1105 Yakima Street - Debbie Macomber [48]
“I put out the word to the fire crew and Linc picked up some business this week.”
“Great!” She leaned down and kissed him again, letting her mouth linger on his.
“I…I could,” Mack said, clearing his throat before he continued, “try to send more business his way.”
Laughing softly, Mary Jo patted his back. “You do that.”
“Will I get more kisses like that one?”
“Probably.”
Mack brightened. “My dad’s helping, too.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, he’s good friends with the sheriff.”
Mary Jo remembered that about Troy Davis and her father-in-law.
“Well, Dad was talking to Sheriff Davis and suggested he might have the city ask your brother to bid on a contract to service police vehicles.”
“But, Mack, he has an auto body shop.”
“He can manage oil changes, can’t he?”
“I’m sure he can.”
“And routine maintenance?”
Mary Jo shrugged. “I assume he could.”
“Work is work, and your brother is hungry.”
Mary Jo was well aware of how hungry her brother was.
“Speaking of hungry, when’s dinner?” Mack glanced around the kitchen.
Mary Jo had started on the pumpkin as soon as she got home and hadn’t really thought about dinner. “Ah, any chance I could talk you into going out tonight?”
Mack cocked his head. “I could be persuaded,” he said, winking at her.
“Very funny,” she muttered. “Can we afford to take Linc and Lori? After all, this is a celebration.”
“A celebration?”
“Noelle just took her first step.”
“Oh, right. Where do you want to go?”
Knowing their own budget was tight, Mary Jo said, “The Pancake Palace. I love their spaghetti and meatballs, and Thursday night is all-you-can-eat spaghetti.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“I’ll call Linc and Lori and see if they can join us,” Mary Jo said. “Besides, I have an idea.”
“I bet you’re thinking the same thing I am.”
Half an hour later, when Mack had carved the pumpkin and Mary Jo had fed and changed Noelle, it was time to meet her brother and his wife. They took her car for the short drive down to Harbor Street and the Pancake Palace.
Linc and Lori were waiting for them outside the restaurant, apparently deep in conversation.
“How are you guys?” Mary Jo asked after they’d left the car and unfastened Noelle from her seat.
“Oh, good,” Lori said. “Everything’s fine.”
Mary Jo noticed that her brother didn’t echo his wife’s sentiment. Lori took Linc’s hand, and she was sure that whatever they were discussing concerned their troubles with her family.
They entered the restaurant and were quickly seated, despite the number of families availing themselves of the pasta specials. She recognized Pastor Dave Flemming and his wife, who waved cheerfully. Once the hostess had obtained a high chair for Noelle, Mary Jo gave her daughter a cracker while everyone else looked over the menu. She’d already made her decision—the spaghetti and meatball dinner.
“By the way,” Mack said, hidden behind the menu. “This is our treat.”
“You don’t need to do that,” Linc insisted.
“True,” Mack said mildly, “but we’re celebrating the fact that Noelle took her first step.”
“That’s early, isn’t it?” Lori’s eyes widened with surprise.
“Yes, but she’s been ready for weeks now,” Mary Jo explained. “Only, she was afraid to let go. It took her daddy to get her to leave her comfort zone.” Mary Jo knew how hard it was for her staunchly proud brother to allow them to pay for his and Lori’s dinner.
Linc lowered his menu. “You’ve done so much already,” he said, sounding almost humble.
This was Linc? Mary Jo looked up. She wanted to ask her big brother if he was okay. Humility was so unlike him.
“What did I do?” Mack asked as he reached for his water glass.
“This is the best week we’ve had since I opened the shop and practically everyone’s made a point of mentioning your name.”
“Mine?” Mack feigned astonishment. “All I said was that you do quality work at competitive prices.”
“Sheriff Davis stopped by to talk to Linc, too,” Lori added. She slipped her arm through Linc’s and pressed