The Last Bachelor by Judy Christenberry

“What may I bring you to drink?”
    â€œIced tea, please. And I’ll have a club sandwich. It won’t take long, will it?”
    â€œNo, sir. I’ll put the order in right away.”
    â€œThank you.”
    Ginger did as she’d promised, wondering all the while if the rumor was true.
    Ginger brought his iced tea and then, when it was ready, the sandwich. “Is there anything else I can bring you?”
    â€œNo, thanks.”
    Since he was her last customer, she went behind the partition that kept customers from seeing the kitchen and perched on a stool. If she was going to shop this afternoon, she should save her feet as much as possible.
    Startled by the ring of a telephone, she peeked around the partition to see Mr. Mercado answering his cell phone. She sat back on the stool, leaning her head against the wall.
    â€œRicky? That you? I’ve been worried.”
    She realized she was hearing Mr. Mercado’s phone conversation, but she was sure it didn’t matter. Besides, she had nowhere else to sit.
    â€œA success? You mean Luke and Westin are all right?” After a pause, he said, “Oh, no! That’s terrible!”
    Ginger decided half a conversation wasn’t very satisfying. Besides, she didn’t know who Luke and Westin were.
    â€œNo, there’s not much going on around here—oh, except there was a kidnapping. That baby they found out on the golf course—she was taken from the Carson ranch.”
    Ginger straightened from the wall. The man was talking about Daisy’s baby.
    â€œI don’t know, Ricky. Frank seems to think so. I want to believe it, but it’s been a long time since they told us Haley died. If Haley is alive, why wouldn’t she let us know?”
    Ginger wondered who Haley was and what she was to Mr. Mercado.
    â€œYeah, I know Frank was crazy about her, but—You could be right. Okay, I’ll keep my eye on him. When will you be back?”
    He picked up a quarter of his sandwich and took a bite. “That soon? Good, we can go to the opening of the Men’s Grill together Saturday night. Hurry home, son.”
    Well, at least now she knew who Ricky was. Did Joe know him? Should she say anything to him aboutit? No, she didn’t think so. It was none of her business. What could it matter, anyway?
    She got off the stool and took a pitcher of iced tea to the man’s table to refill his drink.
    She only had half an hour before she could go home. She was discovering a lot of pleasure in her new schedule, thanks to Joe.
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    â€œHi, honey. Got time to serve me a hamburger?” Joe asked as he slid into a booth in Ginger’s section.
    â€œOf course. But there’s plenty of food at home,” she reminded him.
    â€œYeah, but we’re going shopping. I don’t want to take the time to go home and fix lunch. Have you eaten yet?”
    â€œNo, I don’t want to eat free when I’m leaving at two.”
    Joe sighed but he had a grin on his face. “Lady, you are too tenderhearted. Order two hamburgers to go.”
    â€œWhat do you want on them?” she asked with a frown.
    â€œEverything but onions since we’re going shopping. Put what you want on the other one.”
    Shaking her head, she went back to the kitchen.
    When they left a few minutes later, Ginger carried the sack with their lunch. Once they were in the car, they started eating.
    â€œI hope you don’t mind, but I asked my mother and Amy to come with us.”
    â€œOkay. Do they need to shop, too?”
    Joe chuckled. “No. But I figured you might have questions about what would be appropriate for Saturday night, and I wouldn’t have the answers. That’s why Amy is coming along. Mom is there to make sure you buy enough.”
    She stared at him, horror on her face. “That—that’s rotten! I don’t want to buy a lot of clothes. That would be wasting your money!”
    He was still