you did very well to find these,” Elizabeth congratulated. “What else have you planned?”
Cassidy set out her ideas clearly and concisely but even here Ty didn’t seem able to concentrate. He got stuck on details, rattled on about how the Haven’s outreach shouldn’t begin until they were sure of their focus and their target group. Cassidy grew so frustrated she got up and left, just to get a breather. She returned with a teakettle, some cookies and a box of teabags.
Ty didn’t appear to notice she’d been absent until she set the teapot before Elizabeth. Then he simply looked puzzled; he left his sentence hanging unfinished.
Something was clearly wrong, but what? He’d said he was nervous about making a mistake. Maybe that explained all the barricades he was erecting.
“I thought we could all use a break,” Cassidy said.
“What a lovely idea.” Elizabeth poured the thick amber liquid into the three mugs Cassidy had scrubbed spotless.
“I didn’t know we had a kettle here.” Ty added sugar to his tea, frowned then shook his head. “You bought one?”
Cassidy shrugged. “My gift to the kitchen.”
Ty opened his mouth as if to protest, but obviously had second thoughts. He shrugged and smiled, lifted his cup.
“To the Haven.”
They clinked mugs together. Elizabeth glanced around the messy room, her face expressing her distaste, though she didn’t give it voice.
“Next steps for you, Cassidy?” Elizabeth pulled out a small notebook.
“Arrange suppliers, find some helpers and generally plan how this will work. I’ll do two test runs. One on Thursday at noon to feed whoever is working here.” She looked at Ty. “If you can let me know approximately how many workers will be here, it will help me prepare.”
“Sure.”
She read his expression clearly.
Exactly how am I supposed to know that?
“Maybe you could count heads around nine. Or I could.” Cassidy struggled for a less bossy tone but it wasn’t easy. She’d been the one in charge for so long, and he seemed disinclined to action. Well, she had to do something.
“Yes, that might be better. You go ahead.” He looked relieved.
“I’d like to serve a second meal on Saturday evening.”
“Why?”
At this rate she’d be here a year and still accomplish nothing. Cassidy bristled.
“Is there something wrong with Saturday?”
“I’m not sure it’s the best day.”
Was he going to argue about every decision she made? Ty’s face closed up. His voice dropped.
“It’s just that I received a phone call from Davis. His contractor had a client drop out and so he could start on the entrance immediately.”
“Uh-huh.” She still didn’t understand his problem.
Ty dragged a hand through his hair as if searching for patience.
“People have to come down here to eat and the only way is through the main entrance. I don’t want anyone hurt.”
Even Elizabeth looked frustrated.
“Surely by Friday the worst of it will be over?”
“Maybe. If it isn’t, she’ll have to reschedule the lunch,” Ty warned.
Cassidy quashed a surge of frustration.
“I want to hold a dinner, not a lunch, and I want to get the word out beforehand,” Cassidy muttered. “And once we’ve started serving meals, I don’t think we can just stop.”
“We might have to if it puts someone in danger.” Ty’s piercing scrutiny sliced all the way to her toes.
Cassidy knew that he would suggest she wait. He seemed to prefer a snail’s pace for most things. But she couldn’t just sit around doing nothing. Even if it took him a month to get everything else operational, she could still serve meals.
Elizabeth glanced from Ty to her. “We’re going to have to be flexible.”
Which meant get along.
The onus was on her. Cassidy faced Ty and chose her words with care.
“It’ll take me a couple of days to get the kitchen going.”
“Fine.”
“Then what am I to do? I can’t just sit here and wait until everything else in the Haven is operational. It would be a waste of my time, and why would you want that when we can begin reaching people right away?”
Ty’s eyes blazed. The tic in his cheek gave away his irritation.
“I can’t have people tracking through a construction site.”
There was more to his objection and she knew it.
“We need to get people used to coming here.”
“Is that what we want?” Ty tipped so his chair rested on the back two legs, crossed his arms over his chest and donned a meditative look that gave little away. A psychologist would have learned about that on day one.
Cassidy wished Elizabeth had sent her somewhere else, someplace where the director was not so afraid someone might actually accomplish something. But she also sensed there was an undercurrent to his obfuscation, so she exhaled her frustration and tried diplomacy.
“I have to think in terms of what I can accomplish in the six months I’m here.” She listed some of her ideas. “Any objections?”
“I’m sure those are all fine.” Elizabeth looked relieved.
Ty didn’t like her taking charge. She knew that because his chair plunked down on all fours.
“But?” She longed to shake him out of his stupor. Just say it!
“I’m trying to visualize how it would work.”
“I cook, they eat. You said there’d been negative reaction from a gang. Maybe if they saw what this place is about, it would encourage the community.”
“Exactly!” Elizabeth beamed. “I knew that’s why God led you here, Cassidy.”
God? Cassidy wanted to laugh. As if He cared what happened to her now. She showed Elizabeth her list of to-dos.
“A meal is fine.” Ty’s disinterested tone evaporated. Suddenly he was all business. “Just so long as you don’t expect me to get involved down here.” He glanced at Elizabeth, saw her frown and rushed to rephrase. “I mean certainly, if you need help or want some direction,
