Morning cup of coffee

Ava hurried. The forty-five minutes were nearly used up. She didn’t want to be late meeting Anne Pine at the cafe. Rummaging through her duffel bag she pulled out one of her white T-shirts, a pair of comfortable jeans and her cowboy boots.

As she dressed Ava’s mind kept going back over the driving directions from MapQuest. It turned out her ultimate destination point, the reason she’d driven all this way to Eden in the first place, was on the very same road she had jogged down last night. Ava was anxious to drive there but she’d have to wait. Again! Why did I make this breakfast date Ava wondered. Her stomach answered the question with a loud growl.

Studying herself in the bathroom mirror Ava concluded she looked like Raggety Anne with her great mop of hair. Sighing she pulled her hair back and up off her long, thin neck and cinched it into place with a giant tortoise shell clip. Chris had tried to convince her that wearing her hair this way gave Ava a beautiful profile but she knew he was only saying that to be kind.

Ava dusted a little translucent powder over her face and applied a touch of mascara to her lashes. Pushing the long sleeves of her T-shirt back up on her forearms Ava studied the scrapes and purple bruises from the accident the night before. She quickly yanked the sleeves back down to her wrists. Reaching across the bed for her purse she flinched. The sore muscles that had relaxed in the hot shower were tightening up again.

Ava Land was extremely time conscious. She hated being late. Jamming her sunglasses on she rushed out to her Jeep and hopped in. As she sped out of the parking lot she left spitting gravel in her wake. Less then a block away she was forced to slow down by a horse and buggy in front of her. Two more horse and buggies in quick succession were in the other lane departing Eden for the open countryside.

Anne Pine parked her pickup in a diagonal slot in front of the Paradise Café. Turned out Doc Forrester wouldn’t be needing her until later in the afternoon which would give Anne time to catch a nap. And boy did she need one.

Entering the café she was met with hollering and clapping. Now winding down from the adrenaline rush she’d been on most of the morning Anne, at first, didn’t understand what was going on. And then she remembered… she was sporting her Happy Hair.

“Who had the baby?” blared Big Jim from where he sat at the counter shoveling in another fork full of hash browns and eggs. Jim never chewed his food - just gulped it. That way he never missed getting a word in edgewise.

“Lydia Yoder’s Katie,” said Anne. “healthy baby boy!”

Big Jim raised both thumbs in a sign of victory. “Another one for our side!” he said letting out a cackle.

Just as Anne slid into a booth by the big multi-paned glass window Iris Pye,  Chief Cook and Bottle Washer as she was fond of describing herslef, and oh yeah, the owner of the Paradise Café, appeared with a cup in one hand and a fresh pot of coffee in the other. Iris knew all her customers likes. And Iris knew Anne Pine liked her coffee fast, fresh and boiling hot!

“You look done in!” Iris blurted out.

“I  am,” said Anne lifting the steaming cup of coffee to her lips.

“What’ll you be having this morning?”

“Just coffee for now, thanks, company’s on the way.”

“It’s not that gal found in the ditch last night?” asked Iris. No matter how long Anne Pine lived here she’d never cease to be amazed over how fast news traveled . “As a matter of fact that’s exactly who it is,” said Anne. “I told her there was no better place to eat.” Iris beamed. She loved to hear her food was appreciated.

Just then the door opened and Ava Land looking every bit the “I’m-not-from-around-here- woman” entered the café. For a second everyone in the café paused in unison to stare. Ava froze as her flight instinct gripped her hard.

“Ava, hi! Over here.” Anne Pine called out. Ava put her head down and aimed for the booth thankful she had her sunglasses to hide behind.

As quickly as the motion stopped the convivial society in the Paradise Café resumed.

Big Jim swiveled around on his stool again to look right at Ava Land. With an ample crop of toast crumbs populating his unruly beard he leaned towards her and said, “So how’s your noggin this morning?” followed by his high pitched cackling laugh. The laugh that always took over whenever he got nervous about something .