming into her room while she slept, but she couldn’t find it in her heart to say anything. Annie had only tried to help her and was still doing so. After her treatment at her mother’s hands, it made a nice change. “It won’t take a minute to pack. You run on and do what you have to do. I’ll talk to you later.”

“All right. If you’re sure,” Annie agreed.

Annie glided away, while Peyton hurriedly packed and lugged her suitcase up to the third floor. Patrick had told her she’d be staying in room 301 which was the first room on the third floor. She opened the door and exclaimed, “Oh, how lovely.”

The bed was narrow, only a twin size, but it boasted a pretty comforter in shades of swirling blue and yellow. Some decorative pillows were carelessly piled against the white iron headboard. The room had no carpet, but the heart pine floors were beautiful, and someone had placed a blue rug that looked handmade by the side of the bed.

The room didn’t have a closet, but it did have a nice wardrobe with a mirror on the front. It looked old to Peyton, maybe 1940’s era. Annie had placed her jug on top of the wardrobe. How nice. The blues in the glaze matched the blues in the comforter.

The room didn’t have a fireplace, but a nice, yellow club chair sat beside the window and afforded a great view of the flower garden. A small, white wicker table sat beside the chair.

Oh, and look at those curtains. They looked a little old-fashioned too. She thought they might be called priscillas. If she remembered correctly, her mother had used them right after they bought their house. All in all, the room pleased her, although it didn’t look like a haunted room ought to look. Of course she’d never seen a haunted room, but still…

She’d unpack later. Right now she needed to get downstairs. It would be bad to be late to work on her first day. She passed Annie as she galloped down the steps. “Talk to you later,” she called. Annie gave her a sweet smile but let her go without saying anything.

She didn’t see Patrick, so she made her way to the kitchen to find Jake. In spite of the kitchen’s humidity, he still wore a long sleeved shirt, probably to hide his burns. “Hi, Jake. What do you want me to do?”

He turned around with a harried expression on his face. “Can you make decent coffee?”

“Yes, I sure can.”

“All right. Start with the coffee. Then set the tables in the dining room.”

“You got it.”

The kitchen buzzed with activity as the other employees arrived and everyone got busy. The kitchen staff all acted friendly to her, which pleased Peyton. She had feared some of them would resent her for taking the departed Chloe’s job, but they didn’t act as if they missed Chloe at all. They probably didn’t. After seeing the girl in action when those pots and ladles flew out the door, she didn’t blame them.

As the breakfast rush died away, the staff all sat together to have a meal themselves. Peyton took her seat with the rest of them and called to Jake who had just filled a plate for himself, “Here’s a vacant seat beside me.”

“Thanks, but I’ll eat in the office.” He picked up his coffee and left the kitchen.

Sandra, who sat beside Peyton, nudged her. “He’s always like that. He won’t eat with us.”

“Is he stuck up, or is it his face?” Peyton took a blueberry muffin and passed the basket to Sandra, who took one and slathered the top with what she assured Peyton was homemade butter.

“Depends on who you ask. I think he’s stuck up.”

“You didn’t know him before he got burned,” Jason butted in. “He was every bit as nice as Patrick. People stare at him, and that makes him uncomfortable. That’s why he goes off by himself.”

Peyton took a big bite out of her muffin. “Well, I’m grateful to him for giving me a job.”

“Yeah, I guess so, but he’ll get his money’s worth out of you. He’s demanding,” Sandra warned.

“Is that why Chloe quit?”

Around the table eyes rolled and mouths pursed. Sandra answered for all of them. “Oh, Chloe was just lazy. He told her to wash some lettuce, and she told him she did when really she didn’t. He fixed himself a salad and bit down on sand. He was reading her the riot act when she blew up and stalked out of here.”

After they finished their meal, they started work on the salads that would be served at lunch. As soon as they completed the task, Peyton dashed upstairs to unpack her things, but her suitcase was empty, and all of her clothes had been neatly put away. Annie, of course. She’d have to thank her as soon as she had a chance.

***

Jake took his breakfast and went into the office to eat. Peyton O’Malley was exactly the kind of woman he didn’t need at Rest Thy Head. She made him think about things that could never happen again. Running a hand across his face, he reflected that he’d give a year of his life to look the way he did before he got burned. Before he went to Afghanistan, both he and Patrick had had their share of female admirers, and Patrick still did, but no woman wanted a man with a face like his.

Since no one was around to see and feel sorry for him, he removed a photograph from the bottom desk drawer. Patrick had taken the picture of him in his uniform right before he left for Iraq. He remembered how cocky he had felt. Oh, sure he’d known he might run into danger, but he had been sure he could handle anything the insurgents could throw at him.

He hadn’t planned on them throwing gasoline on him and lighting him up, though. If his buddy Martin Fletcher hadn’t tackled him and helped him put out the fire he might have died that day.

A scowl marred his face as he looked at the picture again. The guy in the picture looked awfully naïve. That guy still had to learn that life wasn’t good and that cruel, evil men did exist. He also hadn’t learned that disfigured people did not get a happy ending like they sometimes did in the movies. His fists clenched when he thought of the look on Peyton’s face when she saw his scars. The scars had repulsed her, just as they did everyone he met.

With a sigh, he put the photo back in the drawer. It didn’t do any good to whine and complain. He should feel grateful to even be alive. Rest Thy Head and the beauty all around it was still his to enjoy, and he could still help Patrick make a success out of the inn.

If only his body would forget about things that could never happen again! No woman wanted a freak, which was exactly what he had become. Why did Peyton O’Malley, who had the face of an angel, have to show up at Rest Thy Head and disturb his hard won serenity? With a snort of disgust, he shoved his plate aside. He had lost his appetite.

***

That night, right after Peyton talked to Ashley, Annie came to visit. One minute she tapped on the door, and almost before Peyton could call for her to come in, she had entered the room. “Did you enjoy working with Jake?” she asked as she settled down for a nice chat.

“It was okay. He’s all business, isn’t he?”

“Poor man. I feel so bad for him.”

Peyton tucked her legs underneath her. “Yeah, me too, but he doesn’t invite anyone’s pity.”

“Would you?”

Peyton shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t want people to feel sorry for me, but I wouldn’t cut myself off from my friends either. Do you know the potter in Waterbury, a guy called Andy Russell?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

Peyton told Annie what Andy had told her.

“Jake’s hurting, Peyton. That’s why he pushes people away, and I guess his scars do repulse some people. Of course, who’d want anyone like that for a friend anyway?”

“I see your point,” Peyton agreed.

Annie’s eyes lit up. “I just had a great idea. Take Jake under your wing. Help him.”

“Me?” Peyton frowned. “What can I do for him?”

“You can treat him like he’s a normal man.” Annie sighed. “Look beyond his scars and see him for the great guy he really is.”

Peyton giggled. “It sounds like you’d like to befriend him yourself.”

“Oh, goodness.” Annie laughed as if Peyton had said something really funny. “I’ve been engaged forever, but if I weren’t, Jake would be my choice.”

“Hey, that’s great! I didn’t know you were engaged.”

“He’s a soldier.” The pride in Annie’s voice touched Peyton. “I’m hoping to see him by the end of the summer.”

“Where’s he stationed?”

“In Germany.” Annie rose to her feet. “I’d better let you get some rest. You think about Jake. He needs a friend.”

“I will, and thanks for unpacking my things.”

“It was my pleasure.” Annie beamed at her. “I like you, Peyton. You’re a nice person, which is why I’m asking you to be nice to Jake. I know you’ll look beyond the scars to see all that he has to offer.” She smiled. “He owns part of Rest Thy Head, too. Don’t forget that.”

Almost before Peyton knew it, Annie had left the room. She’d say one thing for her new friend. When she decided to move, she did it in a hurry.

Chapter Five

Peyton entered the kitchen the next morning to find absolute chaos. “The delivery man didn’t bring half of what he promised for lunch, so Jake has to go and pick up some more stuff,” Sandra whispered. “He’s livid about it.”

When she saw the black scowl on his face, Peyton agreed with Sandra. Jake snapped and snarled all during breakfast; if anything, it got worse after everyone ate. Peyton wondered if he had lost his temper because he had to go out in public.

As Jake left the kitchen and headed in the direction of his office, Peyton remembered Annie had asked her to befriend him. If she was going to do it, this was a good time to start. She followed him to his office, and when he saw her standing in the door, he snapped, “What is it now?”

“Do you need any help when you go to the market? I’d be glad to go with you if you do.”

He glared at her as if she’d insulted him. “If I want help, I’ll ask… Oh, all right. I have a lot to buy. Without help, it’ll take forever.”

What a nerve! Didn’t he realize she was doing him a favor? That had definitely been a less than gallant acceptance, and what was with the surly tone? Wonder how he’d like it if she decided not to go? The urge to find out was overwhelming.

“I don’t know, Jake. Come to think of it, I do have some things I need to do. As you say, you don’t need anyone’s help.”

His face turned beet red which made his scars look much worse than they really were. “I’ll get one of the guys to help me.”

“If you say so.” She gave him the sternest look she could manage. “The way you’ve been carrying on, the kitchen staff isn’t in the mood to do you any favors even though you need one.”

He drew a deep breath. “I’m sorry if I was rude. I would appreciate it if you’d go with me.”

“Apology accepted.”

His voice was still gruff when he said, “Get your things. I’m ready.”

Peyton removed her apron, and they got into Jake’s truck and left for the market. “What do we need to buy?” she asked as the truck turned onto the main highway.

He ran his hand around the back of his neck. “A lot. Tommy promised me lettuce, fresh corn, green beans, and asparagus, and I didn’t get any of it. I can’t believe he let me down this way.”