Read Online Mustard on Top by Wanda Degolier - Free Book Online Page A

pushed up from her chair and paced.
    “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
    Helen’s face heated. Her outburst had been immature, but it didn’t change the situation. She was still the small girl from the small town, who’d never gone to college, and who worked in the same hot dog stand since high school. No doubt he looked down on her. “That I don’t want to take advantage of your generosity doesn’t mean I’m stupid or unrefined.” Helen glared.
    “I agree. It means you have an unusually big heart. I don’t encounter that often in my line of work. You’re refreshing, and I’m not handling your…” he stalled for the word “easy going nature very well. If you don’t want to design your kitchen, no problem. I’ll hire someone.”
    “Don’t hire anybody for goodness sakes. I don’t want this to be a big affair.”
    “But you’re worth a big affair.”
    Surprised by his words, Helen was momentarily speechless. “How nice my kitchen is doesn’t matter. Happiness comes from inside, not this.” She flung her arm in an arc encompassing the house.
    “Okay.” Ben nodded. “I understand.”
    She held his gaze several seconds, and, for the first time, Helen felt as if he actually saw her.
    The door to the garage opened and Theo came down the hall toward them. “Hey Mom. What’s that—” He stopped talking when he saw Ben. “Hi, Ben.”
    “Hi, Theo.”
    “I didn’t know you were here,” Theo said.
    “Ben’s helping to repair the house,” Helen explained.
    “Cool. Want some help?”
    Ben’s grin was so wide, Helen thought his face would split. “I’d love it.”

    ****

    Two days later Helen lowered herself onto her love seat. The worn cushion gave under her weight. Since the fire, she’d been going nonstop. With Ben working on the house, there was a never-ending chorus of staccato thumps and whirrs, but for the moment, Ben was on a trip to Nalley’s only home improvement store. Helen exhaled loudly then enjoyed the stillness around her.
    She had a few hours of free time and a daunting list of errands, one that included picking up Hot Diggitys’ first-ever uniforms, an Agatha recommendation. For the moment however, she was resting. Telltale tremors in her hands signaled her low blood sugar.
    She didn’t know whether the problem was her sporadic eating or whether her insulin had gone bad. Either way, she needed to be more careful. Mentally, she added a trip to the pharmacy on her list.
    Four hours later Helen parked her ten-year-old Subaru Outback in Nalley’s employee parking lot. She toted a box of T-shirts under one arm then stopped and stared. A line for Hot Diggitys stretched fifty feet down the sidewalk. Apparently, the ad Agatha had placed in the local newspaper was paying off. Helen broke into a trot and entered Hot Diggitys through the back door.
    She set down the box of T-shirts and tossed purse in the office. Grabbing several T-shirts, she spun to go to the sink to wash her hands, and nearly collided with Ben. He stood at the beach-ball-sized ketchup decanter holding three open ketchup bottles. Ketchup streamed into the open mouth of one of the bottles.
    “What are you doing in here?” Helen demanded.
    “Oh.” His eyes darted toward the front. “Theo called and asked for help.”
    “Why didn’t he call me?”
    Ben slid the next bottle below the spigot. “Maybe he wanted to give you a break?”
    Helen didn’t know what to think; where would Ben appear next? Theo called Ben for help?
    “If you’re going to be here, I’m putting you on the payroll. Here, put this on.” Helen laid a T-shirt across Ben’s shoulder. She already donned a mustard-yellow, Hot Diggitys shirt of her own.
    “You don’t need to pay me.”
    “No arguing.” She used her mom voice to end the discussion, washed her hands, and headed up front. She distributed T-shirts to all her employees except Emma, who stood at the register wearing a tight, black blouse that showed off her red bra. Helen