Taking Charge (12 page)

“Maybe a little,” Cole admitted, smiling back at
her.

“Well, I promise it’s only my Aunt Pam who has a
whole drawer dedicated to ice cream. But then again, she has taught
me quite a lot. I can use a slow cooker, don’t you know.”

“Now you really are scaring me.”

Robyn picked a sausage up with her fingers and headed
toward the backdoor.

“I’ve got to go. I told Milo he had to be in by
seven-thirty to let the decorators in,” Robyn said, waving her hand
at him.

“Hey! What time at the supermarket?” Cole called
after her.

“I can tell you’re getting excited about this.”

“Just want to know what a girl like you likes to
eat.”

“Anything and everything, with everything on
it—usually with a dozen sides,” Robyn replied.

“Okay. Got that.”

“One, outside Meijer’s on Westnedge,” Robyn said,
turning her back on him and retreating into the house.

“Fine.”

“But it’s not a date,” Robyn called back as she
disappeared.

“Morning, Milo, you’re late. I’ll overlook it this
once. Okay, here’s your uniform. Let’s put it on, see what it looks
like,” Robyn said, throwing him a plastic wrapped parcel.

“What…now…here?” Milo exclaimed, looking like a
terrified little boy.

“Are you kidding me? No, definitely not here! Out the
back! Come and show me when you have it on and not before,” Robyn
ordered.

“Sure thing,” Milo replied, taking the package and
heading behind the bar.

There was a sudden banging and thumping on the door,
and Robyn hurried to open it, excited about the start of the
decorating. She had chosen cream for the top half of the walls and
a deep plum for the bottom half with a chair rail separating the
two. She wanted traditional, comfortable, and classic, something
that wouldn’t date too much.

She opened the door expecting to see Martin from
Decor with his painting equipment. Instead, she was face-to-face
with Nancy.

Nancy was wearing a fluorescent pink, velour
tracksuit. Her hair was piled high on her head and she had thick
gold hooped earrings hanging from her ears. She was trailer trash
personified.

“Oh,” Robyn stated, unable to hide her
disappointment.

“An early riser, I see. What you doing?” Nancy asked,
trying to look past Robyn into the bar.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with. What
d’you want?”

“This is for you,” Nancy said, thrusting a large box
at her.

“What is it?”

“Old stuff of yours from the house. Haynes motor
manuals for about a dozen cars your dad tells me he’s never owned,
vintage boy’s toys, little dinky cars, a prom dress that’s seen
better days and, surprisingly, no dolls. I need the space. I’ve got
someone moving in to help with the bills. There’s invoices in there
for this place—they need paying,” Nancy informed her.

“Who’s moving in?” Robyn wanted to know.

“That’s no concern of yours. Your dad knows all about
it.”

“Does he?” Robyn asked, unconvinced.

“Yes, he does, ask him. Listen, you’ve taken this
place, I’m not going to let you muscle your way into the house,
too,” Nancy snarled.

“It’s Dad’s house, not yours,” Robyn stated.

“I’m his fiancée,” Nancy snapped back.

“We’ll see about that,” Robyn said, fixing Nancy with
a stare.

“Whatever, sugar. Me and your dad, we have history,”
Nancy answered.

“Funny enough, so do we—like twenty-five years.”

“Couple of flowery letters in there too, from Brad.
Amused me all morning,” Nancy replied.

“Are we done?” Robyn asked.

“We’re done.”

Robyn dropped the box on the floor and slammed the
door closed. She leaned against it and closed her eyes. Nancy was a
hassle she could do without. She’d been away too long. She should
have been around to make sure her dad didn’t do stupid things like
hitch himself to a gold-digger.

When she opened her eyes, Milo stood in the middle of
the room dressed in his black trousers and new burgundy t-shirt
that read “Eddie’s Roadhouse” on the front.

“Ooo, you look cute! In a very masculine and cool
way…that goes without saying. Turn around, turn around,” Robyn
encouraged excitedly.

Milo turned his back to her, and Robyn clapped her
hands together as she read “Eddie’s Roadhouse, Shaver Road,
Portage, MI—Come here for beer and cheer.”

“I love it! Don’t you love it, Milo? It’s great!”
Robyn said.

“I’m not sure about the color,” Milo replied
stiffly.

“The color’s perfect. It’s the same color as the
bottom half of the walls are going to be and the new sign,” Robyn
told him.

“When are you planning to re-open?” Milo asked.

“Next Friday,” Robyn informed him.

“Next Friday!”

“Is that panic in your voice, Milo? I hope it isn’t
panic, because I need all the help I can get, and what I don’t need
is panic. In fact, panic is not even a word I want mentioned at all
in this bar. I have a chef coming today, someone I’m trying to
poach from another roadhouse. I have old Ada making new covers for
the seats, interviews for staff, and I’ll have menus and flyers
printed by the end of the week,” Robyn stated, writing things down
on her list.

“What about plates and knives and forks and stuff?”
Milo asked.

“Shit! Good, Milo, you’re right. We need something
for people to eat with. See, this is why you’re my head bartender.
Right, I need to source some plates and things. I wonder if we
should have them personalized. What do you think?” Robyn asked
him.

“I think I’m not sure burgundy’s really my color,”
Milo replied, staring down at his t-shirt.

“Okay, don’t get up. I’m here with grapes. Hands up,
who wants some?” Robyn announced as she entered Eddie’s hospital
room and waved a bag of fruit in the air.

“Are they the ones dipped in chocolate?” Max asked,
propping himself up and looking eager.

“What do you think?” Robyn asked, staring back at the
wrinkled old man.

“Eddie! This can’t be your daughter. She’s bringing
in healthy stuff,” Max called across the room.

Then he gasped and started having a bout of coughing.
His whole body contorted, and it sounded as if he was about to
heave up all of his internal organs.

“Morning, Dad,” Robyn greeted, grabbing a chair and
pulling it up alongside Eddie’s bed.

He was wearing glasses and seemed to be studying the
local paper. He didn’t move the paper or respond to her, he just
carried on reading as if she wasn’t there. She poked him hard in
the leg with her forefinger, and he didn’t even flinch.

“Nurse says you had oatmeal for breakfast,” Robyn
commented.

Still no reply was forthcoming.

“Hey! Hello! I’m here! Come to see you! Brought
grapes, which I think are the closest thing to sweets you can get.
Put the paper down!” Robyn ordered, taking it from him.

“I hear you drive a Mustang these days and have a
boyfriend already. Someone called Cole,” Eddie remarked, taking off
his glasses and fixing her with a disapproving stare.

“You’ve seen Brad this morning. How was he? Has he
stopped behaving like a complete jerk?” Robyn asked, stuffing a
handful of grapes into her mouth.

“Who is this guy you’re with? Brad thinks he’s
shifty,” Eddie continued.

“Christ, Dad! I don’t have a guy. He’s a friend,
that’s all. And Brad behaved like an ass last night, squaring up to
people. Cole played for the Wolves, Dad, the Wolves! I have an
ex-Wolves player playing for the Panthers. Isn’t that the best
thing you’ve ever heard?” Robyn asked, hoping the namedropping
would earn her some favor.

“Brad’s been with us a long time and he’s been good
to me,” Eddie said gruffly.

“What’s that supposed to mean? I have to put up with
him being an idiot?”

“He’s had things tough.”

“He’s not the only one,” Robyn stated under her
breath.

“Why didn’t you want to go to dinner with him?” Eddie
questioned.

“Jeez! Did he come in here and pour his heart out or
something? What have you turned into, Dad? Some sort of agony
aunt?” Robyn exclaimed, poking in more grapes.

“He likes you, Robyn, he’s always liked you. He’s a
good guy,” Eddie stated.

“I am going to speak to the doctor about your
medication. It’s changing you, turning you into someone else. We
are not having a conversation like this. Next you’ll be wanting to
talk about your feelings,” Robyn said.

“Nancy tells me you’ve taken over the roadhouse,”
Eddie continued.

“Yes.”

“Good. She isn’t the most organized of women, but her
heart’s in the right place. She’s got someone moving in to the
house to help pay the bills.”

“What is it you see in that woman? I’ve seen more
meat on a kebab and the attitude—well!”

“I thought you didn’t want to talk about feelings.
Tell me about the team. How do they look?”

“A lot better now Cole’s playing. Henrik’s pretty
amazing too,” Robyn said excitedly.

“That boy can move like no one I’ve ever seen
before,” Eddie replied a smile crossing his face.

“They play Reading this weekend,” she reminded
him.

“It’s going to be a hard game. They’re a good team,
very tactical,” Eddie told her.

“Have you seen them play this year?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t pretty. What’s your line up going to
be?” Eddie wanted to know.

“I haven’t finalized anything yet.”

“Well, maybe we could look at it together,” he said
with a sniff.

“You’re supposed to be resting, not getting excited
over ice hockey. I can manage,” Robyn insisted.

“Listen, I had oatmeal for breakfast and some awful
shit with asparagus last night. I need something to focus on,”
Eddie informed her.

“Not one gram of trans-fatty acids has passed his
lips,” Max piped up loudly.

“I don’t believe that for a second. You’re obviously
just getting better at stashing it,” Robyn answered.

“Robyn, that hurts me,” Eddie said.

“Hmm, well, we’ll see. Robyn made a beeline for the
closet next to Max’s bed.

“Did you know I can sniff out trans-fatty acids from
fifty yards?” Robyn asked Max.

“Yeah? So what?” Max said, screwing up his face and
crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“So I think you and Dad might just be storing up some
goodies nearby, like—in here!” Robyn announced as she pulled open
the door.

Out fell family-sized pack after family-sized pack of
chips, followed by enough Hershey’s chocolate bars to restock a
large store.

“None of that has anything to do with me,” Eddie
spluttered immediately.

“This is unbelievable! Oatmeal and something
disgusting with asparagus and, all the while, you’re topping it
with chips and chocolate! I knew it was too good to be true!” Robyn
blasted, pulling out the contraband and piling it on Max’s bed.

“Stop it! If the nurse comes in, she’ll take it all
away! You have to let a dying man have a few simple pleasures,” Max
croaked, leaning forward and trying to get his hands on the
treats.

“You’re not dying,” Robyn announced crossly.

“We’re all dying, gal,” Max answered with a throaty
cough.

“But not all from cholesterol overload. These are
coming with me, and if you get more, I’ll tell the first nurse I
see that you both want a sponge bath,” Robyn informed them.

“She’s evil, your daughter, Eddie, pure evil,” Max
yelled.

He’d spent all morning looking forward to a shopping
trip. He liked his food as much as the next guy but shopping for
it? He knew the anticipation wasn’t the idea of cruising down a few
aisles, it was Robyn. What was her story? He really wanted to know.
He wanted to get to know her. So, she didn’t do dates. Neither did
he right now. He’d slept with three women in two months just to
prove he could, just to take away the humiliation of the whole damn
episode. It hadn’t been good, it wasn’t his style, and he didn’t
want to do it again. But Robyn was different. He’d only known her a
few days, but there was something almost familiar about her.

His phone bleeped and he took off his eye protectors.
He looked at the screen and his face began to heat up. Veronica.
What the Hell could she have to say to him?

“What flavor chips? And we have to have some dips?
Which dips? Ranch? Cheese and chive?” Robyn asked as she stopped
the cart opposite a shelf at Meijer’s that afternoon.

“You choose,” Cole suggested, looking at his mobile
phone and starting to type.

“Well, ranch is my favorite, so we’ll have ranch. Oh,
let’s take one of each of these because, to be honest, I can
probably get through a bag a day on my own. But then again, I have
just confiscated at least ten bags from Max and my dad, so maybe we
don’t need more. You should have seen their faces!” Robyn exclaimed
with a laugh as she remembered the frosty looks and the arms folded
across their chests.

“Yep,” Cole replied, not looking up.

“What you doing? You thought shopping was going to be
the highlight of your week this morning, now you’re barely showing
any interest. Who you texting?” Robyn asked, attempting to look at
the screen of his phone.

“Veronica,” Cole replied.

“Veronica?”

“Yeah.”

“And Veronica is? Your sister? A friend? A cool girl
from back home?” Robyn asked.

“My ex.”

“Your ex.”

“Yeah, the one who went off with my brother,” Cole
informed her.

“And you’re texting her, why?” Robyn asked,
intrigued.

“She texted me, I’m texting her back.”

“Okay, are we going to start talking in riddles to
each other because I’m good with that. My first is in RAT but not
in CAT,” Robyn answered.

“She wanted to meet up, to talk,” Cole said.