Laura felt a flicker of envy and put down her mug with a sharp clack. “Okay, back to business. What are we going to do?”
“About?”
“What do you mean, about? Get your mind off your fiancé. We were talking about what we’re going to do about that, that…Eternal Rest Hotel and Spa. ”
Sorrow laughed. “Oh, Laura. Is it that bad? Maybe Eddie’s right. Maybe a fancy spa could bring in more business for us. ”
“Thanks for the support, but yes, it is so bad. ” Her throat clenched a little as she said it.
Sorrow paused to look—really look—at her. “You’re really upset. All right. I hear you. Tell you what. I need to finish up here, and the lunch crowd will be here soon, but once
it thins out there, we can talk, okay? Make a plan. ” She grabbed another handful of veggies from the fridge and began to wash them. “When times get rough, I recommend soup. Go take a hot shower. This’ll be done in an hour. You’ll think better with a full stomach. ”
She looked longingly at the pot. “You know I can’t. ” When things felt out of control like they did now, she always liked to be extra careful of her diet.
“Give it a rest, Laura. You can. Soup and salad can’t be more than, what, five hundred calories, max. ”
Bear burst into the kitchen, the door swinging on its hinges. “What’s keeping you girls?”
Sorrow didn’t even pause what she was doing. “I’m doing my job, Dad. You know, making lunch?” How her sister had become so bulletproof to the man’s moods was a wonder.
Unable to get a rise from Sorrow, their father swung his gaze her way. He eyed her with a frown. “What happened to you?”
Her shirt was still damp and cool with sweat, and she peeled it from her body to air it out. “What’s with you people? Can’t a girl go for a run without getting the third degree?”
“You’re dripping on the counter. ”
“I am not dripping on the counter. ” She hopped down.
Bear’s eyes narrowed to tiny slits. “Ain’t those shorts a little…short?”
“Yeah, Dad,” Sorrow said blandly, coming to her rescue. “It’s why they call them shorts. ”
“Well, dry yourself off before you get out there,” he said with a wave to the pass-through window. The low hum of chatter had already begun, diners come early for lunch. Some liked to bring the newspaper and park at the counter for hours.
Laura gave him an incredulous look. “Who says I’m going out there?”
“Somebody needs to man the tables. ”
Sorrow met her eyes with a mischievous twinkle. “Don’t you mean woman the tables, Dad?”
“I don’t care who does it. All I know is Helen’s not here yet. ”
“Helen needs to step up,” Laura said at once. Their waitress fought her on everything, and while she didn’t need her employees to bow at her feet, Helen’s attitude verged on downright disrespectful. “We pay her good money. If she’s not going to work for it, then we should find someone who will. ”
“I know you’re not exactly friends,” Sorrow began.
“Not friends? Not hardly. Does she even have any friends?”
“We can’t just fire her,” Sorrow said. “She’s got kids. ”
Bear shrugged. “Your mother won’t hear of it anyhow. ”
“Well, she needs to at least attempt to be on time. ”
“I’ll talk to her,” Sorrow said. “Try to give her a break. I feel bad for the woman. Her husband’s never around. ”
Laura did a mental scan. “She’s married to that Rob guy, from the hardware store, right?”