It's a Wonderful Knife Read Online Free PDF Page B

Holgado, too, my day cook and assistant. I don’t know what I’d do without Juanita.
    Yikes. If all these people were coming over, I’d better make myself look presentable.
    I searched the laundry basket for some clothes to wear, because I didn’t want to ask Antoinette Chloe to make a clothes run for me upstairs when I could still tap into the basket.
    I found a jean skirt that I could just pull on over mycast and a T-shirt that read SANDY HARBOR: SALMON FISHING CAPITAL OF AMERICA and had a picture of a salmon jumping out of some waves on it. It was a stretch to claim that, but the shirts were the idea of the Sandy Harbor Tourist Bureau, which consisted of Loretta Mitchum and her next-door neighbor Elsie Crom, who ran the tourist bureau out of Elsie’s farm stand on Route 3 two days a week from June until September.
    I continued to get myself together, glad that Uncle Porky had loved porcelain enough so that the Big House was equipped with several bathrooms, showers, and tubs.
    It was way too much house for me, but on several occasions in the past, the rooms were full of guests. I was very glad to welcome them, but was also ecstatic when they left, and Blondie and I had some peace and quiet.
    Speaking of guests, they all arrived for breakfast at once and swarmed around me. Juanita helped me to a chair and propped my foot up on a pillow on another chair. It wasn’t very conducive for eating at the table unless I twisted.
    Eventually I pushed the chair and pillow away and hoisted my cast under the table. I figured that I’d be fine for a while.
    Antoinette Chloe handed me a pain pill from the little envelope I’d received at the emergency room. Since my ribs and ankle were throbbing, I took it and washed it down with some orange juice.
    Juanita unwrapped a quiche that she must have made during her shift at the Silver Bullet. Antoinette Chloe set out kielbasa, scrambled eggs, bacon, French toast, and breakfast sausage.
    â€œEat!” she ordered. “Before it gets cold!”
    I could remember Uncle Porky always saying that at functions. Then he’d always mutter under his breath that it’s nice to be polite, but everything’s getting cold.
    Everyone got busy passing, reaching, and talking.
    ACB stood on the side of me, loading up my plate as if I couldn’t do it myself. I raised an eyebrow at Ty as she was trying to shake off a chunk of kielbasa from a fork onto my plate. It landed with a splash in Max’s coffee.
    Max didn’t notice. He was busy teasing Ray about Ray’s new girlfriend. ACB fished the kielbasa out with a spoon and plopped it onto my plate as if nothing had happened.
    Clyde noticed and took the opportunity to sop up Max’s saucer with a napkin and fill up Max’s cup.
    Clyde elbowed Ty. Ty chuckled. I bit my bottom lip so I wouldn’t laugh out loud.
    Max took a sip of kielbasa-flavored coffee and grinned. “Good stuff.”
    Antoinette Chloe Brown was one of a kind.
    Juanita Holgado tapped a fork on the side of her coffee cup and everyone became silent.
    â€œBoss Trixie, I speak for everyone here.
Sí.
All your friends
.
We wish to help you with the catering. And we’ll decorate for Christmas at the diner and here atthe Big House. We all know how much you love Christmas. And whatever you need, we will do.”
    Sentimental tears filled my eyes. “Thank you so much. I really appreciate it, but you all have so much to do already. And I’m not completely helpless. I can do most everything—except drive, and carry things to the van, and stand for long periods of time, and walk for any length, and put things in the oven and take them out, and—”
    Ty cleared his throat. “You can keep on top of the ordering from your food distributor and you can list every morning what needs to be done. We’ll put a duplicate calendar in the Silver Bullet’s kitchen. Max, Clyde, Ray, and I will be your loaders,