Cookies and Condolences Page 2

  Mr. Woodland gave her a small smile. “Word is traveling fast about it, too. When you called and asked me to do a bid, I’d already heard a few rumors about what you are doing.”

  “Oh, really? I hope they were all good.” Sammy should’ve known she couldn’t keep this under wraps for long. The people of Sunny Cove were just like the residents of any other small town in America. They loved to gossip.

  “Of course! Anyplace that’ll give people jobs is a good thing, and you’re really fulfilling a need with this. I have a cousin who’ll be interested in coming to work for you.”

  “Well, not for me, exactly,” Sammy corrected gently. “It’s not something I’m doing for myself. We’re setting it up as a non-profit organization. We’ll be hiring someone to manage the place, and I’ll still work here.” She didn’t quite understand all the legalities of it, but Rob was handling that end of things.

  “I see. Here’s what I’ve got so far. I understand there might be some adjustments you need to make, and there’ll probably be some adjustments on our end as well, but this should give you at least a general idea.” He handed her several pieces of paper, reaching across the table to circle the total cost on the bid sheet.

  Sammy was shocked at the low number, and she tried not to let it show on her face. “Okay. We might be able to work with that. I’m going to collect bids from several contractors before we make our final decision. I’m sure you understand.”

  “Of course. You do what you need to do. But keep in mind that I’m local, and I use all local workers as well. I don’t bring in people from out of state just because they’re cheaper. You hear things in my line of work, and I’m sure you do as well. It helps you know just what kind of people you’re dealing with.”

  Sammy couldn’t deny that she’d heard her fair share of rumors since she’d come back to Sunny Cove, and most of them had been overheard while she was waiting tables. She never meant to eavesdrop, but it was impossible to avoid when you were surrounded by people all day. “I suppose that’s true.”

  I have a few references here for you, if you’d like them.” He handed her another piece of paper.

  Appreciating how professional it all seemed, Sammy added the references to the pile. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to let you know if we decide to go with you.”

  “I have no doubt that there are a lot of other contractors in the running for this,” he admitted, folding his hands humbly on the table. “This time of year, people aren’t interested in fixing up their homes, and it’s too wet outside to think of building something new. I know the competition is steep, but I can promise you all my best work.”

  They shook hands, and Mr. Woodland headed out the door.

  “What do you think?” asked a voice over her shoulder.

  Startled, Sammy swiveled in her seat to find Helen leaning over the back of the booth. “Oh! Well, he had everything put together for me, and he does have a very reasonable price.”

  “Well, price isn’t everything, but I know that’s certainly a lot of it. And there are a lot of people in this little old town looking for work. What does the Hewitt boy think about all this?” Helen tossed her thick, gray braid over her shoulder.

  “He’s taking care of the management, and I’m taking care of the contractor. I’ll have him look over the bid for whoever we go with, but it’s mostly up to me.” Sammy flushed a little at the knowledge that someone trusted her with such a big decision. Before she’d moved back to Sunny Cove, back when she’d still been with her ex, Greg had always treated her as though she wasn’t smart enough to make even the tiniest choices about their lives. Now, she was helping to start a completely new company.

  “I have to be honest with you. I have one major concern about this enterprise.” Helen’s pale eyes watched her seriously. “I know you’re a hard worker, Sammy. It’s one of the things I love about you. But I don’t want to see you get burned out. If you’re burning the candle at both ends, you’re liable to melt in the middle.”

  Sammy smiled up at her boss, appreciating that she cared about her so much. “I’ll be all right. Oh, and I wanted to tell you about a great idea I had earlier. Austin has really enjoyed getting baking lessons from me. Once we get Sunny Cove Services up and running, I thought I could go over there once a week or so to teach cooking skills. I’ve heard of other organizations similar to ours that not only give employment opportunities but help with basic life skills as well.”

  Helen smiled fondly. “Like I said, dear, burning the candle at both ends. And I hate to encourage it, but we’re getting pretty backed up. Do you think you could help me out on the floor for a little while?”

  “Absolutely!” Sammy hopped to her feet, adjusted her apron, and began checking on the tables.

  “Ah, Sammy. I’m glad to see you,” said an older woman at the table in the front corner near the window. “I wondered if you had time to sit down and chat with me.” Julia Richardson was rumored to be one of the wealthiest people in town, although nobody really knew how much money she had. At the very least, she had plenty of jewelry, and she wore it no matter the occasion. Today, her pearl earrings and necklace picked up what little sunlight came through the gloomy clouds and glowed against her deep purple sweater.

  “Not really, Mrs. Richardson. Helen needs me.”

  “Well then I won’t bother you for very long. I saw you talking to that Harold Woodland a few minutes ago. You aren’t considering using his services for anything are you?”

  Sammy pursed her lips. The line between gossip and conversation was a thin one, and while she was certainly free to talk about her own business, it made her hesitate when the subject turned to someone else involved. “You might’ve heard that I’m working on starting up a—”

  “Oh, yes, yes, darling. I know all about it. It’s a grand, wonderful thing I’m sure. But what you really need to know right now is that Mr. Woodland is a scam artist. He remodeled my guest bathroom, or at least that’s what I hired him to do. He made a complete mess of the place! It had been outdated, sure, but at least it still worked!”

  “I’m, um, I’m sorry to hear that.” Sammy shoved her hands in the pocket of her apron, feeling as though she’d been put on the spot. “I’ll be sure to check the references of anyone we choose to go with.”

  “And do you really think those contractors will be honest about that? They’ll give you the names of their friends and family, or some schmuck they’ve paid off to say they did a great job! Honey, sometimes I think you’re just too sweet for this world.” She shook her head and clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

  Unsure of whether to take that as a compliment or an insult, Sammy just smiled. “Thanks for the advice, Mrs. Richardson. I’ll be sure to keep it in mind.”

  “You do that. And you watch that Rob Hewitt, as well. You can’t trust a lawyer, no matter how handsome he is.” Julia pointed a ringed finger at Sammy and narrowed her eyes.

  Sammy couldn’t imagine that Rob was anyone who needed to be watched, but she wasn’t about to get into an argument with a customer over something so arbitrary. “Can I get you anything else?”

  The older woman pressed her bright red lips together, clamping them down on whatever else she might have a mind to say. “I’ve been eyeing that chocolate silk pie you put on the counter earlier. I’ll take a slice of that and a check.”

  “Coming right up.” As Sammy continued her work, she thought a lot about what Mrs. Richardson had said. How would she know the right person for the job?

  3

  Half a Cup of Hard Work

  Now that the rental agreement had been finalized, Sonya McTavish had given Rob and Sammy each a key to the big space adjacent to the Stargazer. Early on Thursday morning before she started work at Just Like Grandma’s, Sammy used hers in the rusty lock on the outside door and let herself in. She juggled a carafe of coffee under one arm, set it down on an old blackjack table that had been left behind, and then returned to her Toyota for a box of fresh doughnuts
.

  She was looking forward to seeing what Harold Woodland would do with the place. It certainly didn’t look anything like a place where disabled adults could be employed, not unless they wanted to learn how to deal cards, but she knew there was a lot of potential. She walked in a slow circle around the perimeter, hoping that all her dreams would be a reality soon enough. It would be a long process, and things wouldn’t happen instantly, but she really hoped she could help Austin and others with this place.

  “Knock, knock!”

  Sammy turned around, expecting to see Harold Woodland, but a different familiar face was peeking in the door. “Mr. Herzog, what are you doing here?”

  The land developer strode in the room. He was an incredibly tall man, and Sammy was fairly certain all his suits had to be custom made to fit him as well as they did. He looked around, taking in the ancient paneling and the horrid carpet. “So, this is the place, huh?”

  “I take it you already know what we’re trying to do here.” Everyone else did, so it was no surprise that a business man like Andrew would know as well.

  “I do, and may I say I think it’s a great idea. There’ll be a lot of people who will benefit.” He gave a curt but approving nod.

  “I’m hoping so,” Sammy said with a smile. “I’ve been looking for a way to help the community ever since I moved back here. I think this is a good way to do it.”

  “So do I,” Mr. Herzog said, nodding again, “but I’m not sure you’re going about it right.”

  This surprised her. “Oh? And why is that?”

  “Well, it’s going to take an awful lot of money to turn this place around. I’m sure right now you’re just thinking about simple things, like replacing the wall and floor coverings, maybe upgrading the bathroom.”

  “Yes, that’s definitely in the plan.”

  Andrew sighed and scratched the back of his head. “But you don’t really know what you’re going to run into once you remove this old paneling. What if there’s asbestos in the walls? Or termite damage? What if you have to replace the structure of the walls as well as the paneling? And there’s no telling what’s under this floor.” He frowned down at the carpet and bounced on one foot, testing it out.

  “I’m pretty sure it’s just concrete,” she replied, a small smile on her face. She knew where he was going with this.

  “Still, you’re going to put an awful lot of money into a place that you’re renting. That’s not a very good business plan, long-term. What happens if Sonya sells the theater, and the new owner doesn’t want to rent to you guys anymore? These things happen, you know. It’d be a much better idea if you started over, brand new. I’ve got plans for a building I’d be happy to show you.”

  “If these are the same plans you tried to sell me for the restaurant, I’m not interested.” Mr. Herzog wasn’t always well-liked in the community due to his ideas about tearing down old buildings and erecting new ones in their place, but Sammy didn’t really blame him. That was his job. “Even if it’s a new plan, we just can’t afford it. We’re starting this up on a small government grant, and the rent here is low. Buying land and a new building is more of an investment than we can make right now, even if we wanted to.”

  Mr. Herzog shrugged. “I guess I can see that. I just hate to see you guys run into any problems, especially with what you’re trying to do here.”

  “We’ll be all right. I’ve got a contractor coming in today to get started, and we should be up and running within a month or two.”

  “Yeah, about that…” Andrew pressed his thumb and finger against his chin, looking serious.

  “Yes?”

  “I heard you’re using Harold Woodland.”

  “This is true,” she answered hesitantly. It hadn’t been an easy decision to make. Some contractors promised the fastest turnaround, and others had promised the best quality materials. Mr. Woodland seemed to be the best of all worlds, and the price was low. Rob had agreed with her when she’d gone to him for his opinion.

  “Did you know that he works out of his home?”

  Sammy shook her head. “I didn’t know that, but I’m not sure why it matters.”

  “It’s incredibly unprofessional, to start with. I mean, the guy is probably drafting up plans on his kitchen table.”

  “Mr. Herzog, please. I don’t care if he draws them on a napkin as long as he understands what I need. And he really seems to.” Of all the contractors she’d interviewed, Mr. Woodland seemed the most down-to-earth. She just had a good feeling about him, but she didn’t imagine that was the kind of thing Andrew would understand.

  He held up his hands, palms out. “Okay, okay. But I’ve heard other bad things about him, too. Shoddy work, shoddy workers, things like that.”

  “And have you witnessed any of this firsthand?” Sammy challenged.

  His shoulders slumped slightly in his blazer. “No, I suppose not. I just don’t want to see you and Mr. Hewitt get taken advantage of.”

  “I appreciate that, but I’ve already hired him.” And Mr. Woodland had seemed very excited when she’d called and given him the good news.

  “Okay, I can respect that. But if things go south, remember that I’ve got a good guy I use all the time. The name of the company is Jackson and Sons. They’re very modern, very competent. They’re fully licensed and insured, which is more than I can say for most of the other guys around here.”

  “Aren’t they based out of Oak Hills?” Sammy had made sure she’d only talked to contractors based out of Sunny Cove in an effort to keep things as local as possible. This new business was going to benefit her friends and neighbors as much as possible.

  “They are, and they’ve got a state-of-the-art office with all the latest software. When they give you a bid, they don’t miss a single nail.”

  “I really do appreciate the advice, but Mr. Woodland is on his way here right now. I can’t and won’t just change my mind at the last minute.” It wouldn’t be the right thing to do, and this Jackson and Sons that Mr. Herzog recommended sounded very expensive.

  “Suit yourself, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “Would you like a cup of coffee or a doughnut?” She’d brought the goodies for Harold and his crew, but she could always bring more if there wasn’t enough. Besides, Sammy’s hospitality was hard to repress.

  He waved away the offer. “Thanks, but no thanks. I have some gourmet stuff in the car. I’ll see you around, Ms. Baker.”

  As he made his way out the door, Mr. Woodland came in. He wore a similar outfit to the one she’d seen him in at the diner. This polo was a faded orange instead of green, and there was a small spot of paint on the knee of his khakis. “Good morning, Sammy!”

  “Good morning! I brought some doughnuts and coffee for you guys.” She gestured to the table. “Feel free to help yourselves.”

  “Thank you. That’s very kind. I’m sure they won’t mind a little caffeine to keep things rolling along, right boys?” He smiled at his crewmen as they filed in the door carrying toolboxes and ladders. They smiled back or nodded, but they were mostly interested in looking around at the space that would become Sunny Cove Services. “We’ll get started with the demolition today. I have a dumpster on order that should arrive later on this afternoon. I made sure to just get a small one so it wouldn’t be in the way for Miss McTavish.”

  “Is there anything you need from me? I do need to get to the diner soon.” She wanted very badly to stick around and watch the work, or even jump in and help. Sammy had wielded a hammer a time or two, and it would be fun to be part of the renovations. Still, she knew she had an obligation to Helen, and she’d been dropping the ball a lot lately.

  “No, not really. Is there a way I can lock up when we’re done?”

  “Oh, I hadn’t thought about that!” Sammy fished the key out of her pocket and handed it over. She could get another one from Sonya or borrow Rob’s if need be. “Here you go. That way you can lock up when you’re done, and you can get here however early
you want to in the mornings.”

  Just then, the door opened and admitted a muscular man with dark hair and wild eyes. Sammy was facing the door, so she saw him right away, but Mr. Woodland didn’t miss the creak of the rusty old door. He turned on his heel and called out. “Garrett! How many times do I have to tell you to show up on time? You make all the rest of us look bad! Excuse me, Sammy.” Harold strode across the room to talk to his worker.

  Sammy’s phone rang in her back pocket, which seemed to be good timing. “Hello?”

  “Hi, Ms. Baker. It’s Ken Lowry. I just wanted to check with you and see if you’d had a chance to go over my bid.”

  She pressed her palm against her forehead, realizing she’d forgotten to call all the contractors that didn’t get the job. “I’m so sorry. I meant to call you yesterday. We’ve decided to go with someone else.”

  “Can I ask who?”

  Once again, Sammy warred with herself on what to say. It wasn’t really anyone else’s business, but she didn’t want anyone to think she was trying to keep it a secret, either. “Harold Woodland. He’s starting this morning.”

  “Are you kidding me? You actually hired that guy?”

  Sammy pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She had been so excited to get this project started, but now she was getting yelled at over the phone. That wasn’t how she hoped her day would go. “I did, not that it’s any of your business.”

  “Oh, but it will be when I have to come in and finish up his shoddy work. I know Woodland, and I know the kind of work he does. He’ll either leave it half-done and you’ll have to hire someone else, or he’ll make it look like its finished and you won’t discover the truth until later. Guys like him are just out to make a quick buck, and they don’t care about the quality of work they’ve done.”

  “No offense, Mr. Lowry, but I didn’t ask for your opinion.” It made sense that one contractor would bash another in hopes of getting a job, especially if work was as rare as Mr. Woodland claimed it to be this time of year. Still, this was going too far. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.”