Allie wasn’t in a hugging mood so she hoped to hell Nadine didn’t come around the end of the counter and expect to have a girly-type hugging fest. “Don’t look like much of a catch now, does he?”
Nadine’s chin quivered and more tears rolled down her cheeks, leaving long streaks of black mascara in their wake. “I’m bored. I want my own café, but that’s not going to happen. Bobby Ray wants me to quit my job when we get married. If I’m bored now, just think what it will be then. I’m so jealous of you. Always have been because you have something that is yours and you work for it and you are happy.”
Allie’s mind went into high gear. “Rent one of the empty buildings and put in a café. We could use one in Dry Creek. You might not make a million dollars a year, but it will give you something to do. I’ve eaten your cookin’ at the church socials and you’re good at it.”
“I’m not as smart as you. I can cook but a business requires book work and I never was real good in school,” Nadine said.
“Sharlene is good at bookkeeping. She works at a bank and could help you with that,” Allie said.
“Do you really think I could do this?” Nadine whispered.
“Yes, I do,” Allie said.
Nadine cocked her head to one side. “You reckon your mom would rent the old café building to me? It’s already set up with a kitchen. Would take a lot of cleanup but it would cut down on start-up cost.”
“Go ask her. She might even rent to own so that if you get it going good you could buy the place from her,” Allie said.
“Why didn’t I think of that rather than hating you for having what I wanted?” Nadine asked.
Allie laid a hand on Nadine’s arm. At first the woman flinched and then she grabbed the hand and brought it to her cheek. “Like I said, you’ve always been too nice.”
“I can be a real bitch. Ask my sister if you don’t believe me. Or ask Deke or Blake. But the past is gone and today is all we get. You might want to talk to Bobby Ray before you talk to Mama. He’s a lot like Riley in that he expects his little woman to stay home and raise kids.”
Nadine took a deep breath. “Right now is the perfect time to do this because he won’t tell me no. Not after last night. Thank you, Allie. You might have saved my sanity.”
Allie looked out the front window at the buildings across the street and imagined all of them with clean windows and prosperous businesses. “Think Sharlene would want to rent one of the buildings? Or maybe Mary Jo? We might turn this town around if all the women who are bored had something to keep them busy.”
“Lord, honey, Mary Jo can cook, but not like Nadine. But, oh, my gosh, Allie, she might put in a beauty and barbershop combination in the old barbershop. I’m going to talk to her and Sharlene, too.” Nadine clapped her hands like Irene did when she got a chocolate cupcake.
Allie followed her to the door. “Just remember, you aren’t going to get rich here in Dry Creek but it might make you feel a lot better.”
The door had barely shut behind her when Allie’s phone rang. She recognized Deke’s number and answered after the second ring.
“Are you holding a grudge? This isn’t like you, Allie,” Deke said bluntly.
Riley? Nadine? How did Deke know all that so quickly? “Grudge for what?”
“Come on. All last night wasn’t Blake’s fault so why didn’t you show up for work this morning? He told you he kicked that ex of his to the curb after you left and I believe him,” Deke said.
“Well, it damn sure wasn’t my fault!” she shot right back at him.
“I didn’t say it was. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, so why aren’t you on the job today?” Deke asked.
Blake yelled in the background. “Hey, Deke, I’ve got five messages from Allie. Her sister is sick and she’s down at the feed store. I left my phone on the kitchen table this morning.”
“What’s the matter with Lizzy? Did she finally wake up and realize that she’s engaged to a jerk and it made her sick to think about what a fool she’s been?” Deke asked.
Allie popped up on the counter and crossed her legs Indian-style. “I want to go back to what we were talking about before. Why did you take Blake’s side first? I’ve been your friend a hell of a lot longer than he has.”
“Yes you have and that’s why I didn’t like it when you were sinking back into that ugly mood you got in after the divorce,” Deke said. “I was afraid you’d lose your mind that first year after Riley left.”
Allie didn’t want to talk about the past. “So I’m ugly?”
Deke lowered his voice to a whisper. “I did not say that. I said you were in an ugly mood and you’re not going to twist your way out of this. If you didn’t like Blake and I mean more than a friend, you wouldn’t be carryin’ on like this.”
“You are acting like a girl.” She laughed.