Sitting up and pushing back the covers, she added, And please help me, too.”
* * * *
“Now, after we finish setting the tables, I’ll check the tea drawers to see what I need to bring back from the Harborside today. Did you check the supplies in the kitchen?”
“Yes. I did. We’re fine for today, but we’ll need to order flour, cream, and eggs for tomorrow.”
“I’ll call about that today while I’m at the Harborside.”
They wheeled the cart to the last table and began setting out the dishes.
“I know you’ve handled the kitchen side of things before, but are you sure you’ll be ok with the customers too?”
“I’ll do my best.”
Katherine thought Sally seemed unusually calm as she placed the last of the silverware on the table. “You haven’t dropped a thing this morning, and you seem…well…settled. What’s different?”
A shy smile spread across Sally’s face as she said simply, “I’ve been prayin’.” And turned to push the cart back to the kitchen.
This just might work. Katherine thought, a glow of hope beginning to warm her heart as she watched Sally walk away.
* * * *
The Harborside felt too quiet as Katherine flipped the sign to “Open” and tugged the dark green window shade, noticing for the first time the whirring sound it made as it wound itself up. She had worked at the Harborside for over two years now, but never a whole day without the captain.
She stooped to adjust the door and check on the fire she had just made in the wood stove. Still burning. Good.
Glancing over at the counter, she sighed. She should probably find something to put the broken pieces of the Anne in so they wouldn’t get lost. Listening for the bell in case a customer ventured in, she went down into the storeroom and sifted through the pile of empty boxes Tommy had knocked over. If only that had been the only mishap that day, she thought.
Once she found a box that looked the right size, she jogged up the stairs again. Gingerly, she picked up the tangled mass of lines and rigging. She didn’t know much about ships, but it looked to her like two of the masts were snapped off. Several pieces of decking also seemed to be gone. Katherine walked around the staircase, examining the floor to see if she had missed them. I hope Tommy or I didn’t throw them away when we swept the floor.
She was on her hands and knees behind the spiral staircase when she heard the bell ring.
A tall, thin man stood near the counter, brushing raindrops from his short silvery hair.
“Mr. Patten! I didn’t expect to see you today. How are you?” She stood and dusted her hands off as she walked over to greet the elderly bank manager.
“I’m well, thank you, Katherine. I was on my way to work and saw you were open again. So sorry to hear about the captain’s accident. Is he recovering well?”
“Yes. He came home from the hospital yesterday. His sister is taking care of him.”
“Serena is here?”
“Yes, and I’m so thankful she was able to get here so quickly.”
“I actually have something I need to speak to her and the captain about, only I didn’t know she was in town. That’s why I stopped by, actually. I heard about the captain’s accident, and figured you could tell me if he were up to talking with me. You see, something strange happened at the bank yesterday.”
* * * *
“How did it go?” Katherine asked as she stepped in from the cold January rain and flipped the sign from “Do Come In” to “Come Again Soon.”
“I can’t say for sure. It was all a bit of a blur, and I’m ever so tired now.”
Katherine chuckled. “That sounds about right. But if the place is still standing and so are you, I’d say you probably did just fine. I’ll grab the cart and start clearing the tables.”
Sally flopped into a chair. “Thanks,” she said, a bit breathlessly. “There was an odd rush right at the end. Thought they’d never all leave.”
Katherine rolled the cart to the first table and started sorting, scraping and stacking dishes. Sally got reluctantly to her feet to join her.
“I have it good over at the Harborside.” Katherine said with a chuckle. “I only have to stand up when a customer comes in.”
“And how often is that?”
“It depends on the day. With such a drenching rain today, there were only a few customers—and Mr. Patten.”
“I like him. He’s a good egg.”
“A good what?”
