The Brightest Star - Fern Michaels Page 0,44
silly for not taking an extra minute to put on her jacket. The sharp icy air stung her cheeks, and the gusty wind sent her long, blond hair dancing around her shoulders. She managed to gather a handful, smoothing it down as she stepped inside Ruby’s. Lauren smelled the famous yeast rolls and smiled. She’d ordered the lunch special, no clue what Tuesday’s was, but she knew that whatever it was, it would include those soft, buttery yeast rolls that practically melted in her mouth. She found a seat at the counter while she waited for her order.
“I thought you wanted this to go,” Ruby called out from the kitchen. At almost noon, the place was practically empty, but Lauren knew that in ten minutes, the place would be packed with diners from many of the local businesses.
“I’ll eat it here today,” she said, suddenly changing her mind. She hadn’t had a single customer all morning, and she needed a change of scenery.
“Gotcha,” Ruby called to her. “Two minutes.”
“No hurry,” she replied.
Ruby came bursting out through the kitchen’s double doors, a plate in each hand. She placed them on the counter. “Tuesday’s special. You let me know what you think,” Ruby said before returning to her kitchen.
Macaroni and cheese, with chunks of ham, a large portion of green beans, a freshly made salad, and, of course, three yeast rolls. Lauren wouldn’t be able to zip her jeans if she ate all the food, but she was hungry and was going to give it her best.
Each bite tasted divine, and each warm, buttered roll practically slid down her throat. Eating at Ruby’s was heavenly. It was a good thing she didn’t eat here often or she’d be in big trouble. A couple of times a week was more than enough. “Ruby, you’re the best. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted mac and cheese like yours.”
“Nope, you haven’t. It’s an old family recipe, and Louise and me are takin’ it to our graves,” she called out from behind the counter. “Glad you approve. You want to take some home for your mom and dad? I’ve made enough to feed the entire town.”
“No, thanks, I think they’re starting to watch what they eat for the next few weeks, just so they can consume all the goodies Mom will bake, but I’ll tell her you offered. Gotta run. I’ll see you later,” Lauren said. She left a ten-dollar bill under her plate and left just in time to see the lunch crowd gathering outside the diner. She hurried the two blocks to Razzle Dazzle, crossing her fingers that she’d have a few customers this afternoon. Entering through the back door, Lauren walked to the front of the store, removed her OUT TO LUNCH sign, and unlocked the door.
When she’d left for lunch earlier, a big gust of wind had blown in, causing some of the ornaments on the tree in the window to get tossed around. She made a few adjustments to a delicate glass star and a handblown, tree-shaped ornament before returning to the office to continue her research on Globalgoods.com. As far as she could tell, this man who’d changed the way most of the world shopped was truly a generous, kind man, though she would wait until she met him in person before she made up her mind. Anyone can look good on paper. Lauren had good instincts, and she trusted them. Rarely had they been wrong.
The little bell she’d hung at the entrance chimed, letting her know she finally had a customer. She hurried out of the office to greet her lone visitor.
“Madison, what in the world are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be teaching great things to all those little minds?” Lauren gave her a hug.
“Today was a half day. Yesterday, the high school and middle school had their turn, so here I am. I thought I’d check on you, see if you learned anything more from James, plus Scott told me he saw you at the store last night. Said you looked ‘distressed,’ though I’m not sure in what context. Things okay with your parents?”
Lauren sighed. “Let’s go in the office. I’ll make us a cup of tea and fill you in.”
“Sounds good,” Madison said.
Lauren put her glass kettle in the microwave and took two clean mugs, dropping a black tea bag in each. “Dad’s fine physically, Mom’s good, but I swear I had the craziest falling-out of sorts with them last night, and it continued