Then, he took out all the bills and late notices. He made a spreadsheet of all the money they owed and tried to come up with a plan to pay it back, to get them back on track.
He realized they were even worse off than he thought though. He couldn’t see a reasonable way they could keep the property, even by drawing off all the resources they had. He would have to tell his wife the truth, and she would probably leave him over it. He would probably lose his whole family.
He went back to drinking and Maggie went home with Billy, contemplating how to give her son the best life possible, even if it couldn’t be the life she envisioned.
It wasn’t long after dinner when William sat Maggie down for a talk. She was already tense. He had already snapped at Billy over nothing as they ate the carefully crafted meal Maggie cooked with their dwindling groceries. She wasn’t sure how long William had been drinking, but she guessed it was long enough.
Of course, William was tense too. His shame fueled his anger, as that was a much easier emotion to deal with. The anger was so bright it blinded everything else. It fought back all those other emotions. It was a blanket over his pain, a blanket he couldn’t afford to let go of.
The two collided in a fight that was more horrible than either of them could imagine. Maggie decided she finally had enough and started packing a bag for her and Billy. She was going to her friend’s house. She needed a break to figure out her new life, because she simply couldn’t stand this one any longer.
Though William was having more trouble controlling his anger lately, he had never been physically violent. He never laid a hand on her or Billy. She had no warning of what happened next.
As Maggie left her son’s room, Billy’s hand in hers, she came face to face with William’s rifle. Billy screamed as his mother fell from his grasp. He looked up at his father in horror as William turned the gun on himself.
30
Ezra wasn’t looking forward to working with Nathaniel that day. Everything Sam told him was weighing on his mind, as was keeping the truth from Clara. It was too much stress. He kind of wished he never hired Nathaniel in the first place so he wouldn’t have to deal with this mess. It’d be easier to just fire him and move on.
Regardless, Ezra still wasn’t willing to fire Nathaniel over rumors, so he knew he’d have to face it. He’d have to figure out a way to tuck what he heard aside and see Nathaniel as he truly was, the good and the bad, for himself. He put on some classical music as he got the kitchen prepared, an effort to get himself in the right headspace. He wanted to have a solid outline at least of a menu completed for a taste tasting tomorrow, when he and Nathaniel would put together sample sizes of the foods to see how they looked plated, if they fit well together, and examine any changes that might need to be made.
Ezra and Clara were planning on having a big opening night, when they would invite everyone in the region over to see the changes they made and hopefully spread the word to any future visitors. He intended to have his menu done by then, so he could serve up small portions of each dish and leave an impact on people’s minds. It was their chance to prove they were offering up something different, and he couldn’t wait to show off his skills.
They had never opened a business before, and they knew it was going to be difficult. They wanted to stack the odds as much in their favor as possible, so this had to be perfect. Ezra was determined to make sure it was.
By the time Nathaniel arrived, Ezra’s mind was in a much better place than he started the day in. He was ready to focus on what really mattered, making good food. There was something about being in the kitchen that made everything else go away. This was his domain, his place to shine. He was going to make the most of this. He was going to make sure they were a success.
Nathaniel interrupted Ezra’s flow by placing a small cooler packed with ice on the table Ezra had just cleared off for their use. Ezra’s eyebrows rose as Nathaniel opened the cooler, irritated at first, then curious.
“I was hungry last night,” Nathaniel explained. “I wasn’t sure what to make, but I was craving a bit of comfort I guess, and I was reminded of when my father used to work here. He made this sweet treat I think his mother taught him how to make. I loved it. Olivia and Kyle, Richard and Lyla’s children, loved it too. We were always asking him to make it. It’s a unique dessert that appeals to kids, but I’ve never seen served in restaurants before, so I think it’d interest adults as well.”
“Is that so?” Ezra asked as Nathaniel lifted out two containers and two spoons. There weren’t many desserts he could think of that drew children in and weren’t served in at least one restaurant he’d been to. He didn’t think Nathaniel could surprise him with anything, but he’d be grateful if he did. They could use a dish or two that surprised diners and added that extra originality factor.
“Yeah.” Nathaniel lifted the covers and handed a container
