And that’s why I’m taking it slow. “I’d never hurt your mother, Kyle but I don’t really think she’s interested in a relationship just at the moment.”
He nodded his head and thought about it. “What if she was?”
“Well, I’d, um, I’d be more than happy to see where that could take us.”
“Really?” Kyle hitched up the waist band of his jeans and hooked his thumb through the belt loop.
“Yeah, really, and once this court case is over and done with, I might just let her know too, just between the two of us. Is that alright?”
Kyle screwed up his face as if he was giving it serious consideration. “Yeah. I guess that would be okay with me.”
“Fine then. Glad that’s sorted. Want to help me feed the animals?” Adam reached for the buckets and started to fill them with the mix of deer nuts and lucerne, keeping an eye on the expressions on the young boy’s face. Never had he felt the need to be approved like he did now the subject was out in the open between the two of them.
* * *
Lena was up early intent on prepping for her opening night. She snuck over to the dairy without waking up any of the family, looking forward to some alone time before it got too crazy. The early morning dew bent stalks of grass with its weight, sparkling among the tiny wild blossoms that clumped around the fence posts and front door.
Her father had laid new slabs of stone to compliment the ones already at the doorway. Wanting to give her more of an entrance, he’d said at the time. Now the entrance had a more inviting look with its old coach lights and heavy wooden door graced by splashes of colorful flowers spilling over the edges of the old wine barrels they’d found.
With the front door left open, the sun lay its bright morning pattern on the old concrete floor. From the back of her father’s shed, Lena had dragged out a family heirloom that was only gathering dust—a hutch dresser of her nonas. They had been too sentimental to part with it, but it didn’t fit in the house. Now it had pride of place in the entry as her maitre de station. Polished to a warm shine with beeswax by Sofia, it stood proudly just inside the door with a drawer full of freshly printed menus and a small cash register and telephone.
Opening night was booked out. Apart from the dinners she had promised Rick and Mr. Rivers, the other tables had been taken in a matter of hours when Lena announced she was taking bookings. The advert she’d placed in the paper had more than done the job.
Her nerves were jumping all over the place. Lena was a great cook and she knew it but this was different. She had to prove herself all over again if only to herself. Sure the school function had gone well, but that was only one night. This had to have the staying power that couldn’t be compromised by anyone other than herself. This was her last ditch effort at going it on her own and the one person Lena wanted to prove her worth to was herself.
Yesterday Sofia had brought over the stock of preserves that were the cornerstone of Italian cooking, lining the freestanding shelves between the kitchen and the restaurant floor with her colorful arrangement of jars.
She’d hired two of the grade twelve girls who’d shown promise at the fundraiser for her wait staff and a young trainee cook to be her kitchen hand. Mama had offered to work as well, but Lena had refused to let her mother work on a permanent basis. Sofia had been happy when she’d agreed to call her if staff couldn’t make it.
Kyle was a different matter. He’d grown up in her kitchen and couldn’t be talked out of working on a Saturday or Sunday night. During the week he had school and it was the perfect excuse for Lena to make him stay at home and concentrate on schoolwork. How long would it be, she wondered, before that homework started getting done at the café while she was prepping?
* * *
“Hidden Café.”
“Hi, Lena, its Jeff Wilson from the Sydney Morning Paper. Do you have a minute to chat, darling girl?”
She smiled and leaned against the kitchen counter. Jeff was one of her favorite restaurant reviewers and they got on well over the years. “How have you been, Jeff?”
“I’ve been great, lovely lady. Missing you though. The restaurant isn’t the same without you, but I’m sure you know that already.”
Not going there. She took a breath, determined she was over it and the loss. “I’ve moved on, Jeff. Such is life I guess. What can I do for you?” She looked at the menu board and decided to rewrite it before the evening. It was a messy first attempt and Lena wanted to add something to the dessert menu.
“I’m coming up with some friends to Mudgee for a long weekend. I wonder if you can fit us in for a meal on, hang on.” He paused and she heard the flip of paper. “This Friday or Saturday. There’ll be six of us and I’d love to do a review on the café, if you don’t mind that is.”
This could put her on the map. “Look, I’m not sure. This is nothing like the place in Sydney. I’d hate for you to be disappointed.” I couldn’t bear it. He has such a following.
“As if. I loved your little out of the way restaurant at Kings Cross and I’m pretty sure this one will be so much nicer.” He laughed. “You have no idea what’s happening in Sydney, do you?” His voice dropped as if he wanted to share a delightful secret and she tensed. “Things are going downhill fast,
