The Waffle House on the Pier - Tilly Tennant Page 0,50
bad idea it would be to get involved with Luke Goldman. Sadie needed to have some convincing answers for both scenarios, but at least she’d have time to think about them. That was, unless her mum and dad cottoned on as quickly as Ewan that all had not been plain sailing in the waffle house. If that happened, Sadie would just have to think on her feet.
She hopped out and went to help her grandmother.
April took Sadie’s offered hand. ‘Thank you darlin’.’ She stepped carefully down onto the road and then went round to look in at the open driver’s window. ‘Thank you for the ride – I don’t think I could have walked another step today; I’m worn to the bone.’
Ewan smiled at her, but then looked at Sadie, who gave an inward groan. Statements like that from their grandma, made as lightly as they were, only gave everyone more ammunition in the battle to prove that reopening the waffle house wasn’t the best thing for her, even if she wanted it. And again, Sadie couldn’t deny that she was still asking herself that question even if she was the person hell-bent on helping April to reopen it.
April leaned in to kiss her grandson lightly on the cheek before making her way up the path to the front door of the house. Ewan and Sadie watched her for a moment as she pushed the door open and went inside. Sadie was about to follow when Ewan called her back.
‘Don’t,’ she said in a low voice. ‘Whatever you’re going to say, just don’t.’
‘You have no idea what it is.’
‘If it’s about Gammy then yes, I do, and it’s only what I’ve been thinking myself all day.’
‘So she’s struggled? And be honest with me.’
‘Not struggled, exactly.’
He raised his eyebrows.
‘I am being honest,’ Sadie said. ‘She’s enjoyed it. I just noticed… well, one or two moments where she wasn’t quite with it.’
Ewan frowned, silent for a moment as his gaze went to the now closed front door of the house.
‘I’m sure it’ll pass,’ Sadie said. ‘She just needs time to readjust. She’s been sitting around for a month and really she’s still in mourning. And before you agree and use that as a reason for her to be rotting at home, I still say the best way to get her through that is to get her occupied again doing something she’s always loved.’
‘Maybe doing jigsaws or watercolours,’ Ewan said quietly. ‘Not running a busy café.’
‘She’ll be fine,’ Sadie insisted. ‘Give us a few weeks – to the end of the summer at least. I won’t hold back on you – you know that. If she’s still struggling then I’ll say so and we’ll do something about it.’
‘You said she wasn’t struggling.’
‘You know what I mean.’
He shook his head. ‘The end of the summer is too long. Let’s try the end of the month.’
‘But, Ewan—’
‘That’s enough time to see how this is going.’
Sadie pursed her lips. ‘It’s not your decision. You’re not the head of the family, even though you think you are, and it’s not for you to tell me what to do.’
‘Ordinarily I wouldn’t dream of even attempting to tell you what to do. But this is as much about Grandma as it is about you. If anything, it’s all about Grandma.’
‘So it doesn’t matter that I gave up my teacher training to do this?’
‘That was your choice and, anyway, we all told you not to do it. Your bed, you go and lie in it.’
‘Thanks,’ Sadie muttered.
‘Believe it or not, I’m actually trying to look out for you here. For both of you. If the worst came to the worst and the waffle house closed down for good you could reapply for teacher training next year.’
‘They wouldn’t have me back.’
‘Of course they would.’
‘And what am I supposed to do with myself while I waited for that?’
Ewan started his engine and shrugged before he pulled away, leaving Sadie standing at the roadside.
‘Great,’ she said, watching as the car got smaller. ‘Just great.’
Chapter Ten
Sadie had woken with dread in her heart for what the following day would bring, but she needn’t have done. April was more her old self than Sadie had seen her since Gampy’s death, and she had the waffle house kitchen running like a well-oiled machine. Could it be that the previous day had simply been a period of readjustment, a bump on the road to Gammy’s recovery?
For most of that morning, between serving customers, keeping tabs on the