the chair back into position and stood. “Don’t get your shirt in a knot. It’s cool. Honest.”
“I hope so. Cheryl’s such a great worker; I’d hate to see her quit because you break up or something.”
Jim’s blue eyes darkened with flash of temper. “Don’t worry, Chief. I’ll lock up the barn, and then I’m outta here too.”
“OK.” Gracie sat staring at the computer screensaver of squiggly lines. “Oh, Jimmy. You’re making a big mistake,” she said softly.
Midge was plating a stack of buckwheat pancakes when Gracie arrived right before church time. Midge had a large sweet roll, dripping with white icing, waiting for her along with a cup of strong coffee. It looked like there were at least two waitresses working, and the place was humming with conversation.
“I was hoping you’d be here today,” Midge said, handing the plate of pancakes to Molly.
“I’m really glad I stopped in. Thanks for saving me a roll.” Gracie bit into the warm gooey mass of soft roll, brown sugar cinnamon syrup, and icing.
“Well, I felt bad the other day when I ran out. Didn’t make as many pans as usual. Wasn’t feeling so hot. I think I got a touch of the flu that’s going around.”
Gracie was shocked. Midge was never sick, and if she was, she’d never admit it. The tough, wizened restaurateur must have been feeling awful.
“Hope you’re better now.”
“Yeah. It was one of those 24-hour things.” Her phlegmy cough sounded painful. She quickly covered her mouth with a napkin. “I guess I need some fresh air. I’ll be right back.”
Gracie knew that was Midge code for “I’m going out the back door for a smoke.”
She glanced toward the table section off to her left and saw Will Dover with his wife. Dan Evans slid onto the stool next to her, and she swung around in surprise.
“Mornin’, Gracie. Did I scare you?”
“Hey, Dan. No, just surprised me. Guess I was lost in thought.”
“Are you all right after, you know … seeing the body?”
“It was pretty bad, but I’m all right. Terry is more shook up than I am.”
“She’s had her share of problems for being here less than a month. But there’s enough for all of us.” The big man sighed and stroked his bushy blond beard.
“Problems? What’s going on, Dan?”
“It’s business. I’ve been hanging by a thread for a couple of years now. I just can’t compete with the big guys.”
“Deer Creek needs a hardware store. I can’t imagine having to run to Warsaw or further for what we need at the kennel.”
“You just might have to, Gracie. Since I laid off Jack, it’s just Darlene and me to run everything. She’s trying to get a job at the bank, or somewhere, even if it’s part-time.”
“Geez, Dan. I didn’t know it was that serious. Sorry about Jack. He’s been there for a long time.”
“Ten years. I had to cut his hours a couple of months ago. He’s been picking up some side jobs to make up for it, but I just can’t pay the salary and benefits anymore. I’ve got a high school kid coming in after school, just part-time. He comes pretty cheap. He doesn’t mind if he doesn’t have health insurance or a 401K right now. I can’t even pay those for me.”
Gracie’s stomach churned, thinking about the benefits she paid for her small crew. Partially paying some health insurance was all she could manage right now. The kennel was just starting to make a small profit, and adding one more employee expense could tip them back into the red. It was a real balancing act to keep the prices reasonable for customers and pay employees right. It had been the same way when she and Michael had the farm with Jim. They had purposely kept the dairy herd small to try and handle as much work as they could themselves. She knew of two dairy farmers that had gone under last fall and had to sell everything to cover their bank loans.
“Dan, the kennel will support your business as much as we can. Hang in there.” Gracie
“I hope so. Cheryl’s such a great worker; I’d hate to see her quit because you break up or something.”
Jim’s blue eyes darkened with flash of temper. “Don’t worry, Chief. I’ll lock up the barn, and then I’m outta here too.”
“OK.” Gracie sat staring at the computer screensaver of squiggly lines. “Oh, Jimmy. You’re making a big mistake,” she said softly.
Midge was plating a stack of buckwheat pancakes when Gracie arrived right before church time. Midge had a large sweet roll, dripping with white icing, waiting for her along with a cup of strong coffee. It looked like there were at least two waitresses working, and the place was humming with conversation.
“I was hoping you’d be here today,” Midge said, handing the plate of pancakes to Molly.
“I’m really glad I stopped in. Thanks for saving me a roll.” Gracie bit into the warm gooey mass of soft roll, brown sugar cinnamon syrup, and icing.
“Well, I felt bad the other day when I ran out. Didn’t make as many pans as usual. Wasn’t feeling so hot. I think I got a touch of the flu that’s going around.”
Gracie was shocked. Midge was never sick, and if she was, she’d never admit it. The tough, wizened restaurateur must have been feeling awful.
“Hope you’re better now.”
“Yeah. It was one of those 24-hour things.” Her phlegmy cough sounded painful. She quickly covered her mouth with a napkin. “I guess I need some fresh air. I’ll be right back.”
Gracie knew that was Midge code for “I’m going out the back door for a smoke.”
She glanced toward the table section off to her left and saw Will Dover with his wife. Dan Evans slid onto the stool next to her, and she swung around in surprise.
“Mornin’, Gracie. Did I scare you?”
“Hey, Dan. No, just surprised me. Guess I was lost in thought.”
“Are you all right after, you know … seeing the body?”
“It was pretty bad, but I’m all right. Terry is more shook up than I am.”
“She’s had her share of problems for being here less than a month. But there’s enough for all of us.” The big man sighed and stroked his bushy blond beard.
“Problems? What’s going on, Dan?”
“It’s business. I’ve been hanging by a thread for a couple of years now. I just can’t compete with the big guys.”
“Deer Creek needs a hardware store. I can’t imagine having to run to Warsaw or further for what we need at the kennel.”
“You just might have to, Gracie. Since I laid off Jack, it’s just Darlene and me to run everything. She’s trying to get a job at the bank, or somewhere, even if it’s part-time.”
“Geez, Dan. I didn’t know it was that serious. Sorry about Jack. He’s been there for a long time.”
“Ten years. I had to cut his hours a couple of months ago. He’s been picking up some side jobs to make up for it, but I just can’t pay the salary and benefits anymore. I’ve got a high school kid coming in after school, just part-time. He comes pretty cheap. He doesn’t mind if he doesn’t have health insurance or a 401K right now. I can’t even pay those for me.”
Gracie’s stomach churned, thinking about the benefits she paid for her small crew. Partially paying some health insurance was all she could manage right now. The kennel was just starting to make a small profit, and adding one more employee expense could tip them back into the red. It was a real balancing act to keep the prices reasonable for customers and pay employees right. It had been the same way when she and Michael had the farm with Jim. They had purposely kept the dairy herd small to try and handle as much work as they could themselves. She knew of two dairy farmers that had gone under last fall and had to sell everything to cover their bank loans.
“Dan, the kennel will support your business as much as we can. Hang in there.” Gracie
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