Gifted a Second Chance at Life

Chapter 6

Lunch was delicious, and Callie had more fun than she had in years. Mark regaled her, Maya, and Rosemary with stories of things he and Jimmy did as kids and were never caught for. Callie and Rosemary had always had suspicions, but today, Mark confirmed them. As the group sat and laughed at the table, Kenny came by to see if they needed anything.

“How is everyone doing?” Kenny asked with a smile. “Would you like seconds of anything?”

“I’m not sure,” Mark replied as he turned to his guests. “Ladies, would you like more of anything?”

“Oh no! Not me,” Rosemary said as she pushed her plate away. “I am completely stuffed. You might have to roll me out to your car.”

Mark chuckled, “You say that every time I treat you to a meal here. Yet, you never fail to stuff yourself.”

“True, and I’m sure it will continue to happen,” Rosemary grinned.

“Maya? Do you need more chicken or fries?” Mark asked.

“Nuh-uh. I want to save room for dessert,” Maya said, smiling broadly at him.

“Ah. Dessert does sound like a good idea. But first, we need to ask your mother if she would like something else for lunch,” Mark said.

Maya nodded, “OK.”

Mark gazed at Callie and said, “So, Callie Cat, would you like more to eat before I ask for dessert to be brought out?”

“I am definitely ready for dessert, but I would love to get an order of that manicotti to take home if the chef has time,” Callie said.

“Claire will have plenty of time for that,” Mark told her before he turned to Kenny. “Would you ask Claire to bring out dessert and box servings of everything to go? Something tells me that Maya might need more chicken strips and fries later.”

Maya grinned as she nodded in agreement.

“I will let Claire know and be right back to help with dessert,” Kenny said before he hurried back to the kitchen.

Callie shook her head, “If you keep feeding me like this, I will weigh a ton by Valentine's Day.”

“Not a chance,” Mark laughed. “At least if you help me with my project, you won’t be because you will work off every calorie.”

“You mentioned earlier that you have some big plans for the land you purchased but never went into details. What is this big project you will need my help with?” Callie asked, leaning back in her chair and tipping her head to the side as she looked at Mark.

Mark smiled and said, “I purchased a large swath along the south edge of the resort. It is more rugged and filled with trees, streams, and boulders, which means it won’t be great for ski slopes. I want to build hiking trails throughout it. Maybe put in a few biking trails, but keep the hiking and biking separate so it is safer. There also needs to be some easy trails that families can easily use and enjoy. Do you think you and Maya could help me with that? It will involve a lot of walks in the woods and maybe a few rides on snowmobiles and utility vehicles.”

“Can we collect pine cones to paint and make things with?” Maya excitedly asked.

“I will bring a giant bag and carry it for you so you can collect all the pine cones you want. You can fill the cottage so you can swim in them if you want,” Mark grinned as he gave Callie a wink.

“Yay!” Maya cheered, making Callie laugh.

“What do you say, Callie? Will you help me, or must I recruit your mom or Jimmy to help me watch Maya?” Mark asked.

“I would love to help, but I still need to find a job, so it will have to be on days when I’m not scouring the town, begging for work,” Callie agreed.

“We will work around when you are available,” Mark said with a warm smile. “And my offer still stands to hire you here. I know you do not want me to give you a handout, but I can always use extra help around the holidays, and I know you are a fabulous waitress and hostess. If you want something different, I can always use clerks and office staff to keep me from spending more than I should.”

Callie sighed as she looked at Mark. She glanced around the bustling dining room and knew Mark was making her a genuine offer. Still, it was one that Callie hated to accept.

“I will think about it. Can I think about it and let you know tomorrow?” Callie asked.

“Of course. Whenever you have made your decision,” Mark said as Kenny approached the table.

Kenny was pushing a trolley cart filled with bowls of ice cream and baked chocolate pudding. A tall, thin woman in her white coat and hat trailed behind Kenny. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and she had a stern expression, even angry, as she looked at Callie. When Mark turned to see her, she plastered a smile on and greeted Mark warmly.

“Mark! I’m so sorry I couldn’t come out sooner. Who are your guests?” the woman asked as Kenny placed bowls before each of the diners at the table.

“You know Rosemary, and although it has been a few years, you also know Callie. She is Jimmy’s younger sister. The young lady still munching on fries is Callie’s daughter, Maya,” Mark said as he made the introductions. “You will all get to know Claire very well. She is the one responsible for this delicious meal.”

“This meal was one of the best I have ever had, and I can’t wait to try dessert. Chocolate is my weakness,” Callie smiled at Claire.

“Well, if Mark gives me some warning that he is bringing you here to eat, I will have something special ready for you,” Claire said, only marginally hiding her disdain for Callie.

“Lunch today was a spur-of-the-moment decision. It should have been no different for the kitchen than having additional guests arrive for the meal. That isn’t a problem, is it?” Mark asked, subtly scolding Claire for her complaint.

“Of course not!” Claire exclaimed. “I only meant that I would have prepared something off menu rather than the usual dishes.”

“You don’t need to do that,” Callie insisted. “Everything I tasted today was delicious. I have even asked to take it home for later.”

“I will take care of that for you,” Claire said with a sharp nod. “If you will excuse me, I must return to the kitchen to oversee dinner prep.”

Claire stomped away from the table without letting anyone say more to her. She was done with the conversation and the criticism she had received from her boss. Mark had always been sweet and even flirty with her. He had never said a crossword to her about anything until now. Now, Mark was scolding her like a child in front of his new guest.

When she stormed into the kitchen, she slammed into one of the wait staff, knocking the plates from her hands and splattering her with food. The kitchen went silent as everyone looked at what had happened.

“You incompetent fool!” Claire yelled. “Clean this mess up while I prepare new plates. And get yourself cleaned up before you go back out there. Mark is here. The last thing we need is for him to think everyone in this kitchen is a complete screwup!”

“Yes, Chef!” came the response from everyone in the kitchen.

That was what Claire lived for—being called chef by those who worked for her. She had earned that title, and she would not let some random person from her past spoil it for her.

-

At the table, Kenny anxiously awaited everyone to try the baked pudding and ice cream. He wanted to see the reactions when they took their first bites. Kenny knew Mark and Rosemary liked it, so the only question was if Callie and Maya would enjoy it. Even though he did not cook anything, he was still filled with pride each time he saw someone enjoying something Claire made.

Callie took a bite and moaned, “Oh, my goodness. This is the best thing I have ever had. Tell Claire I am in love with this.”

“I’ll do that,” Kenny laughed. “What about you, Miss Maya? Do you like it?”

“It’s the bestest thing ever!” Maya nodded as she ate.

“I will tell Claire. I will bring out your carry-out portions after you have finished dessert,” Kenny said as he turned and pushed the cart back to the kitchen.

He slowly pushed the door open and saw the mess that the new waitress, Lisa, was cleaning off the floor and herself. She was silently working as tears streamed down her face. Kenny quickly pushed the cart against the wall and began to help Lisa clean the floor.

“I got this,” Kenny told the young woman. “You hurry and change while I clean this mess.”

“Where do you think you're going?” Claire demanded as Lisa got to her feet.

“She is going to clean up, change into a clean uniform, and compose herself while I clean up the mess that you most likely had a hand in creating,” Kenny fired at Claire.

“How dare you speak to me like that? I am the chef,” Claire huffed.

“Yes. You are the chef. I am a waiter. I work for Mark. Not you. I will not tolerate your insufferable superiority complex because you are a chef from New York City. Especially when that makes you mistreat those around you,” Kenny said sternly.

“I will have you fired,” Claire hissed.

“Ha!” Kenny laughed as he swept the broken plates and food into a dustpan. “Again, Claire. I work for Mark, not you. Feel free to go out there and tell him you were mad because he has a woman here as a guest. We all know that is why you are throwing a temper tantrum.”

“I am not throwing a tantrum,” Claire snarled. “I am tired of working with fools who think they know what they are doing. News flash! They don’t. None of you have any idea how to work in an upscale restaurant. It shows every day I come to work.”

“That’s because this is a family-friendly ski lodge, not an upscale restaurant,” Kenny sighed as he leaned the broom and dustpan against the wall and washed his hands. “If you have everything ready for Mark to take with him, I will take it out to him.”

“It’s over there, ready for Mark, his fling, and her brat,” Claire said as he nodded toward the large paper grocery bags on the sideboard behind the door.

“Callie isn’t his fling, and Maya is not a brat. If you would get to know them, you might even like them. You claim you like Jimmy Hawkins, right? Callie is his younger sister. She’s nice and is fully focused on finding a job until she can start teaching next school year,” Kenny said as he picked up the bags and placed them on his cart. He sat a plastic dish tub on the lower shelf to clear their table if they were finished. “You know something, Claire? You would be a lot nicer if you weren’t so judgmental.”

Kenny did not wait for a reply before he pushed the cart out of the kitchen. This was not the first time he had seen Claire show her true colors, but it was one of the worst. Kenny wouldn’t say anything for now, but if it continued, he had to tell Mark. He dreaded to think what Claire might do to him if she found out, but he was far more worried about what she might do to someone else if she had the motive.