Page 20 of Spiritwarrior (The Colemans’ Legacy #2)

Chapter Nineteen

W hen Sophie opened the diner door, she came to a full stop. Was she imagining that she had not one but eleven customers?

“Looks like business is picking up,” Jody commented by her side.

Ginny was taking an order at one table while Logan was behind the counter, making drinks.

Upon seeing her, Ginny excused herself from the customers. “You had four waiting at the door when I opened.” She nodded her head at the customers whose orders she had just taken. “They ordered pancakes and sausages. Tell Logan to get them coffee then come out back, and I’ll teach you how to make pancakes.”

Blinking tears back, she reached out to hug Ginny. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Keep that in mind when you have to start milking the goats.”

They broke apart and went into the kitchen, where Ginny showed her how to make the pancake batter while the sausages were frying.

“Pour it into a squirt bottle,” she instructed. Then, once the batter was in the squirt bottle, she squirted a circle on the grill. “When you see it bubbling in the middle, place a finger on the pancake, and if you can see you fingerprint, flip it. When the edges are brown, it’s done. Voila! You made pancakes.”

Sophie made several more before she got used to gauging when to flip and when they were done.

The rest of the morning went by fast as Logan and Jody worked at the front of the restaurant while Ginny and her made the food. At one point, Sophie peeked through the door and saw the restaurant was half-filled.

“Feeling more positive about the restaurant?” Ginny asked as she slid two pans of meatloaf in the oven.

“Yes. I don’t know what turned it around, but at least I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.”

“I’m glad. I’d hate to lose my new friend. Besides, I need someone to make meatloaf for—my brothers are sick of it.”

Laughing, they got back to work.

“New ticket.”

Sophie looked up from making a plate to see Logan’s face as he placed the ticket in the window. She thought something was wrong, so she stood on her tippy toes to look through the window. “Something going on?”

Ginny came to look out, too.

Jody was checking a customer out while Logan was carrying a tray of drinks to a group of teenagers sitting at a back table.

“Are they friends of Logan’s?”

Was that why Logan had looked unhappy when he clipped the ticket in the window? Sophie could understand it might be embarrassing for him to wait on his friends, especially when there were several girls at the table.

“I wish.” Ginny sighed. “The boy sitting next to the blonde girl and the girl with the pink sweater is Fynn. He’s my younger brother. Logan and Fynn don’t get along.”

Logan was a sweet young man, so she couldn’t understand anyone disliking him.

“Do you know why?”

Ginny shook her head. “We’ve been letting them work it out on their own. Silas and Logan’s uncle Greer used to hate each other, but they get along now.”

“I see.”

When Logan turned around after leaving the drinks, she could hear mocking laughter following him.

Sophie saw red.

Dropping from her tippy toes, she strode out of the kitchen, prepared to let Fynn have a piece of her mind. She cleared the door, her intention on asking Fynn to leave, only to have Jody beat her to the table. Before Fynn could react, Jody pulled him up by the back of his shirt and dragged him to the front of the restaurant.

“Quit it, Jody,” Fynn hissed at his brother.

Jody barked at Logan, “Give me the apron.”

Startled, Logan untied the apron at his waist and handed it to him.

Jody took the apron and threw it at Fynn.

“Put it on,” Jody snapped. “You’re working for the rest of the day.”

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are, and when you’re done, you can explain to Silas why you were late for dinner.” Jody turned to look at Logan. “Logan, you’re done for the day. Fynn will work the rest of your shift, and you won’t lose any money. Sophie will give you Fynn’s pay.”

Fynn shot daggers at Jody. “That’s not fair.”

“I don’t think it’s fair the way you embarrassed Logan, so you can take his place while you wait on him .”

“No.” Fynn’s voice dropped so low that Sophie could barely hear the exchange between the brothers.

“No?”

Sophie looked around at Ginny.

“Stay out of it,” Ginny warned her. “Let Jody deal with this. Come on; we left the grill unattended.”

She hesitated but was relieved when Fynn reluctantly tied the apron around his waist. As she went back into the kitchen, she protectively looked to watch Logan grab his jacket and leave.

Ginny sighed when she saw Logan leave, also. “I’ll be glad when they grow out of this stage.”

“How long did it take for Silas and Greer?”

Ginny picked up the ticket that Logan had put down. “I think their late twenties.” Ginny saw the concern on her face. “Don’t worry; Fynn is going through a stage. I don’t think it will take him and Logan that long to become friends.”

Sophie wasn’t so sure.

“The problem is both of them have had a crush on the same girl since they were little kids.”

“Ouch.”

“Yes. Eventually, they’ll work it out. She’ll chose one of them, or one of the boys will fall for another girl.”

“So, all that was over a girl?”

Ginny turned away to drop fries in the fry basket. “Both of the boys are very gifted. There may be a power struggle going on between them as well. Luckily, Silas and Dustin, Logan’s father, are aware of the situation and try to keep the boys apart.”

“Until something like today happens,” Sophie finished for her.

“Yes. When that happens, Jody and Greer step in.”

“What do they do?”

“Greer takes Logan fishing.”

“What does Jody do?”

Ginny’s lips turned into a mischievous smile. “Brings him back down to earth.”