and church bazaars. Apparently marshaling volunteers into line was excellent training for managing the chaos of a bakery-restaurant and catering business.
“I’m sorry, but my employees aren’t your concern,” Sarah replied carefully.
“They are if my mother is one of them. There are safety issues to consider, along with everything else. I don’t want her exhausting herself in a hot, crowded kitchen.”
Sarah glanced at Aurelia who was watching wide-eyed. Other customers also appeared to be watching with varying levels of interest.
“Let’s step outside,” Sarah said in a tight tone. She didn’t appreciate scenes, particularly in front of her patrons.
“Just tell me where my mother is and we’ll both get out of here.”
His arrogance took Sara’s breath away. “What are you going to do, issue an order and expect Rosemary to follow it?”
“I’m going to reason with her. You can’t possibly understand the situation.”
“I understand you’re a chauvinistic jackass—how’s that for a start?” she shot back, quickly losing the battle to control her temper. Rosemary had talked often about her son the architect, but she hadn’t mentioned he was utterly impossible.
“Sarah certainly has figured you out, my darling,” said Rosemary. She’d returned from a visit to the office supply store and was glaring at her son. Sarah was reminded of her iron-willed grandmother who’d helped raise her. Yet Rosemary’s expression softened when she gestured to the red scar at her son’s hairline.
“What happened? You didn’t tell me you’d had an accident.”
He snorted. “You didn’t say anything about coming to California, either. We’ve talked every day since I left, and the subject never came up?”
Rosemary turned pink. “I knew you were busy and didn’t want to distract you. How did you get hurt?”
“It isn’t important. I’m fine.” He lowered his voice. “Look, you have to realize your doctor wouldn’t approve of you working. And I know that Nathan checked out of rehab against medical advice. So let’s go back to the suite and pack your things. We can leave in the morning.”
Rosemary shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere, and I’m sure Nathan wants to stay, too. Besides, I have a job now. Responsibilities.”
“You aren’t strong enough to hold any sort of job, much less do the kind of labor this place must require.”
“What do you think I’m doing here, scrubbing floors with a rag and toting hundred-pound sacks of flour?”
“It doesn’t matter. Nathan needs to go back in rehab. That’s where he belongs, and I’m sure you want to be near him.”
“He wasn’t getting better in that place and wanted to leave.”
Sarah bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. The men in her family could be opinionated and old-fashioned, but Rosemary’s son made them look like models of modern thinking by comparison. Of course...Tyler Prentiss might have a point if his brother wasn’t following medical orders, but he wasn’t going to fix the situation by acting this way.
“Nathan needs professional care,” Tyler said. “I’ve got plane tickets for tomorrow. We’re going back to DC.”
Rosemary crossed her arms over her stomach. “Enjoy your flight.”
“I have tickets for all of us.”
Whoa.
Sarah had never seen someone actually talk between clenched teeth before, but Tyler Prentiss was doing a credible job of being rock-jawed and speaking at the same time. It was too bad to see so much striking masculine appeal wasted on a guy like him.
When she’d first seen him—before he’d opened his big mouth—she’d actually felt a flash of awareness. Tyler was tall and classically handsome, with a strong bone structure. Paired with his dark hair and cool brown eyes, she’d found him quite compelling...until he’d started talking.
Tyler turned and focused on her again. “Please understand, Ms. Fullerton, my mother’s doctor told her to avoid stress. She’s had a difficult time since my fath—”
“Richard Tyler Prentiss,” Rosemary interrupted. “This is my place of employment, so unless you’re going to buy some of the delicious goods we sell here, please leave.”
“Fine. We’ll talk later.” He stomped out the door with a grim expression.
As soon as he was gone, Rosemary began to deflate. “I’m sorry my son made a scene, Sarah. Tyler means well, and I’m sure he’ll regret this when he calms down. Please don’t fire me.”
“I don’t fire employees because their sons behave badly,” Sarah assured. “In fact, I’m promoting you to assistant manager. My aunt won’t mind. She’s been hoping I’d hire someone in her place. You can focus on the office, supplies and coordination the way you’ve been doing, and I’ll manage the kitchen.”
Rosemary beamed. “In that case, I’d better get busy.”
She hurried away and Sarah rolled her shoulders to relax them, but before she could return to her baking, Great-Uncle Milt arrived.
“I heard you had a disruptive customer and came to help,” he announced.
“Thanks, but everything has been resolved.” Sarah had to rise on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. He was extremely tall, with a shock of thick white hair and a pair of youthful blue eyes. Folks in Glimmer Creek referred to him as the Big Kid, though as Glimmer Creek’s recently retired police chief, he could be stern about the law. Not that he was completely retired. The town had given Great-Uncle Milt the title of Police Chief Emeritus at his retirement ceremony.
“What happened?”
She tugged him out to the front sidewalk and explained, not wanting Rosemary to hear the comments being made about her eldest son.
“I’ll check into this fellow,” Great-Uncle Milt declared when she finished, his eyebrows drawn together.
“It’s fine. I’m sure he won’t be a problem,” Sarah said, though she was still annoyed that Tyler Prentiss had tried to interfere. She’d like to give him a sharp kick in the rear.
“Nevertheless, I’ll talk to the new police chief about it,” Great-Uncle Milt insisted. “I won’t have some stranger upsetting things around here.”
“If it makes you feel better,” Sarah said, yet the corners of her mouth twitched. The “new” police chief was Zach Williams...Great-Uncle Milt’s grandson. Zach was her second cousin, though in Glimmer Creek family was family. Period. And in-laws were relatives the same as anybody else. Great-Uncle Milt just didn’t like emphasizing the connection in case folks thought his grandson had gotten the job because of the relationship.
Yet Sarah’s humor faded as she thought about her cousin’s wife. Gina had died from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Zach had never been the same.
It
