“I c-can f-f-fix almost anything, and if n-not, the t-t-townspeople w-will have to w-w-wait a l-little longer for their m-money.”
He pulled up in the car dealer’s parking lot, which looked very much like his own junkyard, except Bill traded more in used cars than Augustus liked to do. It required way more talking than he was comfortable with.
He shut off the engine, and Quentin unbuckled and turned toward him. “Are you sure about this? It’s hard for me to accept this, and I will pay you back, but I’m worried about wiping out your safety net.”
Augustus beamed at him. “You’re w-worth it.”
The smile that broke through on Quentin’s face made him look stunning, and Augustus’s belly did a few somersaults before settling again. Then Quentin leaned in and kissed him, and his whole system went haywire again. Oh, no doubt about it, he’d so made the right call.
18
Quentin had to admit that his new car drove like a dream compared to his ancient Corolla. No wonder, since it had almost been as old as he was, so the Subaru was a massive improvement. The all-wheel drive was pretty handy as well, giving him a good grip on the country roads. They had been cleared of snow for the most part, but he'd still seen some slick spots.
And my god, this area was as beautiful as it was intimidating. He looked to his left every few seconds, not daring to take his eyes off the road too long, but the view was irresistible. The sky was a brilliant blue, contrasting sharply with the white, snow-covered mountains. They seemed undisturbed, pristine, and maybe they were. This was a sparsely populated area, so other than the occasional hiker, few people would venture here. The ski resorts were a bit farther north.
It was one of the reasons why Northern Lake had been so perfect for his research project. Sure, he had ulterior motives to spend a few months there, but the size of the town—or rather, the lack thereof—made it perfect for studying small-town dynamics. And in a few minutes, he would get his first look at Northern Lake.
He put his foot a little farther down on the accelerator to climb a hill, and when he'd reached the top, he gasped. There it was, maybe another mile to go. It was exactly the way he had imagined it. Picturesque, secluded, surrounded by mountains and lots and lots of snow.
He'd done his research, obviously, and he had picked a few starting points. Every town, and especially one this remote, had a few options where locals could hang out. Quentin's first job was to find out what these were in Northern Lake. It could be a local library, if they had one, a bakery, or a bar. Sometimes it was a restaurant, a gas station, or some local shop that functioned as a convenience store.
He slowly drove through the town, staying on the main road, looking to his left and right as much as possible. Ah, Mary's Convenience and Café. That sounded like the perfect place to start. He passed through town entirely to make sure nothing else caught his attention, then turned around and set course for Mary's. It had a small parking lot in the front, and he easily found a spot.
He opened the door, and the smell of cinnamon and vanilla greeted him. He smiled. Homebaked goods. God bless small towns. He'd stepped into the convenience part, a small store with shelves that held the standard selection of products. They had everything one could need on a day-to-day basis. Nothing luxurious, nothing exotic, but all the basic staples were available.
He nodded at the teenager managing the register and got a friendly smile from her in return.
"Good morning," she said. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Quentin could tell from her tone she had spotted him as an outsider, a newcomer. It was subtle, but the offer of help would have been made in a different way had he been a local; he was sure of it.
"I'm just looking around, but thank you," he said.
"Are you visiting Northern Lake?" the teenager asked. "You got lucky with the snowfall. The ski resorts are doing good business right now."
Ski resorts. Right. They were close, maybe half an hour from here. Northern Lake must get its fair share of tourists, even in the winter. In the summer, nature lovers were drawn to the Adirondack Mountains, and this place would have tourists all year round.
"I'm not here to ski, but thank you. The café is that way?" He pointed to the hallway to her left, from where telltale noises of spoons clattering in mugs came.
She nodded quickly. "Yes. Make sure to try the hot chocolate. Mary makes it with a dash of vanilla, and it is heaven. She also made fresh apple pie this morning."
Quentin's stomach rumbled softly in agreement with her suggestions, and he gave her a smile as he walked toward the café. "That sounds amazing. Thank you."
The café had only seven tables, and they were larger than what one would see in bigger cities, most suitable to seat at least six. A group of five women sat at one of the tables, chatting and laughing with each other, with large mugs and empty plates in front of them.
There was no sign that said he had to wait to be seated, so he found a spot at a table in the corner with his back toward the wall. It was the perfect vantage point to observe, and he placed his bag on the seat next to him and pulled out his note bloc and a pen.
He hadn't sat there even a minute when a soft, plump woman came over to his table, sporting a warm and open expression. "Good morning, and welcome to my café. I'm Mary. What can I do for you today, honey?"
Honey. Had she called him that because she'd surmised he was gay? Or had she misjudged his age, which wasn't outside of the realm of possibilities either? Something to think about.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Your hot chocolate and apple pie came highly recommended, so I'd like to try those, please."
He was rewarded with a big smile. "Did Kacy tell you? The girl behind the register?" When he nodded, she said, “That's my middle daughter. She has a weakness for anything sweet."
Quentin grinned. "So do I, so that came in handy."
"All right, then. I'll get that right in for you. Would you like your apple pie hot or cold? Ice cream and whipped cream?"
"Hot please, and yes to everything. I'm hungry."
Mary chuckled. "Growing boys like you are always hungry. I've raised two sons, and when they left home, my grocery bill was cut in half, I swear."
"I know, ma'am. My mom says the same."
She smiled broadly as she waved her hand at him. "Look at you being all polite. Your mama raised you well, honey. But you can call me Mary, just like everyone else."
He felt the eyes of the women at the other table on him, and a glance sideways confirmed that they were watching his interaction. Wasn't it wonderful when everything went just the way he had expected?
"Thank you, Mary. I'll make sure to tell her."
"I'll get that hot chocolate and apple pie for you right away, honey. Won't be but a few minutes."
Mary walked away, which gave Quentin the opportunity to study the women. They were still stealing glances his way, and he smiled at them. They greeted him back with a small nod, then left him alone and continued their conversations.
A few minutes later, three more women came in, chatting animatedly as they took off their jackets and joined the group. A table was pushed against the other one, creating one large setup, and the women hugged each other, then sat back down. With the addition of the newcomers, the noise level rose considerably, and he caught snippets of conversations about the snow, power outages, and teenagers who had been put to work.