The Room with the Second-Best View (23 page)

Millie twisted around to bestow a smile on Violet. “We are too.”

“You can't get rid of me, Al,” Violet teased, sounding like her old self. “I'm stuck to Millie like gum on the bottom of her shoe.”

Millie laughed. “Except I like you, and I'm not fond of gum on my shoe.”

Violet cocked her head. “How about this? We go together like peas and carrots.”

Albert kept his eyes on the road. “What does that make me?”

“Onions,” Violet answered without an instant's hesitation. “The small cocktail onions that dress up a dish of peas and carrots.”

They laughed, and Millie marveled at her husband joining in the lighthearted banter. Smashing Chester had worked wonders on his mood. As for her, she looked forward to the return of the Sunday afternoon tradition of leftovers for lunch with her husband and her friend. The remains of last night's chicken would easily feed three, and she had the fixings for a salad.

When he turned onto the long driveway leading to their home, Albert put a foot on the break. “Whose car is that?”

Millie peered through the windshield at a blue vehicle parked in the circle. “I've never seen it before.”

“Looks like it's been ridden hard and put away wet,” Violet commented.

Cliché, perhaps, but appropriate in this case. The car had been neglected and bore signs of several fender benders that were never repaired. Paint bubbled on the hood, and a crack spidered across the windshield.

Albert inclined his head. “The driver doesn't look much better.”

Until then Millie had not spotted the young man sitting on the top porch step. His windblown hair hung long and loose to his shoulders, and the knees of his jeans were threadbare. He sat with his arms dangling between long legs, shoulders drooping, and a solemn expression on his face. When Albert parked the car behind his, he hefted himself off the step slowly, as though his body weighed a ton. Not true, since his clothing hung loosely from a slight frame.

“Stay in the car,” Albert commanded.

Millie shot a surprised glance at him, but he'd already opened the door to exit.

“He thinks we need protection.” Violet ducked her head to peer through the glass. “Though I don't think that one means any mischief.”

“Not at all.” Millie studied him as Albert approached, his words not discernible. “The poor thing looks sad, not violent.”

The two men shook hands, though no smile appeared on the stranger's face. He said something and shoved his hand in his pocket. Albert whirled, eyebrows puckered, and waved impatiently for her to join him. She and Violet exited the car. What in the world had the young man said to provoke her husband from his good mood?

He spoke in a tight voice. “Millie, this is Ross Mayfield.” She extended a hand to take his but froze when Albert continued. “He's Justin's cousin, here for the wedding.”

The young man shook her hand, his grasp slack. “I thought you knew I was coming, but apparently not.”

“Of course we expected you,” Millie rushed to say. “Only perhaps not quite this soon.”

He nodded, and if possible his shoulders slumped even further. “I didn't have anything else going on, and Aunt Lorna said it would be okay.” A resigned sigh escaped his lips. “Don't worry. I'll go home.”

“Where is home?”

“New York.”

“Goodness, that's a long drive.” Millie avoided looking at the car. If the engine were in a similar state as the exterior, it was a miracle he'd made it.

“Not many people your age can take off work for two weeks.” Albert had not lost his suspicious expression. “What do you do for a living, Mayfield?”

Hands in his pockets, he shrugged. “I'm a writer.”

“Oh, how exciting.” Millie found herself smiling with far more enthusiasm than normal, as if some of her energy might spill over onto the poor man. “What do you write?”

“Blogs.”

A moment's silence descended while Millie struggled for an appropriate response.

“I know. Unimpressive, right?” Ross kicked mournfully at the grass. “I used to write for magazines, but the work dried up. Now I write blogs.” He slouched toward his car. “Is it okay if I come back a couple of days early? I haven't seen my cousin in a while, and I figured we could catch up. Not that he's likely to want to. Nothing much about my life worth telling.”

What a pitiful young man. She'd never seen anyone as down-hearted. Millie cast a desperate glance at Albert and included a silent plea.

Lifting his eyes toward the sky, Albert hesitated before giving a grudging nod.

“Wait!” Millie caught Ross by the arm and noted in passing that he could use a few good meals to put some meat on those bones. “I'd hate for you to make that drive twice, especially when we have plenty of room. And I'm sure Justin and Susan will be delighted you're here. Please stay.”

Relief glimmered in his eyes. “If you're sure I won't be in the way.”

“Of course not. I look forward to getting to know you better.” She waved Violet over. “I'd like you to meet my friend, Violet Alcorn. Violet, this is Mr. Mayfield.”

“The name's Ross.” He treated Violet to the same quick handshake.

“And I'm Millie. You've already met my husband.”

Albert drew himself up to eye the young man. “You've been informed of our rates, I assume?”

Heat burned in Millie's cheeks. Must he bring up money within minutes of meeting the man?

On second thought, Albert was right. They were running a B&B—or were
practicing
to run a B&B—and must treat every transaction as business.

To her alarm, the young man shook his head. “I haven't a cent. See?” He turned out his pockets to reveal nothing but a set of car keys. “Aunt Lorna is picking up the tab. She insisted. That's the only way I could afford to come.”

“That will be fine,” Millie hurried to say before Albert could object. “Why don't you get your luggage, and I'll show you upstairs. You'll be staying in the room Justin occupied while he lived with us. We call it the Little Boy Blue room.”

While he went to the trunk of his car, Violet edged close.

“Appropriate to put him in that room,” she whispered.

Millie glanced at her. “Why do you say that?”

“He's the bluest boy I've ever seen. I wonder why he's got such a long face.”

“I don't know,” Millie said. “But I'm sure I'll find out.”

 

Breakfast Casserole

1 can crescent rolls

8 oz. ham, cubed

8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

½ medium onion, diced

½ green bell pepper, diced

1 T. olive oil

8 eggs

16 oz. (1 pint) half-and-half

Spread crescent rolls in bottom of 9 × 13 pan and press the edges together to form a crust. Sauté the onion and pepper in olive oil until soft and the onion is translucent. Remove from heat and stir in the ham. Spread that mixture evenly over the crust. Next layer on the cheese. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and half-and-half, and pour that over the cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, set the casserole out for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake in an oven preheated to 350 for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the casserole rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Chapter Sixteen

H
old her really still. This isn't going to hurt, but it might startle her.”

Serious-faced, the little girl grasped the white bunny on the exam table.

With a thumb and finger, Susan forced the rabbit's mouth open. Moving quickly, she positioned the clippers around the overgrown front teeth and applied a firm squeeze. An audible snap sounded, and both the bunny and the child jumped.

“There. All done.” She smiled at the child.

Tears filled Missy's eyes as she cuddled her pet. “You're sure that didn't hurt Snowy?”

“Not at all,” Susan promised. “That stuff I rubbed on her gums numbed them completely.”

Mrs. Ingersoll, who had been sitting in the corner chair, rose and put an arm around her daughter's shoulders. “How often will we have to do this?”

“It's hard to tell.” Susan set the clippers on the counter and made a notation on Snowy's chart. “I'm pretty sure the malocclusion is only affecting the front teeth, which is good. You need to make sure she has chew toys, especially wooden ones. They'll help keep the teeth worn down. But I expect you'll have to bring her in here every couple of months, if not sooner.”

“How long till she gets better?” Missy asked.

“Snowy's not sick, sweetie. Her teeth just don't line up right.” Susan shook her head. “They'll always be like that.”

She opened the door, and Missy exited. Mrs. Ingersoll followed more slowly and stopped to whisper in Susan's ear. “That was the worst Easter present ever. I never thought I'd be paying for orthodontic care for a rabbit.”

“We can work out a frequent patient discount,” Susan promised.

In the waiting room she was pleased to see that the Wainright boys had packed up their toys and were each absorbed in an electronic game. They'd been here for close to an hour while Fern went for another interview, this time for an after-school babysitting job.

When Alice asked if the boys could come, Susan wanted to say no. She couldn't be sure they'd been responsible for the altercation between the beagle and the Siamese cat, but the discovery of dog treats in the cat room not an hour after they'd left the last time was certainly suspicious. Thank goodness she'd found the catnip-filled ball in the dog waiting room before further damage was done. But today, at least, the boys were on their best behavior.

While Alice ran Mrs. Ingersoll's credit card, a familiar figure entered the clinic. Susan swallowed back a groan and greeted Aunt Lorna with a hug.

“What a nice surprise. I wasn't expecting to see you until dinner.” She greeted Ross, who slumped in behind his aunt, with a forced smile.

The nightly dinners with Justin's aunt, and now his doleful cousin, were beginning to wear on her. A few times she'd scraped up a plausible excuse to miss, but she felt guilty leaving Justin to deal with his relatives alone. And since Aunt Lorna didn't drive, they couldn't very well leave her with Millie and Al every night. Millie would have readily agreed to feed her guest dinner, but a B&B was supposed to provide breakfast, not three meals a day.

“It's been a treat having dear Ross to chauffer me around.” She patted Ross's shoulder. “I've been able to see some of the countryside in the daylight.”

A ray of hope brightened Susan's thoughts. Maybe now that Ross had arrived, he could take dinner duty every so often and let Susan and Justin enjoy some time alone.

“Have you visited Kentucky before?” she asked him.

“No,” came the dispirited answer.

Susan gritted her teeth. Justin and she had discussed his cousin on the way home last night. That Ross was depressed was obvious and even understandable given his lack of a steady job. But Justin said he'd been gloomy even as a boy.

“You're here at a beautiful time of year.” She smiled broadly, hoping he might return the gesture. “Be sure to drive out to the Kentucky Horse Park. It's not too far, and really worth a visit.”

Aunt Lorna took her by the arm. “I wanted to talk to you about something. Is there someplace we can speak privately?”

At the idea of being closeted with Aunt Lorna in her tiny office, a panicky tickle erupted in Susan's stomach. She might never escape. Far better to stay where she could rely on interruptions, such as the arrival of her next patient in—she glanced at her watch—less than ten minutes.

“Um, I don't have much time. How about if we sit here?” She pointed to the Playful Pups room, which was vacant.

Aunt Lorna allowed herself to be guided to a seat and patted the one next to her. Ross slumped in a chair in the corner and began leafing through a copy of
Modern Dog.