The afternoon sped by and, before she knew it, some extra volunteers had arrived to help serve. Callie assumed they were coming there after their day jobs ended.
“Are there always this many volunteers?” Callie asked Poppy shortly before they began serving.
“We usually get a pretty good turnout. Since the recession several years ago, everyone in town seems ready to pitch in to help those who haven’t yet recovered.”
From the amount of food they’d prepared, Callie guessed there would be many diners tonight. Personally, she hadn’t been as affected by the recession as others. Being here in Whittler’s Creek put it all into perspective, though.
“Put those potatoes on that burner over there.” Poppy pointed to a place on the long serving table set up with the food. “You did a good job on them.”
Callie warmed with pleasure at the compliment, no matter how slight. It might actually be the first when it came to her cooking. “Thank you.” She was pretty proud of her accomplishment. Au gratin potatoes might not sound like much to most people, but it was huge for Callie who’d never been taught to cook.
From across the room, Callie saw Tyler walk in. He was wearing his uniform. Her first thought was that he was here on police business until he began greeting people and shaking hands. He finally made it over to the food table and they made eye contact.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
“Pretty well.” She gestured to the table overflowing with food in metal catering dishes over flaming kerosene canisters. “Looks like we’re expecting a lot of people tonight.”
Tyler nodded. “I seem to remember we get anywhere from a hundred and fifty to two hundred.”
Callie’s eyes widened. “Really? I’m surprised there are so many in need of a hot meal in this area.”
“They come from all over. We don’t ask for any proof of need. Some people just show up because of that.”
“So why are you here? To make sure I’m working?” She tried to make it sound like she was kidding, but she knew there was an edge to her voice.
“No, I figure Aunt Poppy will tell me if you’ve gone AWOL. She’s here frequently to help out.” He smiled and it softened his words and made her heart flutter erratically. “I usually try to come by and lend a hand when I can. It’s not easy with the girls.”
“Where are they? Did someone else pick them up from the bus?” Callie realized Poppy had been at the community center all day.
Tyler nodded. “They’re having dinner at a friend’s house tonight. The friend’s mother brought the three girls home from the bus. I just talked to her on my way here. They were playing in the sprinkler and planning to watch a princess movie after dinner.”
She nodded. “That’s good. I’m glad they’ve made friends in town.”
“Five minutes, everyone!” Poppy made the announcement and then looked over the table to make sure everything was in order. She’d given out assignments and Callie was to serve her potatoes.
“I better wash up.” Tyler disappeared into the restroom and Callie went into the kitchen to put on clean gloves. By the time she came out, Tyler was standing at the station next to hers, ready to serve green beans, with an apron covering his uniform and latex gloves that matched hers.
She wondered if Poppy had purposely put them beside each other and then decided probably not.
Poppy had more sense than to play matchmaker where Callie and Tyler were concerned. Or so she hoped.
* * *
TYLER WAS PRETTY sure Aunt Poppy had put him next to Callie on purpose. Since he’d been back in town, she’d made no secret of the fact that she thought his daughters needed a mother and he needed a wife.
He disagreed, at least with the wife part. He’d done that once and it had turned out poorly to say the least. Disastrous was a closer description.
He glanced at Callie next to him. She was certainly attractive. With her hair in some kind of knot on the back of her head and a minimum of makeup, she still touched something inside him that had been dormant for years. Even the apron she had on over her jeans and fitted, light blue T-shirt didn’t detract from her beauty. Neither did the cheap sneakers and latex gloves she wore.
She had a way of making him feel the same way he had when they were teenagers. He’d glimpse her in the school hallway and his hormones would go into overdrive, just like now.
“Hey, Chief, how’s it going?” Tyler’s thoughts were interrupted by the man on the other side of him serving ham.
He turned in his direction. “Not too bad, Jim. How’s the furniture business going?” Jim was the oldest son of the Pratt family, probably in his late forties, who’d taken over his dad’s furniture business and had expanded it into Tyler’s dad’s old hardware space on Main Street.
The two men exchanged pleasantries for a minute or two before diners began entering the building. Business was steady as people moved down the line for nearly an hour before it slowed.
“Looks like stragglers now that the initial rush is over,” Jim commented to Tyler.
Tyler nodded and scooped up green beans to serve to the next person in line. “Green beans?” The words had barely come out of his mouth when he realized Wendy Carter, Callie’s stepsister, was holding a plate of food and waiting for him to put beans on it. “Oh, sorry.” While he emptied the spoonful of beans onto her plate, he said, “Is that you, Wendy?”
She nodded.
He hadn’t seen her since he’d been back in town. She’d certainly changed since high school, and not for the better. Her hair was clumpy, as if it hadn’t been washed or even brushed in days. She was slightly hunched and didn’t meet his gaze, as if embarrassed to be seen getting a free meal.
He didn’t know what else to say and she remained mute until she reached Callie and her potatoes. Tyler watched the exchange between the two women. At first Callie didn’t notice Wendy and Wendy hadn’t looked up to see that it was Callie serving her.
“Wendy?” Callie mimicked his surprise at seeing Wendy.
Wendy raised her head and as soon as she saw Callie, the expression on her face turned to anger and something else. Hatred was the only word he could come up with.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Wendy’s vitriolic question was barely loud enough for him to hear. She didn’t let Callie speak before going on in an angry whisper. “You always thought you were so much better than us. I guess there’s no denying that now.”
“Wendy—” He shut his mouth when Callie put a hand on his upper arm. She met his gaze with eyes pleading for him to let her handle it. He barely nodded and she turned to face Wendy.
“Would you like potatoes?” Callie held a spoonful of potatoes out to Wendy as if nothing had happened. Wendy accepted the potatoes and moved down the line.
When she was out of hearing range, Tyler asked Callie, “Why is she so angry at you?”
Callie shrugged. “Who knows? She’s been angry at me since she and her mother moved in when I was three and she was two.”
“Really?” He had a hard time computing that information. Wendy had always been nice to him, especially when they were teenagers. In fact, he’d always thought Wendy might have had a crush on him, but he hadn’t been interested. At the time, Callie was the only one who’d interested him.
And now he was finding that interest in her renewed.
* * *
THE