Read Online Taking Charge by Mandy Baggot - Free Book Online

Man Harrison hadn’t gone
and died,” Robyn said, pouting.
    “Someone died?” Cole queried.
    “It was a few years ago,” Sarah informed him.
    “I’m off to the roadhouse next, wanna come?” Robyn
invited.
    “Sure,” Cole replied.
    “Can I drive your car?” Robyn asked with a grin.

Chapter Eight
     
    It wasn’t far to Shaver Road, and soon Robyn was
pulling into the parking lot of Eddie’s Roadhouse. A large security
van was parked outside, and a man in overalls looked to be
installing new locks on the front door.
    “New locks, huh?” Cole remarked as Robyn pulled up by
the entrance.
    “Looks that way. Hey there!” Robyn called, opening
the window and greeting the man.
    “Afternoon ma’am,” he replied.
    “What are you doing?”
    “Fitting new locks, ma’am. You work here?”
    “Yeah, I’m the manager.”
    “Ah, you must be Miss Matthers. Officer Willis said
you might be by. I’ve fitted new locks, front and back, and I’ve
installed a new alarm system. Shall I run you through it?” he
asked.
    “Oh man, is it expensive? I have money, but it’s kind
of tied up at the moment,” Robyn began, pulling on the handbrake
and getting out of the car.
    “No need to worry, ma’am. It’s all been paid for,
Officer Willis settled everything up already,” the locksmith
informed her.
    “Brad paid for it?” Robyn said, looking at the man
for clarification.
    “Yep. You’re all square with me. Wanna see what I’ve
done?” he queried.
    “I think I’d like that. Come on Cole, come and see
the place,” Robyn called to him.
     
     
    “So? What do you think?” Robyn asked, bringing Cole a
bottle of beer and brushing dirt off of one of the chairs.
    The locksmith had given her new keys and run her
through the intricate workings of the new security system. She had
no doubt she was going to fail hopelessly at working it. She never
remembered her PIN number and had it written on a piece of paper
under the insole of her left shoe.
    “I think you definitely need to find a decorating
firm,” Cole answered, accepting the drink.
    “Yeah? You don’t fancy helping me strip? Wallpaper.
Strip wallpaper,” Robyn said, her cheeks glowing.
    What the Hell was wrong with her? She was acting like
a teenager around him. Any second now she might ask him who his
favorite member of The A-Team was. She’d done that a lot in the
nineties. Boys had been keen to tell her, girls had looked at her
pitifully.
    “I think you need professional help,” Cole said.
    “I know that, but what about the decorating?” Robyn
replied with a nervous laugh.
    “Are you sure you want to take this on? I mean, it’s
going to take a lot of work to get it straight,” Cole told her.
    “I have to take it on. This and the hockey team,
they’re what Dad lives for. He may say he isn’t interested, but he
doesn’t mean it. When I was young, this place was buzzing. It had a
great reputation for food and we had bands here and everything. I
need to get that back,” Robyn explained.
    She didn’t just want it back for Eddie; she wanted it
back that way for her. The roadhouse was where she had some of her
best memories; she didn’t want to lose those. The good memories
were what she clung to.
    “It might take some time,” Cole said.
    “I’ve got a couple of weeks,” Robyn informed him.
    “Man, you’ve got your work cut out.”
    “Well, I need to make a list, don’t I? I need to find
someone to decorate, I need to hire a chef and some more bar staff,
and I need to organize some posters telling people we’re back in
business. What else?” Robyn asked.
    “You need to call suppliers, hammer them down on the
price of beer, and talk to the people at the diner…ask them the
best place to get produce. You’re going to need a menu, too,” Cole
said.
    “I’ll find a pen and paper, there must be some here
somewhere, amongst all the dirt and grime and years of neglect,”
Robyn said, getting up and going behind the bar.
    “So who’s this