Gifted a Second Chance at Life

Chapter 4

“Are you sure you only want chicken fingers and fries for lunch? There are all kinds of things on the menu that I think you would like. Do you want me to order one of them for you?” Callie asked Maya.

Maya shook her head before she picked up her hot chocolate and began to drink again.

Callie was trying to encourage her to try some new foods. Maya wasn’t a picky eater as such. She was like most children and loved chicken fingers. If they went out to eat and chicken fingers were on the menu, that would be what Maya wanted.

“I, for one, see nothing wrong with chicken fingers,” Mark grinned at Maya. “I might be biased, but this lodge has the best chicken fingers in the state.”

“They do?” Maya asked as her eyes grew wide.

“Well, it’s not official, but I think they are,” Mark said. “I have an idea. If it is alright with all of you, why don’t I ask the kitchen for a family-style lunch for us? They can bring out large portions of various things for us to share, and then you can take the leftovers home. I was thinking about having the manicotti and fresh cheesy garlic bread, but now I am thinking about the chicken and fries. What do you say?”

“I love that idea, but I will feel guilty if I don’t pay for part of lunch,” Rosemary said.

Mark looked all around and leaned in toward the center of the table. He crooked his finger, gesturing for everyone at the table to lean in so he could share a secret with them.

He whispered, “It’s OK. I know the owner. He always gives me a good deal. Sometimes, I even skip out without paying.”

“Oh, you’re terrible,” Rosemary laughed.

“Why wouldn’t you pay? Does he give you the food?” Maya asked, confused as to why Mark would not need to pay for their meal.

Callie smiled at Maya and gently said, “It’s alright, Maya. Mark owns this lodge. He grew up here. Well, he was supposed to grow up here. When I was younger, it felt like he lived at your grandma’s house most of the time. Mark has eaten almost every meal in the restaurant since he was born. It’s OK that he doesn’t pay.”

Maya’s eyes grew wide as she looked at Mark. She glanced out the window and then back to Mark.

“Do you own the mountain too?” Maya questioned.

“I own most of it. In fact, I just bought even more of it not long ago. I have some big plans that you and your mom might be able to help me with,” Mark smiled at the little girl. “But, before we get into that, we need to order our food. What does everyone want? I know Maya wants the chicken and fries. Callie, Rosemary, what about you?”

Rosemary sighed as she studied the menu in her hands. “I don’t know. It all looks so good. Why don’t you pick something for me, Mark? You probably know this menu better than your chefs do. Every time you have done that over the years, it has always been just the right thing.”

“The same goes for me,” Callie said, smiling at Mark as she closed her menu.

Mark looked at her seriously and said, “I don’t know, Callie. Your palette might be too expansive and sophisticated since you lived in the big city.” He grinned as he teased her, “What if my poor little restaurant can’t compete with that?”

Callie laughed, “Not a chance. My favorite place to eat in Boise will always be the little hole-in-the-wall diner where I worked. Ruthie would even send food home with me to help out while I was in school. I miss Ruthie and that place.”

“We can always visit. We can spend the day in the city, and you can show me all your favorite places,” Mark smiled at her.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m not sure that I ever want to return to Boise. I’ll explain all that to you later,” Callie said as she forced a smile.

Mark nodded. He did not know what Callie was hiding, but it was apparent that it bothered her greatly. He quickly changed the subject to what they would have for lunch. Mark waved to the waiter, who promptly came to the table.

“What can I get you, sir?” the waiter asked.

“First, Kenny, you can stop calling me sir,” Mark said with a smile. “My name is Mark. I might own this place, but I also work here, the same as you. Second, I would like to have a family-style meal. We need the biggest baskets of chicken fingers and fries the kitchen has. To go with it, I will let the chef choose a few other things to go with that. Things like pasta and roasts, things that are hearty and will keep us warm for the rest of the day. Tell the chef it is for me. She will understand and know what to do.” Mark saw Maya drain the last of the cocoa from her mug and said, “And can we get a round of hot chocolate while we wait for our lunch?”

“Of course, Mark,” the waiter grinned. “Let me tell the chef what you need, and I will be right back with the hot chocolate.”

“You do this family-style thing a lot, don’t you?” Callie asked.

“Not really,” Mark said as he closed his menu and collected the others around the table. “About the only time I do it is when I bring Jimmy, Rosemary, and John up here. The last time I did that was a couple of months ago. Most of the time when I do it, it’s because I don’t know what I want to eat. When you like everything on the menu, it can be a problem.”

The waiter was back in no time, pushing a trolley cart loaded with steaming mugs of hot chocolate, a serving bowl of salad, and two baskets of breadsticks. He warmly smiled as he placed a bread basket between Maya and Callie.

“This is my favorite thing on the menu. Our chef, Claire, makes the best cheesy breadsticks ever,” the waiter said. “The rest of the food will be ready soon. She wanted me to bring this out to get you all started.”

“Thank you, Kenny,” Mark said before the waiter disappeared back into the kitchen with the cart.

Callie placed a cheesy breadstick on Maya’s plate and said, “Go ahead and try it, baby. That way, you won’t starve while we wait for your chicken.”

“I won’t starve,” Maya giggled as she took a bite of the bread. She gave her mother a thumbs up and nodded furiously to signal she liked it.

“I will let Claire know you like the cheesy bread,” Mark chuckled as he served salad to Rosemary and Callie. “She also makes this dressing, so tell me if you like it.”

“Claire? Is that the same Claire who went to school with you and Jimmy?” Callie asked as she took a bite of salad. The flavors of the vegetables and the dressing exploded in her mouth. Callie pointed to her plate with her fork and moaned, “Mmmm, this is amazing.”

Mark laughed, “She is, and I told you so. Claire went to New York to train as a chef. She loved the work and hated the city. She moved back home, and I gained a world-class chef trained by some of the best in the world.”

“I think we all won when she moved back to town,” Rosemary smiled. “Do you think she made that baked chocolate pudding thing that she serves over ice cream? That is so good.”

“I will check. If she hasn’t, I will see if she has time to make one. I will send the leftovers home with you so you can share them with John and Jimmy,” Mark said as he signaled for Kenny.

“Yes, Mark?” Kenny asked.

“Can you see if Claire made her famous baked fudge pudding? If not, would you see if she has time to make one?” Mark asked.

“Of course,” Kenny said with a nod before rushing to the kitchen. He stuck his head out of the kitchen and gave Mark a thumbs-up. Moments later, Kenny returned with the same trolley cart, this time loaded with their main courses. “Claire said she will get one right in the oven, and it will be ready in time for dessert.”

“Thank you, and please give Claire my thanks,” Mark said as he and Kenny positioned the many bowls and baskets around the table. “Dig in everyone. There is nothing formal about this lunch.”

Callie placed three chicken fingers and a small pile of fries on Maya’s plate. The little girl grinned, picking up a fry and nibbling at it. Callie put a puddle of ketchup on her plate to dip her food in.

Rosemary was serving herself as she watched Callie, Maya, and Mark. She did not miss how Mark kept smiling at Maya and Callie, genuinely happy they were back home in Green Forest. Rosemary smirked as she thought about Mark’s reaction when she told him Callie was moving home with her daughter. While he had been upset for her that her dreams did not work out, his eyes had still lit up with joy at having her come home.

“Do you like the chicken fingers, Maya?” Mark asked as he held up the one he was eating.

“Um-hm,” Maya nodded as she ate.

“I told you they were the best. The only thing that might be better is dino nuggies. Those are the best. They always have been and always will be.”

“I love dino nuggies!” Maya giggled.

“Then I might need to add those to the menu,” Mark grinned as he took a bite.

Callie laughed, “Wouldn’t Claire be upset about that? You would be mucking up the menu with prefab processed stuff.”

“Claire can just get upset,” Mark shrugged. “This is a family lodge, and our kids' menu is pathetic. That is largely because Claire wants to show what she can do. Don’t get me wrong. Claire is amazing at what she does, but she is lacking in that area. If you would agree to allow Maya to help me, she would be a big help in deciding what I need to add. Rosemary, could we use your kitchen if Callie agrees?”

“Sure! I’ll even help you cook and come up with recipes if you want,” Rosemary said.

Callie felt her chest tighten at the thought of leaving Maya. She felt silly about having it because she knew her daughter would be safe. If anything did happen, Mark and her mother would take care of Maya until she could arrive.

“What do you think, Maya? Do you want to help Mark and Grandma?” Callie asked her daughter.

“Yeah! Can I? Can I?” Maya excitedly asked.

“You can help,” Callie laughed. She asked Mark, “When do you want to start?”

“We could do a little this afternoon while we watch Jimmy put up the decorations we got today. If Rosemary is free tomorrow, we could work on it then, too. That might make up for me forcing you to have lunch and stop doing your errands,” Mark said.

“Oh, Mark, I’m retired. I’m free to help you anytime you need it. You are one step from being our third child. All you have to do is let me know, and I will be ready,” Rosemary said.

“Will that work for you?” Mark asked Callie.

“That should be fine,” Callie nodded. “After we finish eating, you and Mom can take Maya back to the house and get started. I will go back to what I was doing and meet you back at the house before dinner.”

Mark could see Callie’s unease and said, “Hey, don’t worry. I promise to protect Maya and your mother with my life. I might not be a knight in shining armor, but I can have a mean sword fight with a ski pole.”

Callie couldn’t help it. She laughed at his silly joke. Mark had always had a way of making her feel better when she was younger. Maybe he could do the same thing for her now that she was back home.