The Hideaway Cafe Read online

  Table of Contents

  The Hideaway Cafe

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  The Hideaway Cafe

  A Hideaway Lake Novel

  Book 2

  by

  Terri Lorah

  Copyright © 2020 Terri Lorah. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book. This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events are the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously.

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  Illustrated by EDH Graphics

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  Welcome back to Hideaway Lake, a small town in the lush hills of Central Pennsylvania.

  The Hideaway Cafe includes Olivia’s story. In the first book, Olivia comes home to help her mother, Laura Myers, get through a divorce, and decides to stay to open a small local cafe. She is a professional chef for a large catering company, The Traveling Chef, and has worked for Senators, filthy-rich businessmen, Hollywood stars, and others. She is now trying to adjust to living in a small town again.

  Then someone from her past shows up in Hideaway Lake, taking her by total surprise.

  Bailey, the youngest Myer sibling, comes home better than before and applies at Hershey School of Nursing, hoping to finish the program she quit before she went to rehab. She also begins to search for her biological parents and finds out some disturbing news.

  Laura and Joe begin to officially date and enjoy time together until Joe begins to renovate the mansion and Laura gets busy with the Inn. When they begin to see less and less of each other, Laura begins to wonder if Joe is no longer interested.

  Cole and Madison are falling in love, then Sherri returns to Hideaway Lake. She is needing Cole’s assistance, which leaves Madison to wonder if Cole feels guilty about what happened and is thinking about a second chance with Sherri.

  Join the Myers family in this feel-good women's fiction novel The Hideaway Cafe, book 2 of the series.

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to Kira Rose for naming the puppy.

  As always, I thank God every day for each breath I take. My family is my life and I am grateful that I am able to do this daily.

  To my hubby - You are and will always be my version of Ryan Chase, you crazy wild bad boy with a heart of gold.

  Chapter 1

  Olivia’s hand slid from her hip as she looked around the small café. A long sigh erupted. She closed her eyes, cautiously reminding herself she was taking a break from rich businessmen, famous stars and billionaire clients that she had crossed paths with for the past eight years.

  During the time she spent working at The Traveling Chef, an elite company that caters to discretionary clients, Olivia thought she had seen it all. Then, when her grandmother died, it hadn’t taken much for her to come home, leaving the world she knew behind. There were so many reasons why she decided to leave New York City and start over. Frankly, the main reason was that she was burnt out living in the fast lane.

  And, maybe one other reason she didn’t want to think about right now.

  Home, sweet, home. Where the lush country hills surrounded Hideaway Lake and the peace in the valley refreshed the soul. It was like living in a world so far away from the bright lights and fast-paced crazy life. This was what she needed right now and with Olivia back home, it would be good for her mother, who was making her own changes after the ridiculous divorce her parents went through.

  The soft hum of an engine caught her attention as an older model golf cart pulled up to the glass doors of Olivia’s new café. Her brother hopped from the cart in one swift move and pulled open the door with a huge smile across his face. The sound of children’s laughter and shouts as they spent their time playing on the sandy beach by the lake drifted inside.

  Olivia grinned. “My, oh my, aren’t you peachy today. What’s going on little brother?” Olivia raised her hands to her hips again, realizing all of a sudden that she did it more often than not. Laura often did the same thing. Was she becoming her mother?

  Cole shrugged and tilted his head. “Are you ready to open up yet? It’s been like two weeks since the inspection. Everyone is asking when the café will open up.”

  “I knew that question was coming. Grand opening is in a few days, but that is not what I asked you, little bro. Why the grin? What have you been up to?” She slid onto the wooden bar stool at the counter. “I just poured myself a cup of coffee. Grab a cup from the counter over there and sit with me.”

  Cole picked up the cream-colored porcelain cup, holding it out as he slid in beside his sister. She filled his cup from the carafe on the counter and began to load up her own with an overflowing spoonful of sugar and fresh cream.

  “Olivia! That’s not a cup of coffee, you’re making a dessert.” He looked totally disgusted and took a gulp from his own, which was free from any condiments.

  She laughed. “It’s exactly what I need right now. A little indulgence isn’t going to hurt me.” Olivia tucked a hand under her chin as she stared at him. There was something different about Cole. He seemed more calm than usual. At peace. Happy. Not as nervous as he was when he first came home.

  “It’s your health going to hell in a handbasket,” he warned.

  “You are three years younger than me and sometimes you act like the oldest.”

  He grinned. “I’ve always known I was more mature than you, sis.”

  She laughed. “So, tell me bro, how are you really doing since the episode with that poor, misguided woman?”

  “You mean Sherri? She’s far from poor, sis. Actually, she’s been getting treatment and dealing with her mental health.”

  Olivia still worried. “It’s a shame, really. I know she thought she was in love with you, but hopefully in treatment they will make her realize you didn’t have the same feelings that she did. I’d hate to see her come back here and stir things up again. Our little town is peaceful and serene, the perfect place to hide from the world.” Was that what Olivia was doing here? Hiding from the world? Or, just the part of a world she had been involved in for the last eight years?

  Cole shook his head. “From what the counselor said, Sherri’s been messed up since she lost her parents and her uncle is the cause of most of her issues. I hear he’s trying to make it right. She’s getting good care. I’ll be honest with you, sis. I’m glad it all came out. I feel like I can finally breathe and move on with my life.”

  Olivia gave him a hug. “It’s okay, bro. We all make bad choices at times.”

  “All except you, Olivia. I’ve never seen you do anything except make good choices to forge ahead. Look at you, a big chef who worked with some of the smartest businessmen in the industry. You’ve cooked for Senators and maybe even the President for all we know.”

  Olivia tousled his hair like she would a three year-old. “You will never know, bro. I can’t disclose who I worked for or what they were doing, and who they were doing it with,” She added. “I signed a disclaimer.”

  Cole laughed. “Not even to your own little brother?”

  Olivia shook her head and stood, stretching her long legs. “Especially my little bro. Some secrets will have to stay with me until the end of time.”

  He sighed. “It’s fine. I have other things to keep my mind occupied with.”

  Olivia laughed out loud. “You mean Madison?”

  “You know it. Unlike you, sis, who has every available man in Hideaway Lake pining over you, I found one girl who seems really nice. I think things may get serious before too long.”

  “We’ve all watched things unfold, Cole. I’m happy for you. As for me, I’m working on me. Not even interested in any man right now.”

  He stood, downing the coffee in one gulp. “Men pining over you certainly won’t hurt your business. They’ll all be hoarding over you, coming to the café, hanging out here all day long, waiting for you to notice one of them.”

  “You paint a horrible picture, Cole. A little flirting never hurt anyone, but I’m not interested in a man right now. I’m opening in two days and I need to finish training my employees.”

  Cole looked around and shrugged. “I don’t see any employees here.”

  She ruffled the top of his hair again. Olivia had been doing that since they were little. “They’ll be here in a half hour. Meanwhile, if you would, how about helping me carry those Adirondack chairs to our private beach.”

  Cole followed her outside where an Amish man had delivered five acacia wood chairs earlier. Even though she had some small bistro tables outside on the patio, the private beach in front of the café was the perfect spot for them. Olivia had already placed a fire pit there earlier.

  Cole picked up two chairs, one in each hand. Olivia grabbed one and began to lug it to the beach area, which wasn’t far from the patio. They both tried to reach the intended space before the other. Olivia got there first since Cole had a heavier load. After shaking his head and mumbling something she didn’t understand because she beat him, he went back for the last two chairs as Olivia arranged them aroun
d the fire-pit in a quaint, cozy circle.

  Cole plopped down on one of them. “You are so competitive. I was actually going to offer to set up all the chairs so you didn’t have to, but I know how you are.”

  She leaned back, ignoring his words and stared at the water. “This is nice, isn’t it?”

  “It sure is.” Cole stared at her. “Olivia?”

  She sighed. He was forever interrupting her train of thought. But, his voice sounded pretty serious. “What, Cole?”

  “I get the feeling that you are running from something.”

  “Look, I don’t think it is any of -”

  He held up a hand. “Don’t speak. Let me say this while it’s on my mind. I just want you to know that whatever it is, I’ll always be here if you need me. No matter what.”

  His kind, brotherly words almost brought Olivia to tears. He knew her better than anyone. They were only three years apart and sometimes she thought they were more like twins. “Thanks, bro. I knew when I picked you up on my way here that day we came home for Grandma’s funeral, that something was going on in your life, too. I guess we must have sibling intuition or something. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

  “I know. You always are.” Cole squeezed her hand, then stood and stretched before walking towards his golf cart. “I’ll be here for the grand opening.”

  “You better be,” she shot back.

  Olivia sat on the Adirondack chair staring at the crystal water, following the slight waves as children frolicked at the public swimming area just down from her private beach. The dark secret she held in her heart and soul was starting to eat her up inside. If only things had been different, but they weren’t. She had worked so hard at The Traveling Chef and it had paid off for years.

  Now, here she was, in a rural town in a small café that she could run with her eyes closed. This month was already starting to get busy for the whole area as guests rented the many cottages by the lake. Her mother’s bed and breakfast was filled to capacity. It was a different type of challenge, one that Olivia hoped would keep her mind occupied so she didn’t have to think at all. The truth was, it hurt way more than she wanted to admit.

  Olivia was glad to be free from the world that she knew and yet sometimes her heart ached to be back there. But, this was good for her. Being away from the ungrateful guests and from the filthy rich men who cheated on their wives at conventions and private parties had taken a toll on her.

  Not only that, but Olivia had also done the one thing that she swore and was warned never to do. Fall for a client.

  She’d take that secret to her grave.

  *****

  “You will have patrons sitting outside on the covered front porch. I’ve placed five small tables there. On the back patio, there are six bistro tables and chairs with umbrellas. For those who want to enjoy the shade, make sure you send them to the front.” Olivia didn’t mention the Adirondack chairs by the fire pit to her staff. She wasn’t sure yet what she’d use that area for. Even though she had a cute little balcony upstairs that faced the water, the thought of her bare feet in the sand while sitting closer to the lake seemed much more intriguing, and relaxing.

  The staff nodded in understanding.

  “Any questions?” she asked, wanting to make sure they were paying attention.

  Five pairs of eyes stared at her, waiting for her to speak. She was used to running things. A staff of five was much easier than twenty. She felt at ease and motioned for everyone to sit. They all chose the wooden bar stools with comfortable backs at the counter. She plopped down on the empty stool. “Okay, so I’ve trained all of you individually and got to know each one of you. I’ve held up the grand opening long enough, but learning to work together is too important to miss the steps I took the past two weeks. Now, I want each of you to introduce yourself to your co-workers. This café will be run like a well-oiled machine, so it’s a good idea to get to know one another. Who wants to go first?”

  The staff looked surprised but it didn’t deter Olivia. She knew they had to get to know each other in order to work together. It was her strategy in working and training each staff member alone. Olivia didn’t play games when it came to working. She had been trained by the best and expected hard work from every individual.

  “I’ll go first,” the oldest of the crew announced. “I’m Melissa Jenkins. I’ll be working as the evening cook.”

  Olivia interrupted. “Chef. Don’t degrade yourself. You trained as a chef.”

  Melissa nodded. “Okay. I’m Chef Melissa, but everyone can all call me Chef Missy. I’m thirty-five and divorced, and living back home with my widowed mother who needs assistance with her daily living. I’m taking the evening shift from five to nine in order to be there for her during the day.”

  “Thank you, Chef Missy. What she didn’t tell the rest of you is that she went through Culinary school and at one time worked in a prestigious boutique hotel in Pittsburgh. I would like the same respect shown for her as you’ve all shown me.”

  Heads nodded in agreement. Missy’s cheeks were bright red. She was a quiet woman, tall and thin, with dark brown hair pulled back tight in a ponytail. Her eyes were sad, yet Olivia noticed a sturdiness and tenacity in the woman’s spirit. She needed more confidence, but that would come in time. Olivia would make sure of it.

  No one else spoke up. Olivia raised an eyebrow, sitting quietly while waiting for the next person to speak. It wasn’t long before another voice rent the air. “Hello, I’m Chloe Case. I’m an unwanted child of parents who never married and my mother never told me or my father of my existence until I graduated this year. I thought he had died. What a surprise to know he hadn’t. If you want to know, my father owns Case Security in town. I haven’t reached out to him yet. I suppose he’s heard by now that I am here, but I’m not getting too excited that anything will change in my life. I’m going to be the Chef’s assistant on both shifts, to be used when I am needed. Kind of like my life.”

  Olivia shook her head as the other staff members stared at the girl. “That was quite the introduction. Do you want us to feel sorry that you came from a broken home? We are a team that will work together through all of our issues and problems and when you are working you will keep those issues under the covers.”

  “Yes, Chef Olivia. I will. But you did ask us to introduce ourselves.”

  Olivia grinned, admitting to herself that she liked the girl’s spunk. Chloe was going to be surprised to learn that her father was anxious to meet her. It was a wonder he hadn’t tried to hunt her down, but Shar had talked him out of it. Shar and Ryan had been dating for a while now. Since Shar was a local attorney who dealt primarily in divorce and custody cases, he listened to her words and made the decision to let Chloe be the first to make a move when she was ready.

  Olivia didn’t see Ryan as the kind of man who waited long or listened to anyone’s advice but his own. Only time would tell. For Chloe’s sake, Olivia hoped it would be soon. The girl was lost. Hopefully, the café would be a good distraction for her.

  “Hi everyone. I’m Alexis Harper. You can call me Lexi. My parents are local artists that travel all over the world to shows. I’m left here alone most of the time, but the good news is I want to go to art school after taking a year off. So, here I am, the next famous artist of Hideaway Lake.”

  Olivia clapped. She gave Lexi a bow. “You’ve added to our little group nicely. You omitted what you will be doing here.”

  “Oh,” she giggled at her own mistake. “I’m the daytime server who is hoping to make lots of tips!”

  The others gave her a welcoming smile. She was full of energy and would be a positive influence to the others. Except Olivia sensed there was an underlying sadness that Lexi hid quite well.

  “I’m Kayla Sawyer. I may as well tell you how old I am because every time I mention I have a three year old, people round their eyes and can’t believe it. I had Harper when I was fifteen. I know, it was young and I made a bad decision, but now I’d never change it for the world. So, if you want to judge me for being a young single mom, then do it behind my back. I live for my daughter, and everything I earn here goes to provide for her. So, if you don’t like it, stuff it, because I’m not going anywhere. I need this job.”