Two years have past. Cassie is walking and talking and Jeanie bought a new stroller saying, "The old one had at least a zillion miles on it." Cassie is delighted once a month to see Glen pull up in front in his big silver Peterbilt. Several times he has spent the night with Jeanie but always goes back on the road.
Jeanie is ready to walk Cassie to the babysitter and has just started to close her door when the phone rings. She hurries back inside and checks the caller ID. Seeing it is Jan, she answers, "Good morning Jan, what's up?"
"You won't think it's a good morning when I tell you what happened. Sam, our cook, got a call from his family in New York, his father had a really bad heart attack and is in intensive care. He called me and said he didn't know if - or when - he would be coming back. So you and I will have to do the cooking till I can find another cook. We have been doing so good and now this."
"I'm just going out the door to take Cassie to your mom. I'll hurry and get there hun. We can handle this so don't give up the ship."
Jeanie jogs, pushing the stroller, much to Cassie's delight and she walks, breathless, into the cafe ten minutes later. It is only a few minutes after six and the regular customers are already coming in.
Jeanie hurries into the kitchen and takes over the big griddle, frying bacon and hash browns, putting them on the warming area at the back. Jan and Jeanie work together and barely manage to keep up while Irene is on the run handling all the waitress duties. Nine o'clock comes and the breakfast crowd is gone and the three women drop into a booth sweating and tired shaking their heads.
"Jesus girls, I'm going to hire two frigging cooks."
Irene laughs weakly, "Well, I think all the regulars saw that we were fighting it. I have got a lot of heavy tips and for the most part everyone was patient."
They manage to make it through the day and when three o'clock comes the three women are walking out as a lone Mexican man walks up and says, "Just my luck, I'm starving and you're closing." He grins, "Is there another place to eat close around?"
Jan rolls her eyes at him, "The dinner places are all downtown and out on the highway."
The man sighs, "Oh well when it rains it pours, my old truck quit on me about a block back."
Jeanie asks, "You live around here or passing through?"
"My name is Jake Diaz, I have been working at Aurello's Restaurant in Tulsa and got hired by a restaurant in Dallas and I was just stopping for something to eat."
Jan raises her eyebrows and takes a deep breath, "Aurello's Restaurant is pretty nice isn't it Jake?"
"I worked there for four years ma'am, I'm a chef."
Jeanie takes one arm and Jan takes the other arm and Irene holds the door open as they pull Jake back inside. After seating him in a booth Irene grabs her order pad, "What can I get you to drink sir?"
Jeanie runs back and starts the grill back up and Jan slides into the opposite seat in the booth. "What kind of money are you driving all the way to Dallas for Jake?"
Jake raises an eye brow, "They told me that I would get twenty dollars an hour for sixty days and then if I worked out they would go up to twenty-five."
Jeanie has come back over to stand beside Jan. Jan looks up at her, "Damn Jeanie do you believe in angels?"
Jeanie scoots in beside Jake in the booth, "Yes I do Jan and I think we have one in our midst." She looks up at Jake and grins," I think we should place him under house arrest till he surrenders."
Jan writes on the back of a napkin and pushes it over to Jake. "You think you might want to work here for me for that money Jake?"
Jake reads and looks up as a big smile crosses his face, "Forty dollars an hour, are you pulling my leg?"
Jeanie laughs, "After the day we just got through Jake, no she isn't pulling your leg, the only drawback is that you have to work with me, I'm your helper."
Jake coughs and whispers to Jan, "With her for a helper ma'am I would work for the twenty just between you and me."
"You silver tongued devil, you're hired. Jan I'll pay half of his wages and give him a place to stay."
Jan bursts out laughing, "Now Jeanie he has to be able to work every morning. Okay Jake, you got a job and thank you for stopping in."
Jake grins , "Well okay, where's the nearest motel?"
Jeanie winks at Jan, "Tell you what Jake, I have a spare room and you can stay with me. That way you can't run off. I'll pick up my daughter and come back by, you can fill out your resume and I'll lead you home. I'll even fix you something to eat seeing that you still haven't been fed."
Heard from the kitchen Irene turns the stove back off, "He could have eaten already if the cooks would get back here and get busy. Oh well, maybe he will wash his own dishes Jeanie."
When Jeanie returns with Cassie in her stroller, Jan and Irene are standing outside talking to Jake as he sits in an old Ford pickup.
Jan tells her, "He went to get his stuff out of his truck and the damn thing started for him."
Jeanie grins, "Damn Jake, that thing looks prehistoric. What is it?"
"Well, Miss smarty pants, this is a genuine '65 Ford that has brought me all the way from Tulsa. Now tell me where your house is and I'll beat you there."
"Straight down the street, white house with blue trim, I don't have a driveway so you'll have to park in the street."
They watch as Jake drives away and Jan asks, "Are you sure you want to let him stay with you, we really don't know much about him?"
Irene snickers, "I'd let him stay with me, but I wouldn't guarantee what shape he'd be in when I get done with him. Did you notice the bulge in his jeans? Mmm, yummy."
Jeanie watches as he stops in front of her house jumps out and waves back at them. "I think he's okay Jan, he acts like he is almost nutty as me."
"Shit girl, if he is then I don't know if the building will be able to take both of you," laughs Jan.
"See you in the morning Jan and he'll be here if I have to bring him at gunpoint. "
Irene rolls her eyes. "Sure Jeanie or he'll be in a wheelchair and fucked to a frazzle."
Jeanie pushes Cassie up to the porch and lifts her out of her stroller, Jake follows with his suitcase. Unlocking the door she tells him, "Down the hall, second door on the left, that's your room and I'll be right back, I need to bring the stroller in. She comes back in and finds Jake sitting on the bed with Cassie standing in the doorway staring at him.
Jake grins, "If I'm any judge of character, I'd say Cassie doesn't like me. She doesn't bite does she?"
Jeanie laughs, "You're only the second man to be in our house, she is curious, and no she doesn't bite… yet. Put your things in the dresser Jake, the bathroom is at the end of the hall, I'll be in the kitchen fixing you something to eat.