Authors: Mona Ingram
Amanda could see what he meant. Grease coated the ceiling and the walls weren’t much better. She was afraid to even look up the exhaust hood or in the grease box. It was a miracle the whole place hadn’t burned to the ground.
Jackson narrowed his eyes. “You know about K class fire extinguishers?”
She nodded. “Yes. I worked in a kitchen for a few years.”
A young woman with flyaway blonde hair came into the kitchen.
Jackson stepped forward. “Kathy, I’m glad you’re all right.”
She smiled up at him. “I wish I could say as much for my kitchen.” She looked from Jackson to Amanda. “Sorry, do I know you?”
Jackson put a hand at her waist and guided her forward. “I’d like you to meet Amanda. She has some good news for you.”
Kathy looked distracted. “I could use some.”
“She found Rocky.”
“You did?” She looked around the room. “Is he okay?”
“Yes, he’s fine. He’s in the truck, sleeping I hope.”
Kathy’s shoulders dropped down a notch and she smiled. “The kids are going to be so pleased. They’ve gone into town with Dave for supplies. Thank goodness Carlos was here; he grabbed the fire extinguisher right away.” Worried eyes surveyed the damage. “I hope the Health people don’t close us down.”
Amanda surprised herself. “Not if you clean this place up. She did a more thorough assessment of the mess. “What you see is residue from the fire retardant. That can be cleaned up, but beyond that this entire kitchen needs a good cleaning.” She stopped, realizing what she’d said. “I’m sorry. This isn’t my business. Sorry I was so blunt.”
“No, you’re right.” Kathy nodded. “I’ve been telling Tran to clean up for months now, but every time I bring it up he conveniently forgets how to speak English.” She gave a wry smile. “It was my own fault for letting him get away with it, but cooks are so difficult to find up here.” She glanced at Carlos. “Carlos is a great help, but he doesn’t have enough experience.”
“Cooks!” Amanda knew what she meant. “Listen, I’ll just go out and get the dog and then if you can give me the name of the nearest garage I’ll call a tow truck and get out of your way.” She hoped she could get cell service up here; she’d never tried before.
The dog snuffled a little when she picked him up, then burrowed down into her arms. “You’re home, little guy,” she said and kissed the top of his head.
She looked up to find Jackson watching her. “You’ve become attached to him, haven’t you?”
She was about to deny it, but that seemed pointless. “I confess, I have. It’s that puppy smell, you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” Jackson reached out and patted the dog on the head. “They’ll have to keep him on a leash for a while. A terrible fate for a curious puppy, but better than getting lost again.”
Amanda knew how the dog would feel. After all, she’d been on a leash for the past couple of years. It wasn’t fun. She nodded in agreement.
“There you are, you naughty puppy!” Kathy gave Rocky an affectionate shake. “Would you mind waiting a minute?” she said to Amanda, then took the dog and placed it in an enclosure at the back of the building.
She pushed her hair out of her eyes and addressed Amanda. “Jackson says you have some experience in kitchens.”
Amanda shot a look in his direction, but couldn’t read anything in his expression. “I’m not a chef by any stretch of the imagination, but I know my way around a kitchen.”
“I was wondering...” Kathy raised her shoulders. “Would you be interested in working here for a while? I mean, I don’t know where you were headed. You probably have somewhere to go, but I thought I’d take a chance...” She looked at Amanda beseechingly. “I could offer you free accommodation in one of our cottages. It’s an older one and fairly small, but it’s quiet. And of course I’d pay you.”
Amanda thought about the luxurious cottage waiting for her only a couple of miles away. Suddenly the idea of being alone didn’t seem so appealing.
Kathy glanced toward the front of the property. Most of the people who had been milling around when Amanda and Jackson arrived had gone back to their cottages. “A lot of our guests rely on the restaurant for meals. They come here to relax and fish; they don’t want to be bothered cooking.”
Amanda nodded. “I can understand that.” She made a snap decision. She would offer to help for a week. Hopefully Kathy could find a replacement in that time. “Okay, I’ll give you a week.” She glanced at Jackson and her breath caught in her throat. Her decision had nothing to do with him. Nothing at all.
Carlos had been hovering in the background. She turned to him with a smile. “Will Carlos stay and help? I have a feeling we could work well together.”
“
Si, Senora
.” He stepped forward. “What about dinner tonight? These people need to eat.”
Amanda thought for a moment. “We can’t use the kitchen the way it is.” She turned to Kathy. “Do you have a barbeque?”
“Yes, we have a couple.” Her eyes lit up. “Are you thinking barbeque for tonight?”
Her mind was racing. “Yes. I don’t know what you think of the idea, but what if you offered hamburgers or hot dogs with a bag of potato chips and a drink and an ice cream bar for dessert, and made it free? It won’t cost you much and you’ll have a lot of happy campers.” She laughed at her own joke. “Literally.”
“Brilliant.” Can you pull it off?
Amanda shook her head. “Not me...Carlos.”
The young cook beamed.
“I’ll be cleaning the kitchen. It’s a big job, but I’m confident that I can get it done if I start right away. We’ll be ready to serve breakfast in the morning.”
Kathy gave her a quick hug. “You’re amazing, you know that? I don’t know where you came from, but you saved the day. Now I’d better get out there and deal with Tran. He needs to get to the hospital so they can check out his burns. I have him slathered with antibiotics, but I’d rather be safe.”
Jackson spoke up. “I’ll take him.”
Kathy looked at him gratefully. “Thanks, Jackson. If you see Dave in town, ask him to come home, would you?”
The kitchen was even worse than she’d thought; by her best estimate, it hadn’t been cleaned for several months. What really angered her was that there was plenty of commercial de-greaser on hand. She took a deep breath, pulled on some gloves and started to work.
She was taking a break when Kathy came in several hours later accompanied by two blonde children.
“Kids, I’d like you to meet Amanda. She found Rocky wandering in the woods.”
The girl clutched at her mother’s slacks and hid behind her leg, but the boy came forward. “Thank you for finding him.” He looked at her curiously. “Do you have any kids?”
The question caught her off guard. She shook her head. “No, I don’t. Why do you ask?”
Wide blue eyes like his mother’s looked up at her. “Hannah’s a girl. I’d like to have a boy to play with.”
Me too
, thought Amanda. She squatted down. “Sorry about that. What do you like to play?”
“I like to fish,” he said proudly. “Jackson says he’ll teach me, but he gets busy sometimes and has to go away.” He looked toward the freezer. “Can I have some ice cream? Mom says I have to ask you now.”
Kathy nodded and Amanda dug out an ice cream bar for each child.
“You know the rules,” Kathy called after them as they ran out. “Stay away from the dock.”
“Okay, Mom.” The children ran off.
Amanda watched them disappear then turned to their mother. “So, how did the barbeque go?”
“It was a hit.” Kathy was looking around the kitchen in amazement. “I’d forgotten that the kitchen was so bright.”
Amanda glanced around. “I’m not finished yet, but we’ll be ready for breakfast.” She pointed to a list. “I took a break and checked the cooler. You have a lot of out-of-date items in there that have to be thrown out. Tran obviously never heard the old expression ‘When in doubt, throw it out’.”
Kathy glanced at the list, put it down without reading. “I trust you. Do what you have to do.”
Amanda pushed another piece of paper across the counter. “I checked your supplies against your menu and I’m starting a list of what needs to be purchased. Do you have a preferred wholesaler?”
“Yes, I have a binder with all that information. Is it okay if we do that in the morning? We can’t call them until then anyway.” She looked around the kitchen again. “You’ve done an amazing job already, Amanda. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Amanda got up and stretched. “Do you mind showing me the cabin? I’ll dump my stuff and then I’d like to clean for a couple more hours.”
As they crossed the property Amanda could see why it was so popular. Located on a scenic bay, it curved around on itself, so that the cottages looked back toward the common area and the two boat docks that stuck out into the water. A sandy beach was clearly marked off from the boating area.
Kathy stopped and looked out over the lake. A few clouds hugged the distant horizon, their undersides painted pink by the setting sun. “I like to walk along the lakefront at this time of day,” she said, almost to herself. “And I’m always thankful that Dave’s grandfather had the foresight to buy this piece of property.” A small sigh escaped her lips. “We love living here.”
“I can see why. It’s a great place to raise kids.”
“Do you think so?” Kathy frowned. “I sometimes worry that they aren’t getting much interaction with other children. Of course Logan starts school in a couple of weeks but it’s not the same as growing up in a neighbourhood full of kids.”
“Logan did say something about getting tired of playing with Hannah. He seemed disappointed that Jackson didn’t have time to teach him to fish.”
Kathy’s head came up and Amanda wondered if that was caution she saw in the other woman’s eyes. Kathy studied her for a moment before continuing. “Logan’s decided that Jackson is cool. I think it has something to do with the hair.”
“He’s cool all right.” Amanda couldn’t believe she’d said that. She shot a frantic look at Kathy. “Tell me I didn’t say that out loud.”
Kathy shrugged. “Don’t worry. I’ve thought the same thing myself.” A faraway smile softened her features. “There’s something about him, isn’t there? Whatever it is, he’s got it in spades.”
Amanda laughed out loud; it felt good. “Kathy Keane, shame on you, and you a married woman.”
Kathy nudged her with an arm. “Look who’s talking.”
They walked companionably along the dirt road. At random intervals, trails wide enough for a car led to cottages nestled among the firs.
There wouldn’t be a better time. Amanda turned to Kathy. “What do you know about Jackson? All he said is that he takes care of the boats for Dave.”
They continued in silence for a few moments. Kathy appeared to be studying the ground. Then she raised her head. “I don’t know much about him, actually. He and his brother and Dave all grew up together but I hadn’t met Jackson until he showed up earlier this summer. He stays in the boathouse and seems content with the little bedroom Dave set up for him. As to anything personal, I know very little.” She grinned. “Maybe that’s what makes him so intriguing.”
“It’s just...” Amanda searched for the right words. “It’s just that he seems to be over-qualified for the job.”
Kathy sighed. “I thought so, too.” She shot a quick look at Amanda. “Please don’t let on I told you, but I think he’s getting over some emotional trauma. And no, I don’t know what that is.”
Amanda nodded. “I shouldn’t even be asking about him.” She gave a little shudder. “If my husband knew...well...I don’t like to think what he would do.”