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“Do you have any fruit at least? What shop doesn’t have fruit for kids?”
I didn’t think I was supposed to hear that last part, but I did and narrowed my eyes.
“Sug, this is a bakery. We don’t normally have more than bananas in the early morning. Fruit is normally put into the treats I bake.”
“If you call Nich or Mama, they can bring some over. Uncle Charles brought us five big baskets yesterday from the farm. We will never eat it all.”
“Oh, what kind?”
“A little bit of this and that. Apples, oranges, plums, a few boxes of strawberries, and I think blackberries. Might be blueberries too. His greenhouses are always full of fruiting plants. He’s better than any grocery store.” She laughed softly.
I pulled out my phone and called Nich. He answered on the second ring. “Good morning, beautiful. You okay?”
I smiled as I turned from the onlookers to talk to him. “Great. Swamped. I need a favor, please.”
“Sure, I’m at Aunt Carmen’s changing the porch lights,” he chuckled.
Carmen was Lacey’s mom. The five-foot-nothing woman was scarier than a giant. Or she was to me at least.
“That’s perfect!” I snorted out a laugh as I brought my volume back down. “Can you grab some of the fruit your uncle dropped off there? Lacey said it’s too much for them, I have a shop full of kids, and we are running on fumes here.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, sure.” I heard the phone muffle as he spoke to his aunt. “Give us ten minutes, baby, we’ll be there.”
“Thanks, handsome. See you in ten.”
I ended the call and squeezed Lacey’s shoulder. “They’ll be here in ten…it’s been nice knowing you.”
“You’re seriously scared of my mama? She’s harmless.”
Harmless, my left foot.
“Excuse me, ma’am.” Lacey and I turned to the counter.
Oops, I forgot the kid was there. Come on, Dana, get it together. “I’m so sorry. Fruit will be here in about ten minutes. We’ll get your pretzels too.”
“Oh, thank you. My sister…I have the $0.42 she was short. I’m sorry, I should have come up with her.”
“Oh, honey, that’s okay, really. I appreciate it, but we took care of it.”
“She spent her money on a set of turtles for her room.” He smiled, looking back at her. “She loves turtles.”
“Who doesn’t? They are marvelous creatures.”
“Did you want water or juice?” Lacey asked him.
“Water, please.”
I slid the bottle and the bag of pretzels to him. “That will be $5.97.” He handed her the money, and they exchanged change. I moved down the counter to help another woman, who had two boys looking at the menu.
“Do you know what you want?” I asked, leaning over the counter.
“What is this one?”
I looked down and smiled. “That, my friends, is a bun full of hamburger meat and cheese. I have a pan that will be coming out in a minute. They’re very buttery and delicious.”
“I want that.”
“Me too. And white milk, please.”
