How Cassie Got Her Grind Back (17 page)

She disappeared into the kitchen and came back shortly with a plate containing a sandwich made with thick, freshly baked bread, cut into triangles. The plate was piled with potato chips and two slices of dill pickle on the side. She set the plate and a large Styrofoam cup on a table near the hallway just as the man, who appeared to be homeless, returned from the restroom with a clean face and hands and hair combed.

A blush filled her cheeks as she glanced over and found several of them were watching her and then spoke kindly to the man, who nodded several times and smiled at her before taking a huge bite of the sandwich. She patted his shoulder and then returned to their table.

In a quiet tone, Hank said, “Thank you, Cassie. I stopped to talk to him earlier this morning when I saw him by the bank.”

“He told me he’s a veteran, Hank.”

“I know.”

“Is there anything we can do?”

Hank shook his head. “I’d like to help him find a workable situation here and get him off the streets, and I’ve put out the word but haven’t heard anything yet.”

“He seems in his right mind,” Grandma Kate said. “Maybe he’s on his way to family in these parts?”

Cassie shook her head. “I asked him if there was anyone I could call for him, at least to let them know he was okay, and he told me no. He’s all by himself. That’s awful with the holidays coming up.”

Hank nodded. “I hate to see anyone on the street when there are jobs going unfilled in this town. I plan to keep checking into it.”

“Cassie,” one of the waitresses said softly after glancing apologetically at him and the rest of the group.

Cassie turned to her employee, and young woman whispered to her in Spanish and pointed to the kitchen. Samson caught only part of the soft exchange, that someone was feeling unwell, and noticed the way Cassie paled and then checked her watch as the young woman returned to the kitchen. Several people walked in the front door, and she waved to them with a smile.

“What’s wrong?”

“Mama isn’t feeling well. I’d better go see what’s wrong,” she said before apologizing to the group and hurrying to the kitchen.

“Her mother isn’t feeling well?” Grandma Kate said as she got up from her chair. “I’m a nurse. Maybe I can help.” Without another word, she trotted off after Cassie.

Veronica chuckled and said, “Once a nurse, always a nurse. I hope she’s all right.”

Some slight noise from the back, a gasp or rush of movement had him up out of his chair a second later.

“Mama,” Cassie said as she kneeled beside her mom in the food prep area. “Mama!” Kate slowly got to her knees on the floor while one of the other workers reached over and turned off the lit burner.

Kate held Delicia’s wrist in a gentle grasp as she looked at her watch and then looked up at him and Hank. “She’s unconscious. Her airway doesn’t appear to be obstructed. Pulse is weak. I think we need an ambulance.”

“On it,” Hank said with his phone already to his ear. “Don’t worry, Cassie, we’ll get her help. Thank God the hospital is only a block away from here.” He turned away as the call connected and began speaking to the emergency operator.

The employees stood there, looking at each other, unsure what to do, while Cassie held her mother’s hand and whispered to her. Ivan spoke quietly to one of the workers, obviously giving directions, and the young woman nodded and smiled, seeming grateful for someone to tell her what she should do.

The wail of a siren came closer, and bystanders craned their necks in curiosity as the ambulance pulled up near the front door. Seeing a way to be helpful, Samson cleared a path for them and held the door open as possibly one of the tallest men he’d ever met hopped out of the vehicle with jump kit in hand while another technician opened the back of the ambulance as he spoke into a portable radio.

Samson propped open the door in case they needed a gurney and went back into the kitchen as Hank ushered all the nonessential people out of the area. The extraordinarily tall technician was kneeling beside Mrs. Villalobos, taking her pulse as he listened to what Cassie told him.

“Don’t worry, Cassie, we’ll take good care of your mom.” The technician looked over at Hank, and understanding what was necessary, Samson stooped and helped Cassie to rise.

“Let’s give him room to work, baby.”

“Thank you, Eli,” she said as she released Delicia’s hand. The other technician joined him, and they were all business.

Hank helped Kate to rise to her feet, and then the rest of the group rejoined on the other side of the counter. More customers had come in, and Cassie had eyes for only what was going on with her mom, but then she looked around and said, “I’m already down one worker who had to stay home with a sick child today. If I leave…”

“What can we do,
chiquita
?” Samson said.

“Um,” she said, looking around and noticing all the bystanders. “If they take her to the hospital, I’m going with them, which will leave us too short-staffed to run the shop. I’ll have to close down for the day, I guess.”

Ivan held up a hand and said, “Not necessarily. Do the two remaining workers know how everything goes, more or less?”

She nodded. “Marissa can cook, and Tilly knows how the machines work.”

“Perfect,” Ivan said. “Let us run the place for you today. I can help with cooking.”

“Absolutely!” Grandma Kate said. “There’s no reason why you should lose your revenue stream when it’s not necessary. I can stay and help, too. Just show me where to wash my hands and put up my hair, and give me an apron. I can take orders and deliver food. Oh, don’t look at me like that, Hank Stinson. I’ve helped out at Lusty Appetites a time or two.”

“Are you sure?” Veronica asked as she pulled her dark auburn hair back into a tidy knot at the back of her head with an elastic band. “You said you wanted to do some holiday shopping this afternoon.”

“I can still do that later, sweet girl. I’m not on a schedule, after all.”

“Well, all right. I just don’t want you to wear yourself out.”

The little white-haired sprite chuckled and flapped her hand. “I have on my comfy shoes,” she said, demonstrating by waggling a foot at all the naysayers. “And I still have excellent vision and faculties. Now, who’s staying to help me?”

Chuckling through tears, Cassie gave her a hug and handed Ivan her keys to the shop. “You’re sure about this?”

Ivan grinned. “It’s my time off, and I’d like to help, too.”

Samson said, “I have to be at work by three, but I can stay for a while. I can take orders and run a cash register.”

“I normally close at three anyway,” Cassie said. “That would be perfect—Oh no!”

“What?” he asked at the horrified look on her face.

“Violet’s cake! I was supposed to finish all the layers today. Crap! I’ll just have to do it later tonight.”

“Nonsense,” Ivan said. “Let me finish it for you. You showed it to me already. And I’d have the pictures of the finished product to go by.”

Cassie looked at him as if he was crazy, but he just grinned. Hank interrupted and said, “Eli told me she’s stable, but they want to transport her for observation. He said you can ride with him, Cassie.”

“Okay.” She nodded and set her jaw, as if reminding herself she could handle this. “I appreciate all of your help…if you’re sure. Things are about to get busy,” she added as more people came in the side door.

Grandma Kate returned to the group with her white curls done up in a red kerchief, Rosie the Riveter-style, a Divine Drip apron hung around her neck, and a paper towel in her hands, drying them. She quickly hugged Cassie and made a shooing gesture. “Let us know how she is. I’ll be praying, honey.”

“Don’t overdo it, Grandma Kate,” she said as Ivan brought her purse to her.

“We won’t let her,” he said. “And you let me know when you’re ready to be picked up. I can stay in the area as long as need be today.”

Grandma Kate was already behind the counter, chatting with folks waiting in line as she tied up her apron strings and then picked up her order pad and pencil. “What can I get for you, sweetie?” she asked the first person in line. Veronica joined her behind the counter and spoke to the first person in the other line.

Cassie looked up at Ivan, who kissed her forehead as the waitress brought him an apron, too. “We’ve got this, baby. You go take care of your mom. Keep in touch as you’re able so we know what’s going on.”

She nodded, her eyes bright with unshed tears and then hugged and kissed them both. It was a fast kiss, but intense, before she rushed out the door.

For the next hour, Ivan and the two coffee shop employees kept them on the right track. He discovered Kate really did have a little experience with restaurant work because several members of her extended family worked at a café in her hometown of Lusty, Texas.

Once the rush had slowed just a bit, Ivan went into the back and began working on the wedding cake. Samson left to go to work, but not before Grandma Kate gave him a kiss on the cheek and pressed a cup of hot, strong coffee in his hand. “You go be there for all the souls who may need help, Samson. It was a pleasure meeting and working with you today.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He wasn’t sure how much good he did, but he’d learned the difference between a grande and a tall and served pastries and kolaches. And while he could pour a mean cup of old-fashioned drip coffee, he’d left the running of the espresso machine to the experts. He hoped the results had been acceptable to the customers. He didn’t want to mess up her following in the community.

On the way back to Morehead, Samson grinned as he took a sip of the coffee Grandma Kate had made for him. The perfect amount of sugar. It was like he’d always said, Moms, and Grandmas, had magic in their fingers and everything they made tasted good.

“Speaking of which,” he said as he hit the hands-free calling button on his steering wheel. “Call home.”

“Calling,” intoned the voice-activated system.

“Hello?” said the sweet voice over the speaker system of the truck.

“Mom! How’re you doin’?”

“Samson! I’m just fine. It’s been a week or two since I last talked to you. How have you been?”

“Great. Hey, do you remember Cassie Villalobos?”

“I sure do,” she murmured, her tone a little more cautious. “I always thought she was a sweet thing. Why do you ask?”

“Well, we went to the high school reunion recently,” he said and began to get her caught up.

Cassie joined Dr. Emma Rivers in the hallway outside her mom’s hospital room and focused on Emma’s explanation of the emergency room physician’s diagnosis.

“An anxiety attack? Thank goodness—I mean that’s awful, but I was terrified she’d had a heart attack.”

Emma patted her arm, understanding in her eyes. “I know what you meant. That’s what the tests indicate so far. Symptom-wise, a person having an anxiety attack often feels as though they’re having a heart attack, which serves to increase their panic, resulting in a snowball effect. Her blood pressure is still on the low side. They’ll keep an eye on her for the next several hours until she’s had some IV fluids and keep her overnight, which I agree is a good idea. Once we get her over this bump in the road, bring her to see me for a follow-up. Did she say anything about feeling under the weather lately?”

“The last thing she told me, several days ago, was that she felt tired out. I’ve been thinking about having her come to live with me instead of in her little apartment in the retirement village so I could keep an eye on her.”

Emma smiled. “It might be good for her, if you can handle it. I know she likes helping you at the restaurant. I’m interested to see her blood work when it comes back. It could be she’s anemic.”

“She’s had trouble with anemia in years past, I remember.”

“We’ll keep an eye on it, then. Did anything happen that might’ve triggered the panic attack?”

Anger flared anew at the thought of her father. “Yeah, Dad came by the coffee shop. He wanted to see Mom, but I wouldn’t let him. He’d just give her a hard time. Who knows what would’ve happened if—never mind.”

Emma pursed her lips and then patted Cassie’s arm consolingly. “How’s he doing? I remember you mentioning he’d had some car accidents.”

“Incorrigible,” Cassie replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “He won’t listen to reason and, as usual, he’s angry at me.”

He’d taken out someone’s fence and their gazebo—and totaled his car a few months before. When the EMTs came, they insisted on taking him to the ER for stitches. Emergency room physicians had examined him, and after listening to him tell his story, they’d consulted with Cassie about not allowing him to drive anymore.

The next incident had involved an outbuilding he’d struck on someone’s property while driving a borrowed vehicle, and then he’d driven away from the incident. Judge Woody Porter had gotten involved then and ordered him to stay out from the behind the steering wheel from then on. It’d made life more complicated since he lived alone, but he’d enlisted his brothers to help him get around. Since they were all retired now, it seemed to work out all right. Except now he was claiming he planned to go car shopping again.

She’d told him if he did she’d go to his house, take his keys, inform the insurance company he wasn’t supposed to be driving—and then call Woody if she had to.