“I’ll trip him. You kick his ass?”
Stan blinked in astonishment, then let out a healthy laugh. “Not on an empty stomach. Maybe after dinner.”
The dining room was now filled with every guest—no one sat next to Helen, which she took in stride. She watched Roz take the drink order from Bess and scurry to the bar just as Mark came through the swinging kitchen door and grabbed his notebook. Roz said something to him, motioning to Kit’s table. Mark nodded obediently and headed back into the kitchen.
Helen sat back and regarded Stan. “What do you do for a living, Stan?”
“I do carpentry work and odd jobs here and there.” He put the menu down and looked at Helen.
“College?”
“Yep. Colorado on a football scholarship. Studied architecture.”
Helen raised an eyebrow. “You’re an architect?”
“Used to be. Worked for a company in Denver, but…” He shrugged and picked up his napkin.
“But what?”
“I guess it did nothing for me. I didn’t build or design what I wanted, only what I was told. So I stayed and worked and socked away the money until I couldn’t stand myself any longer, quit, and moved back here. That was about five years ago.”
“Are you happy?”
“Yes. No money, but what the heck,” he said with a laugh. “Roz and I agree money is overrated.” He pulled at his tie, which had Helen laughing. He wore a dark sport jacket, denim shirt, and a dark tie.
“You look very handsome.”
“Thanks. I—”
“And very uncomfortable. Loosen the tie, dear, before you pass out.”
Again, Stan’s face reddened as he laughed and did as instructed. He also unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. “Whew!” he said with relief.
“You remind me of Roz.”
“I heard my name. That can’t be good.” Roz stood by the table and looked at Helen. “Need anything? A little hemlock?”
“I’m ready to order,” Stan said, looking at Helen.
Roz took their order and picked up the menus. “And don’t believe a word she says.”
Stan laughed as Roz walked away. “She’s still in love with your daughter.”
“I know. If knocking their heads together would help…”
“Roz told me she was wrong in leaving,” Stan said.
“Well, Kit is quite stubborn.” Helen sat back. “She’s afraid of growing old.”
Stan leaned his elbows on the table. “Is that why she’s with that woman? She looks like my niece.”
Helen nodded. “Trying to hold on to her youth. She’ll kill herself trying.”
Stan smiled then. “Roz is totally different. She almost embraces her age. Well, she complains when her knee acts up. And when she can’t do something.” He laughed then. “She called me once, so upset. She was trying to cut down a tree…”
“Good Lord.”
“I know. But she’s an independent woman. Anyway, she didn’t want to use the chain saw, which I totally agreed with. Especially after she told me she was having a menopausal moment, as she put it.”
“Oh, the stories I could tell about that crazy nut and her love of mowers, saws, and all things powered, gas or electric.” Helen held up her cocktail. “You’re a smart man, Stan.”
“I don’t know about that. She was using the ax and taking her frustrations out on the poor tree. And she almost gave herself a heart attack, not wanting to quit. ‘I won’t let a damned tree get me,’ she said. I mean, it really wasn’t a big tree at all, but she called me anyway. She was sweating, her face was beet red, and she worried me. I found her leaning on the ax.” He laughed again. “And swearing at the tree. I’ve never heard a woman drop the F-bomb so many times. Anyway, I know she had her nursery business, and she knew what she was doing, but… Well, she may be stubborn, but she’s not stupid.”
“So you came to the rescue and what? Picked the tree up with your bare hands?”
“Nope. I’m an architect, Helen, and a carpenter. I know about angles and leverage. I may be a big man, but I know where my strength
Stan blinked in astonishment, then let out a healthy laugh. “Not on an empty stomach. Maybe after dinner.”
The dining room was now filled with every guest—no one sat next to Helen, which she took in stride. She watched Roz take the drink order from Bess and scurry to the bar just as Mark came through the swinging kitchen door and grabbed his notebook. Roz said something to him, motioning to Kit’s table. Mark nodded obediently and headed back into the kitchen.
Helen sat back and regarded Stan. “What do you do for a living, Stan?”
“I do carpentry work and odd jobs here and there.” He put the menu down and looked at Helen.
“College?”
“Yep. Colorado on a football scholarship. Studied architecture.”
Helen raised an eyebrow. “You’re an architect?”
“Used to be. Worked for a company in Denver, but…” He shrugged and picked up his napkin.
“But what?”
“I guess it did nothing for me. I didn’t build or design what I wanted, only what I was told. So I stayed and worked and socked away the money until I couldn’t stand myself any longer, quit, and moved back here. That was about five years ago.”
“Are you happy?”
“Yes. No money, but what the heck,” he said with a laugh. “Roz and I agree money is overrated.” He pulled at his tie, which had Helen laughing. He wore a dark sport jacket, denim shirt, and a dark tie.
“You look very handsome.”
“Thanks. I—”
“And very uncomfortable. Loosen the tie, dear, before you pass out.”
Again, Stan’s face reddened as he laughed and did as instructed. He also unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. “Whew!” he said with relief.
“You remind me of Roz.”
“I heard my name. That can’t be good.” Roz stood by the table and looked at Helen. “Need anything? A little hemlock?”
“I’m ready to order,” Stan said, looking at Helen.
Roz took their order and picked up the menus. “And don’t believe a word she says.”
Stan laughed as Roz walked away. “She’s still in love with your daughter.”
“I know. If knocking their heads together would help…”
“Roz told me she was wrong in leaving,” Stan said.
“Well, Kit is quite stubborn.” Helen sat back. “She’s afraid of growing old.”
Stan leaned his elbows on the table. “Is that why she’s with that woman? She looks like my niece.”
Helen nodded. “Trying to hold on to her youth. She’ll kill herself trying.”
Stan smiled then. “Roz is totally different. She almost embraces her age. Well, she complains when her knee acts up. And when she can’t do something.” He laughed then. “She called me once, so upset. She was trying to cut down a tree…”
“Good Lord.”
“I know. But she’s an independent woman. Anyway, she didn’t want to use the chain saw, which I totally agreed with. Especially after she told me she was having a menopausal moment, as she put it.”
“Oh, the stories I could tell about that crazy nut and her love of mowers, saws, and all things powered, gas or electric.” Helen held up her cocktail. “You’re a smart man, Stan.”
“I don’t know about that. She was using the ax and taking her frustrations out on the poor tree. And she almost gave herself a heart attack, not wanting to quit. ‘I won’t let a damned tree get me,’ she said. I mean, it really wasn’t a big tree at all, but she called me anyway. She was sweating, her face was beet red, and she worried me. I found her leaning on the ax.” He laughed again. “And swearing at the tree. I’ve never heard a woman drop the F-bomb so many times. Anyway, I know she had her nursery business, and she knew what she was doing, but… Well, she may be stubborn, but she’s not stupid.”
“So you came to the rescue and what? Picked the tree up with your bare hands?”
“Nope. I’m an architect, Helen, and a carpenter. I know about angles and leverage. I may be a big man, but I know where my strength
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