“I think I’ll stay. I enjoy working even if I covered you in stew. I might find some seamstress work. Charity is going to introduce me to Widow Baker and see if she needs help,” Holly explained and then added, “I need to finish the dishes.”
“Leave them. I can do them later. Let me walk you back to the hotel. Belle is a safe town, but you never know. We do have a saloon and men don’t always act civilized when they drink too much.”
“If you insist,” Holly said.
“I do,” Joseph answered emphatically. “If you plan on staying in Belle, you might want to move to the boardinghouse instead of the hotel. It will save you quite a bit of money.”
“I paid for a week,” Holly explained. “I’ll look into the boardinghouse. Thank you.”
Joseph removed Holly’s coat from the hook near the door and held it out for her to slip her arms in and asked, “If you would like to learn about breakfast you can come in early tomorrow.”
Holly shrugged into her coat and answered, “I’d like that. Is it more difficult than serving supper?”
“Not the serving, but the cooking. I can fry bacon and hotcakes and keep them warm, but people like their eggs cooked fresh. The hardest part for you will be remembering which customer ordered what kinds of eggs. Most prefer scrambled, but occasionally some will ask for fried,” Joseph said as she locked the door behind them.
Holly slipped her arm through Joseph’s offered arm, and they strolled toward the hotel. “You never offer soft boiled or poached eggs?”
Joseph laughed, “I’m not sure what my customers would think if I did. I make good but simple meals. The hotel may serve fancy eggs, but at the café, people get scrambled or fried eggs.”
Holly couldn’t help but laugh with Joseph. His eyes twinkled when he laughed, and Holly liked his eyes. Maybe she liked them a bit too much. She shook her head. That’s the second time today she thought she liked Joseph too much. Was staying in Belle really the best idea?
Joseph broke into her thoughts as he held the hotel door open for her. “I’ll see you in the morning. If you prefer soft boiled eggs, I suggest you have breakfast here before you come to the café. If not, you can have all the scrambled eggs you can eat.”
“I prefer scrambled eggs, and I’ll see you in the morning,” Holly said as she hurried through the door and disappeared into the hotel.
Joseph smiled. Holly liked scrambled eggs. Maybe she’d like him, too. Time would tell, but he hoped she decided to stay in Belle and continue to work for him.
Chapter Five
Holly woke with a smile on her face. She wasn’t sure why she felt the happiness that seemed to fill her heart, but she knew Joseph played a part. She dressed and hurried from the hotel headed for the café and scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Pulling the door open, she noticed Joseph was sitting at a table with the mayor, sheriff, and two men she didn’t recognize. They were deep in conversation, and Joseph glanced up, gave her a quick smile, and returned to the discussion.
Holly walked into the kitchen and saw Charity hard at work frying bacon and making flapjacks.
“Good morning,” Holly greeted. “Here let me help you.”
Holly pulled on a white apron and stepped up to the stove. Charity turned and said, “Good morning. I have this. Can you check on the biscuits and make sure the men all have coffee. They’ve been through two pots already.”
“What’s going on? They all look serious.”
Charity shrugged. “Not sure, the four of them arrived a little while ago, and Joseph joined them. They have been quietly discussing something and drinking coffee since. None of them is ready for breakfast.”
“I’ll take another pot and see if they’re ready to eat,” Holly suggested as she left the kitchen coffee pot in hand.
As she neared the table, the men stopped talking. They all looked at her and smiled. She filled their coffee cups, and they all insisted they weren’t ready to order.
Holly assumed it was some sort of male conversation that women were not party to and turned to greet a couple that entered the café. She poured them coffee and told them she’d return and take their order in a few minutes.
Holly spoke quietly when she returned to the kitchen. “Whatever the men are discussing they stopped when I approached the table. They still don’t want any breakfast, but we do have two customers waiting. I don’t know them. I’ll introduce myself when I take their orders.”
Charity looked out into the dining room and smiled. “I can tell you who they are, but I’m not sure if it’s gossip or information I’ll be sharing.”
“Since I don’t know them, I suppose it would be information and if it’s gossip I’m sure the Lord will forgive you. After all, I’m just trying to learn all I can about the people in town,” Holly answered with a smile.
“That’s Natalie Partridge and Drew Shepherd. Walt Arborsor was courting her, and I think they were engaged but not any longer, and he’s been seen around town with Emeline Haywood. Now, is that gossip or information?”
Holly giggled, “Maybe a little of both, but if you didn’t tell me how would I know?”
“I suppose you’re right,” Charity admitted. “But it did feel a bit like gossip.”
The bell above the door jingled, and Holly said, “I need to go back in the dining room and take orders. We have another customer.”
Charity looked past Holly and then grabbed her arm. She whispered, “Now, I know this is gossip, but you need to know. That’s
