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Authors: Lorna Seilstad
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forming on her lips. She handed him a cup brimming with coffee. “Want me to taste this first?”
He chuckled. “I’ll take me chances.” After a tentative sip, he grinned. “Good as it gets.”
She quickly poured coffee for them all. When she reached the kitchen, she found Eugenia sobbing in the corner. What had her mother been thinking, never teaching her a thing about kitchen work? If she was from a wealthy home, perhaps they had household servants, but if so, why was she working now?
“Eugenia, it’ll be fine. You’ll catch on.” She patted the girl’s arm, then began to crack eggs into the skillet. “Why don’t you come over here and I’ll show you how to crack eggs?”
A few minutes and some shells later, she had a platter full of fried eggs ready to serve. “Here, you take the bacon out and I’ll serve the eggs.”
“Are you sure, Miss Lilly? What if the men tease me?”
“I’m sure they will.” She passed her the Blue Willow platter, its oriental scene obscured by bacon. “And you can laugh right along with them. We all make mistakes.”
She caught Nick’s gaze on her as she approached the table.
Lilly’s chest constricted. And some mistakes were worse than serving soapy coffee.
“Mr. Perrin, may I have a word with you?”
Nick halted on the sidewalk at the sound of Avery Nash’s voice. He moaned. Why did the man in charge of the Lake Manawa management company annoy him so? He watched as the small man with the big attitude hurried toward him.
“You fellows go on,” Nick said to his men. “I’ll be along shortly.” When Nash reached him, he offered his hand. “Good morning, Mr. Nash, what can I do for you?”
Mr. Nash looked at the offered hand and crossed his arms over his chest. “You don’t look like you’re far enough along on your roller contraption.”
“Roller coaster?”
“You know what I meant.” Nash grunted. “I don’t know if I mentioned it, but I wasn’t in favor of the monstrosity. However, the investors felt like it would be advantageous to the resort, so naturally, I gave in to their wishes.”
“Naturally.”
“And I’d hate to have to tell them what you said about it not being ready by opening day. Surely even you can see the importance of meeting the deadline.”
“Mr. Nash, I do understand, but it may not be feasible for safety reasons.”
“Fred Ingersoll himself assured us you could handle this job, and I will not hesitate to inform him if you do not meet the deadline.”
Nick stiffened and his jaw tensed. Was Nash threatening him? While he believed Mr. Ingersoll had faith in his abilities, he didn’t want to jeopardize his reputation with his employer, especially since this was the first coaster he had designed without oversight.
After inhaling a steadying breath, Nick met Nash’s gaze. “I can assure you my workers and I are doing everything possible to ensure the coaster is ready for the guests on May 27, but as I told you before, much depends on factors beyond our control—such as the weather.”
Nash thrust a finger toward Nick’s chest. “Just see that it opens.”
Nick sighed as Nash walked away. If the irritating little man didn’t wield so much power, he would have insisted he leave him, the roller coaster project, and its crew alone. But Nick knew in the amusement-ride business, reputation was everything. And if he wanted to start his own company soon, his name had better be golden in the world of trolley park investors.
With Levi in tow, Lilly slipped away from the diner to meet her friends at Marguerite’s home. Trip had promised to take the children on a boat ride. With supper already under way, she could spare a few hours this afternoon for enjoyment. Besides, it would take Eugenia most of that time to de-flour the kitchen from this morning’s baking lesson.
Running ahead on the boardwalk surrounding Lake Manawa’s north shore, Levi scooped up a stone and attempted to hurl it into the lake. It fell short
He chuckled. “I’ll take me chances.” After a tentative sip, he grinned. “Good as it gets.”
She quickly poured coffee for them all. When she reached the kitchen, she found Eugenia sobbing in the corner. What had her mother been thinking, never teaching her a thing about kitchen work? If she was from a wealthy home, perhaps they had household servants, but if so, why was she working now?
“Eugenia, it’ll be fine. You’ll catch on.” She patted the girl’s arm, then began to crack eggs into the skillet. “Why don’t you come over here and I’ll show you how to crack eggs?”
A few minutes and some shells later, she had a platter full of fried eggs ready to serve. “Here, you take the bacon out and I’ll serve the eggs.”
“Are you sure, Miss Lilly? What if the men tease me?”
“I’m sure they will.” She passed her the Blue Willow platter, its oriental scene obscured by bacon. “And you can laugh right along with them. We all make mistakes.”
She caught Nick’s gaze on her as she approached the table.
Lilly’s chest constricted. And some mistakes were worse than serving soapy coffee.
“Mr. Perrin, may I have a word with you?”
Nick halted on the sidewalk at the sound of Avery Nash’s voice. He moaned. Why did the man in charge of the Lake Manawa management company annoy him so? He watched as the small man with the big attitude hurried toward him.
“You fellows go on,” Nick said to his men. “I’ll be along shortly.” When Nash reached him, he offered his hand. “Good morning, Mr. Nash, what can I do for you?”
Mr. Nash looked at the offered hand and crossed his arms over his chest. “You don’t look like you’re far enough along on your roller contraption.”
“Roller coaster?”
“You know what I meant.” Nash grunted. “I don’t know if I mentioned it, but I wasn’t in favor of the monstrosity. However, the investors felt like it would be advantageous to the resort, so naturally, I gave in to their wishes.”
“Naturally.”
“And I’d hate to have to tell them what you said about it not being ready by opening day. Surely even you can see the importance of meeting the deadline.”
“Mr. Nash, I do understand, but it may not be feasible for safety reasons.”
“Fred Ingersoll himself assured us you could handle this job, and I will not hesitate to inform him if you do not meet the deadline.”
Nick stiffened and his jaw tensed. Was Nash threatening him? While he believed Mr. Ingersoll had faith in his abilities, he didn’t want to jeopardize his reputation with his employer, especially since this was the first coaster he had designed without oversight.
After inhaling a steadying breath, Nick met Nash’s gaze. “I can assure you my workers and I are doing everything possible to ensure the coaster is ready for the guests on May 27, but as I told you before, much depends on factors beyond our control—such as the weather.”
Nash thrust a finger toward Nick’s chest. “Just see that it opens.”
Nick sighed as Nash walked away. If the irritating little man didn’t wield so much power, he would have insisted he leave him, the roller coaster project, and its crew alone. But Nick knew in the amusement-ride business, reputation was everything. And if he wanted to start his own company soon, his name had better be golden in the world of trolley park investors.
With Levi in tow, Lilly slipped away from the diner to meet her friends at Marguerite’s home. Trip had promised to take the children on a boat ride. With supper already under way, she could spare a few hours this afternoon for enjoyment. Besides, it would take Eugenia most of that time to de-flour the kitchen from this morning’s baking lesson.
Running ahead on the boardwalk surrounding Lake Manawa’s north shore, Levi scooped up a stone and attempted to hurl it into the lake. It fell short
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