Love Finds You in Hershey, Pennsylvania (22 page)

“He’s a nice lad, though,” Jones said, more to Smith than to Sadie.

Sadie took that to mean he was too nice for the likes of her.

“So what brings you into Suncatchers this fine day?” She steered their attention back her way.

They looked at her once more as if she were a fly they had failed to successfully squash.

“Lunch, dear,” Smith said. “We may be nothing more than skin and bones these days, but I do assure you that we must eat, the same as the next person.”

Yeah, probably small children, names of Hansel and Gretel.

Sadie’s smile never faltered through this thought. She even managed to force a delighted-sounding laugh. “Oh, you.” She wagged a finger in mock amusement.

She was tempted to ask if the pickin’s were too slim in the forest since Hansel and Gretel had found their way back home but choked off the rude comment at the last minute.

“Well, please let me know if there’s anything I can do for you, ladies.”

She turned to go.

“Yes, there is one thing,” Jones called to her.

Sadie took a moment to slap the smile back on her face before turning. “Yes?”

Jones held out her untouched glass of juice. “This glass appears to have a smudge. Could you replace it for me?”

Sadie accepted the juice with a smile the size of Montana. “Why, certainly. Anything else?”

Smith shivered and tugged her crocheted shawl closer around her bony shoulders. “It’s a tad chilly in here, dear. Do you think you could raise the temperature a bit?”

Sadie ground her back molars together. “I’ll look into it.”

She whirled without another word, not trusting herself to speak.

Apparently it was the day for unexpected arrivals. Just as Sadie finished delivering a second glass of juice to Jones, Lucinda Lowell, the office secretary from Holy Water Evangelical Church, came staggering through the door.

Now, Sadie was aware of the ill luck seeming to continually hover just on the outskirts of her peripheral vision, but even her own misfortune seemed a trivial thing compared to the downright unlucky streak that plagued Lucinda Lowell.

A woman of perpetual mishaps, Lucinda could not only be described as clumsy but awkward and bungling, as well. She made Jimmy seem like the height of efficiency.

Lucinda was the only woman Sadie had ever pitied.

She entered the room now with a stumble—the heel of her shoe caught in the fine fibers of the doormat. She swayed back and forth several times, clutching the umbrella rack for support, until she managed to disengage herself from the mat.

Or rather, she removed her foot from her shoe and then got down on her knees to pry the cheap suede pump loose.

Sadie winced. Poor woman.

When an insistent tug finally freed the shoe, it was released with such force that the shoe came back and socked Lucinda squarely in the face. She gasped and rubbed furiously as her nose glowed a Rudolph-worthy crimson.

Sadie didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry for her. She decided simply to offer her assistance instead and hurried over to support Lucinda as she struggled to her feet. The rest of the restaurant slowly returned to their meals as Lucinda smiled breathlessly at Sadie.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” She guided Lucinda toward the counter. “Here, take a seat.”

Lucinda sank into it with an offending squeak that Sadie was positive had come from the chair but sounded suspiciously as though it had come from Lucinda herself.

“Don’t worry about it,” Sadie soothed her, as Lucinda’s cheeks flamed to match her nose.

“It wasn’t—”

“I know.”

Lucinda sighed. Her frizzy dark hair stood straight up on her head and persistently reminded Sadie of the bride of Frankenstein. She shoved her thick, black-framed glasses higher on her still-pink nose.

“Would you like something to drink?” Sadie offered.

“Yes, please. A water would be fine.”

“One water, coming right up.” Sadie stepped behind the counter and filled a glass. She remained behind the counter as she deposited it in front of Lucinda.

“Is there something I can help you with, Lucinda?” Sadie asked, curious. Although Lucinda visited Suncatchers on a fairly steady basis, she rarely showed up for the lunch hour.

The other woman took a long drink of water. “Thanks.” She pushed her glasses upward again.

Lucinda swigged her water again, accidentally dribbling several drops against her blouse. Sadie wordlessly handed her a napkin. As Lucinda dabbed at the water spots, she answered, “I’m having a luncheon meeting with Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Jones.”

Sadie’s eyebrows rose by several notches. What could Lucinda Lowell possibly have to do with Smith and Jones?

As if she had spoken the question aloud, Lucinda offered, “They’re on the committee for the community fair this year. They’re helping me plan the Cocoa Cook-Off competition.”

“Cocoa Cook-Off?”

Lucinda nodded. “It’s new this year, but the committee wants to make it an annual thing. A chocolate-themed competition—with first, second, and third prizes.”

Lucinda balled up the napkin and dropped it on the counter. Inspiration suddenly seemed to strike her, and she jumped to her feet. “Hey! You’re a chef! You should enter!”

Sadie hesitated. Clearly, Lucinda was unfamiliar with her dessert repertoire. She shrugged and picked up the napkin, depositing it in the wastebasket at her feet.

“Oh, I don’t know…. Things have been so busy lately… .”

The nonchalance in her words didn’t match the way her heart hammered inside her. A dessert competition… The very thought of it made her teeth clench. But this was her chance! Her chance to prove herself worthy in the final stage of the cooking arena! To show all of her peers—and especially herself—that there was no task too great for her to overcome.

And just as she opened her mouth to say, “I’ll do it!” Jasper’s words from the day before pulsed through her.

“I think you’re already phenomenally good at what you do, and you should stay focused on that instead of trying to be perfect at things you’ll probably never be perfect at.”

Sadie swallowed.
What are You saying, God? That I shouldn’t do this?

But why in the world not? She could conquer this thing—this one fatal flaw in her ability. She could make it right…. She knew she could.

And yet something told her not to.

“You can’t always be the best, Sadie. You can be good—really good. Maybe you can win a few…but you can’t win them all. Be content with what you’re good at and let the rest go. It’s only food.”

Jasper again.

Oh, what does he know?
a tiny voice snapped.

“Me,” Sadie whispered. “He knows me.”

“What?”

Sadie jerked to attention. “Oh. Sorry.” She drew a deep breath. “I’m really sorry, Lucinda, but I can’t.”

Lucinda’s eyes registered surprise. “But—but—why not?”

Sadie forced the words out. “I’m afraid desserts just aren’t something I’m very good at.
Any
kind of desserts—cookies, pies, cakes, puddings, tarts, you name it. It’s just not my gift.”

Lucinda looked crushed.

“I’m sure you’ll still have
loads
of people sign up,” Sadie encouraged. “Really. But as for me…well, I just…can’t.”

Inwardly, she sighed.

Lucinda nodded, though she was clearly disappointed. “I understand.”

Sadie awkwardly patted her arm. “It’ll still be terrific. You’ll see.” Lucinda managed a dejected smile. “Sure. I’m sure it will.”

She stood to go, knocking over her water glass as she rose. Liquid washed across the countertop and over the hem of Sadie’s blouse.

“Oh! Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean—I—Oh!”

Sadie held up a hand. “It’s all right.” She grabbed a dish towel and mopped at her shirt. Raising her head, she smiled at Lucinda. “Really. It is.”

Despite her own disappointment, Sadie felt really good about herself. She’d done it! She had stared her shortcomings in the face and decided not to be ruled by them. She couldn’t wait to tell Jasper.

She finished wiping down the counter and raised her head to check on Lucinda. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

Jones had slipped out of the booth to meet Lucinda and was practically dragging her by force back to the table. But it was the other occupants of the booth that arrested Sadie’s attention.

For there, under the display of butterfly suncatchers, sat Dmitri Velichko, leaning in politely to catch what Smith was saying to him.

Sadie’s jaw dropped.
What in the—

She should have known those two would pull him into this. Well, it simply was not something to be borne. How could she, Sadie Spencer, in all good conscience, allow her archrival, Dmitri Velichko, to get the better of her at her own town’s dessert competition? She’d never be able to live it down.

Clenching her jaw, she flung the towel onto the counter. No
way
was she missing this. She made a beeline for that booth.

“…hear you’re a
delightful
chef, Mr. Velichko,” Smith gushed.

And with those few words, Sadie made up her mind. She towered above the foursome at the table, her flaming brown eyes silencing whatever conversation might have arisen next.

“Lucinda? I changed my mind.” She glared at Dmitri. “I’ll do it.”

Jasper and Kylie were cooking…with Sadie’s help.

“Now combine the cheese, eggs, and milk.”

Kylie dumped the three items into the mixing bowl under Jasper’s watchful eye. “Okay, Mommy. Now what?”

The little girl looked up. Jasper held the bowl steady on the counter.

“She can’t hear you, Kylie.”

Sadie’s face smiled brightly from the glow of the television screen. “I have to take one more commercial break, but when I come back, we’ll get this quiche in the oven!”

Kylie shrugged her shoulders at Jasper. “Kylie knows.”

It seemed to be no problem for Kylie—communicating with her mother through the filter of the TV set. A minor blip flipped through the screen—evidence of bypassed commercials—and then the theme song chimed once more.

Kylie hummed along, running a spoon through the egg mixture.

“Welcome back to Comfort Cuisine. If you’re just joining us, what we’re cooking up today is a simple but delicious cheddar quiche. The thing that’s great about this dish is that it’s so fast and easy. If the in-laws unexpectedly drop in, it’s the simplest thing in the world to just throw together a few ingredients and come up with this scrumptious meal. It’s practically foolproof.”

Jasper felt his heart flutter as the on-screen Sadie winked for the camera. He wasn’t entirely sure why Sadie’s cooking show had failed. He’d found the food practical but tasty (at least the few recipes he’d tried were), and who could resist Sadie’s adorable smile week after week? Frankly, Jasper thought she deserved an Emmy.… Did they give Emmys for cooking shows? He shrugged.

“Now we’re going to add a bit of seasoning to really accentuate that cheesy quiche flavor… .”

Kylie stood with her tiny hands at the ready.

“First, take a pinch of salt.”

Kylie shook the salt shaker over the counter and then pinched a minuscule amount between her fingers. She mimicked Sadie’s movements as she sprinkled salt into the dish.

“Now for some of that parsley I mentioned earlier…”

As Kylie reached for the dish of parsley Jasper had chopped— there was the “no-knives” rule for Kylie, of course—the sound of the front door opening and closing could be heard. Kylie looked up briefly but then hurried to catch up with the cooking show as Sadie moved from parsley to paprika.

The real-life Sadie swept into the kitchen seconds later.

“Hey, you’re home early,” Jasper remarked, with one eye on Kylie’s ingredient-tossing.

Sadie didn’t seem to hear him. She threw her bag to the floor with a
thud
and jerked open the refrigerator door. Jasper raised his eyebrows. Kylie continued to follow along to cooking-show Sadie.

“I need the kitchen,” Sadie announced, her upper torso hidden by the refrigerator.

Jasper frowned. “Sure, as soon as Kylie and I finish making dinner, then you can—”

“Now.” Sadie emerged. “I need it
now
.”

Even Kylie paid attention, upon hearing the strain in her mother’s voice.

“What’s going on?” Jasper asked. “Did the kitchen burn down at the restaurant or what?”

Her eyes flared hotter than a bottle of Tabasco. “Not funny, Jasper. Simply…not…funny.”

“What’s the emergency? Can’t you see you’re teaching your daughter to cook?” He gestured to the television set he had hooked up in the corner of the kitchen.

Kylie pointed. “That’s you, Mommy!”

Sadie stiffened as she noticed the television, and Jasper knew he’d made some sort of mistake. He just wasn’t sure what it was.

“I see that, baby. Now, can you do me a favor and go upstairs by my bed and bring me the cookbook on top of the nightstand?”

Kylie scrambled off her stool. “The one with the yummy brownies on the front?”

“That’s the one.”

“Kylie will get it!”

She thundered from the kitchen, and then Sadie turned on Jasper with lightning in her eyes.