Page 9 of A Family Affair: The Ring
“Don’t wish those days away, Harry.”Pop’s eyes grew bright beneath his glasses.“Before you know it, ten years will have passed.”
Ten years?Would the guy make it past that?No, he couldn’t even think about it.Cooper was a rescue, like Harry, they belonged together, no matter what.Harry cleared his throat.“You’re right, Pop.No more complaining about Cooper.”Pause and then “I thought about hiring somebody to work with him again on the treadmill.He used to love it, but then he got spooked and that was the end of it.I worry about frostbite on his feet when it’s too cold and the guy refuses to wear boots.And when it’s too hot, there’s a risk there, too.Same risk for you.”
“I hear you, and I plan to take you up on the offer when the weather shifts.Or I’ll head over to Lily’s once Nate gets moving on the garage re-do.Vic’s going to help him, too.”Pop chuckled.“Lily said she wants the whole place painted lavender and teal, said it’s a goodvibefor exercising and working on her memory-keeper projects.”
“I’ll bet Nate loves that idea.”Harry burst out laughing as he pictured the mountain man who’d married his niece.Nate Desantro might have been miserable and ornery before he met Christine, but since they’d said their “I do’s” he’d mellowed out.And once the girls came along, the man was softer than a marshmallow, but only in front of his family.
“Yup, no doubt he’ll be trying to change Lily’s mind up until the day he has to buy the paint.Maybe even after, but you get somebody like Vic Tramont on your side, and if the man says lavender and teal suit Lily, she’ll dig in her heels and pester her brother until he caves.”
Harry shook his head.“Who can ever say no to Lily?”
“Dunno, because I sure can’t.Not when she asks for an extra batch of pizzelles or when she invites me to play checkers.There’s no refusing her, probably because she lights up with pure happiness when I say yes.”
Harry had been about to comment on that when Will Callahan headed their way.The young man was a real looker with a personality and a smile that had the womenandtheir mothers trying to get his attention.And did the boy have style?Will had a few more years before he was in Harry’s “style and fashion” league, but he’d get there.“Hey there, Will.”
“Pop.Harry.”A smile spread across the young man’s tanned face.“Phyllis is tied up with a customer and asked if I could let you know she’ll be a few minutes.”He leaned toward them, lowered his voice.“Seems there was too much black pepper in the scrambled eggs last time, and the rye toast was too crisp.”
Harry turned and squinted toward the back of the diner where Phyllis stood, feet planted, notepad in one hand, menu in the other, and the biggest attitude he’d seen since Angus Waterhouse accused her of shortchanging him on his French fries.The woman causing Phyllis the annoyance was a petite, shriveled thing dressed in black.More squinting until Harry could almost make out her face.He turned and spoke in a half whisper, “Is that the woman who complained to the library about carrying those steamy romance novels?”
“That’s Aurelia Beaucamp.”Pop shook his head, let out a sigh.
“Maybe she should have read one or two, see what she’s been missing.”Harry shook his head.The woman looked like she hadn’t experienced a day of joy—physical or otherwise—in her entire shriveled-up life.
Will cleared his throat.“Anyway, she should be finished soon.”
Harry eyed Will, his gaze slipping to the perfect knot in his silk tie.“Since you used to work here, maybe Phyllis won’t mind if you step behind the counter and get our coffee.”Pop had mentioned something about Will working there one summer, said the young man came in and reworked the whole billing system for Lina and when he graduated college with an accounting degree, she told all her business friends about him.What Harry found more impressive was Will Callahan’s ability to memorize orders without a notepad.
“Uh...sure.”Will made his way to the counter, stepped behind it and poured two cups of Lina’s special dark roast.When he returned, he set both mugs on the table.“There you go.”
“Thanks, Will.So, I hear you used to take orders without a notepad.”Harry took a sip of coffee, pointed to his own head.“I need three reminders and chances are I’ll still forget.What’s the trick?”
“I guess my brain takes a snapshot of everything and then I remember it.”A slow swirl of pink crept up Will’s neck, settled on his cheeks.“It’s not such a bad thing to forget, Harry.Sometimes I think it’s better not to recall everything in vivid detail.”
“Really?”Harry placed both elbows on the tabletop.“If I asked you what Pop and I ordered last week when you stopped by our table, you would or wouldn’t remember?”Now he’d see firsthand if what the town said about the whiz kid was true or just a fable.
“Well...”A quick glance at Pop who nodded and offered a stingy smile.
Harry darted a glance at Pop, then settled his gaze on the whiz kid.“Tell you what, if you can get the order right, I’ll buy your breakfast for a month, and I’ll throw in two meals at Harry’s Folly.If you miss, even by one item, then you’ll take a look at my chef’s taxes and see if you can save him some money.While you’re at it, convince him to put more money into his retirement account.These kids never think they’re going to get older than thirty-five.”Jeremy needed some financial help, especially since he’d been talking about proposing to Pop’s granddaughter, Lucy.
“Deal.”Will shook Harry’s hand, his expression a mix of amusement and “gotcha”.
No way could the kid get last week’s order right since Pop had switched it up and added applesauce.“Go ahead.Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Those blue eyes narrowed the tiniest bit and then Will spat out the order like it was a cash register receipt.“You had blueberry pancakes, butter on the side with maple syrup, and two eggs over easy.”That voice shifted an octave, continued, “Pop had the same, but he added a side of applesauce.”Pause and a tap on his clean-shaven jaw.“And he likes cream and one sugar in his coffee these days.How’d I do?”
Damn, but the boywasa whiz kid!Harry worked up a slow smile of appreciation and awe.“You did good, kid.And from now on, your boss isn’t handling my taxes,youare.”
That comment made Will stumble over his next words.“Mr.Fergus is very particular about his personal clients.”
Harry raised a brow.“And?I’ll have a chitchat with Andy and then you and I will have a chat.Plus, you’ll set up something with my chef.Jeremy needs somebody like you to give him a few pointers.”
“Sure.Thanks, Harry.”
A nod, a grin and then “Anybody who can rattle off a list from a week ago like you just did deserves to be noticed.”His grin flattened and he added, “If you ever see my wife, don’t mention the butter on the pancakes, okay?I told her I gave it up, but...”
Tsk tsk.Pop shook his head.“Harry Blacksworth, one of these days you’re going to realize that a partner knows everything, even if she doesn’t let on.”
6
