Page 16 of One Sultry Summer

I headed back to my room and put on my work-around-the-house clothes. A worn pair of jeans and a ragged old T-shirt that has seen better days. A yawn escapes me, but I soldier on, knowing I have a lot to get done before I head over to my mother’s inn. After the horses and chickens have been fed, I head back upstairs to shower.

While I let the water run to warm up, I look at myself in the mirror. I turn my head back and forth and rub my cheeks. The stubble on my face is longer than a five o’clock shadow. I’m not in the mood for shaving, so the scruff is staying on today.

I stripped down, jumped into the shower, and let the warm water beat down on me. With my eyes closed, I visualize the woman with those stunning eyes, one blue and the other hazel. For some reason, she captivated me. Bewitched me to where I spouted off nonsense. I didn’t even ask her name, and I’m sure I’ll never see her again.

After I shower, I take a pair of jeans out of my drawer and a black T-shirt. A soft knock comes from outside my bedroom door.

“Daddy?”

“Hold on a second, I’m changing.” I hear her footsteps fade away, then the door opens and closes to the hallway bathroom. Knowing she’s awake, I finish dressing and head downstairs to make a small cup of coffee. I’m waiting for her to come downstairs so I can tell her that we need to spend the morning at the inn. She spends a lot of time at daycare but loves any time she can share a minute with my mom. I suppose we can skip breakfast and eat at the inn.

Vegetarian, who’d of thought…damn, why am I thinking about that redhead. We barely shared more than two sentences. Shit. It’s not like I’ve never seen a woman with red hair before.

“Daddy!”

“Yes, precious?”

“Are we going to the festival?”

“Yes, later today.”

“Do you have to work?”

I shake my head. “Then why can’t we go now?”

“Because, young lady, it doesn’t open until after ten AM.”

“Oh.” She huffs out a breath.

“Besides, Nana has asked us to come help with breakfast.”

Her eyes beam with excitement. “Really?”

“Yup, let’s get you dressed and head over.”

“What about breakfast?”

“We’ll eat there as well.” She claps her hands and cheers. “You’re excited.”

“I am!”

“Come on.”

She sings songs up the stairs. “I’m going to Nana’s house.”

“Nana’s inn, honey. Not her house.”

“I’m going to Nana’s inn.”

I don’t know why I corrected her; it’s not going to make a bit of difference.So long as she’s excited about seeing her grandmother, that’s all that matters.

Thirty-five minutes later, we headed out the door and on our way to mom’s. As always, she’s hard at work, since this is a busy day for most small business owners as people come in from out of town for our Founders Day celebration and festival. I’m sure all her rooms are booked, and she’s known for making traditional foods with flair.

Today, she’s making what was always a staple in our home. Breakfast tacos were, and will always be, my favorite. It’s often made with leftover barbecue, scrambled eggs, and cheese. Knowing my mother, this isn’t a leftover barbecue. She probably hasn’t even been to bed yet.

I will do anything I can to help her out. The kitchen smells amazing, which makes my stomach rumble. Mom gave me the chore of making scrambled eggs, so I gave Emily a jobhelping me. The funniest part is her saying eww every time she cracks an egg.

All the food is placed in chafing dishes. With gloved hands, I take the full pan and set it down on the buffet table to keep it warm. A water pan is underneath, and a burner is beneath both pans to keep the food at the optimal temperature.

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