Dream Kisses

Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Food Server

Sarah did the best she could washing herself with a washcloth. There was no way she could manage a shower or bath with her ankle wrapped tight. Pulling a brush through tangled hair and then dabbing on some blush, eyebrow pencil, and pale lipstick, she looked at her sorry reflection and sighed.

Crutching back to the bedroom, she went to her suitcase on the cedar chest at the end of the bed and grabbed an ankle length Levi skirt and a white button-down blouse. Sitting on the edge of the chest, she laboriously changed into fresh underwear and the skirt and blouse. She had just buttoned the last button when she heard another knock on her door. She couldn't decide whether to say "come in" or crutch to the door and open it. A jab of pain made the decision for her. "Come in," she croaked.

The door opened slightly and Sage poked his head around it. Looking irritated, he said, "You're not supposed to be on that foot for a few days."

Sarah pursed her lips.

He opened the door all the way and walked in. "Look Sarah, do you think we can call a truce? I'm sorry about your sprain and I'm doing my best to make you comfortable."

A sudden blast of pain made her wince.

Sage studied her expression. "Would you like to rest on the bed or the couch? There's a selection of movies in the living room. I'll have breakfast here shortly." He waited for her response.

Sucking in her pride, she said, "I'll rest on the couch," and then pushed herself up with her crutches.

* * *

Sage watched Mims slowly move toward the bedroom door. From her expression, he could see she'd taken a hit to her pride. He wanted to cover the distance between them, scoop her into his arms, and carry her to the couch, but gut instinct told him that would be the worst thing he could do. She already resented him for his heavy-handedness the day before and the Java Junction debacle. As difficult as it was, he turned and walked away, allowing her to make a painful exit to the living room.

Hovering just inside the kitchen doorway, he waited until she was seated before letting himself out the backdoor and heading to the dorm. Curley would be cooking a country breakfast for the greenhorns. Three more had arrived the previous night, a married couple and their teenage son--Jerry and Ann Hackstetter and Jacob. Because Sage always met with the "dudes" and "dudettes" their first night to show himself friendly, he'd learned that Mr. Hackstetter, a husky man with thick black hair, designed game software for a popular company, and Mrs. Hackstetter, a short, slim woman with muddy blond hair, was a stay-at-home mom. Mr. Hackstetter had grumbled about not having cell phone service and his wife had given Sage an apologetic look. Their son, a handsome kid with a sullen attitude who looked to be about sixteen, had almost tripped over his backpack when Mindy and Mandy had walked into the room. All Sage needed was for someone else to get hurt.

He reached the dorm and instead of entering through the front door, he slipped to the back and entered through the kitchen. Curley had a Hank William's, Sr. tune blaring through the Bose speakers he'd insisted on installing, and a stack of flapjacks already piled high. Using one hand, the old cook cracked eggs into an iron skillet and flipped flapjacks with the other on the commercial stove's center griddle. Sage turned the volume down on the CD player.

Curley reached for another egg. "Yo boss, how many more greenhorns we got comin' today?"

"Just two--an elderly couple--Mr. and Mrs.Tully."

"Okay, so we got...uh...eight for next week?"

"Yep. Actually, the next two weeks."

"Newt said there's a dudette laid up at the house with a broken leg."