I'd Sooner Have Love by Janet Lee Barton

Author:Janet Lee Barton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2012-08-14T00:00:00+00:00

Eleven

The Millers had indeed opened a restaurant in a huge tent right on the main street. Mrs. Miller enveloped Faith, Ben, and the children in a hug as soon as she could get to them. “I’ve been wondering how you all made it. I’ve asked around, but no one seemed to have heard anything about you.”

“We’ve been staying pretty close to our claim.”

“Oh, I understand that,” Mr. Miller said, joining his wife and reaching out to shake hands with Ben, Matt, and Gabe. “We’ve even had fights over claims break out right here in the café.”

Ben introduced Gabe, and Mrs. Miller showed them to a table that had just been vacated. “We’ve roast beef or fried chicken with potatoes and carrots as a special, although we’ll cook ’bout anything we have.”

Faith ordered the chicken, and so did Gabe, but the rest of her family chose the beef.

“This will be right out. I’m going to have to get back to the kitchen,” Mrs. Miller said. “Business has been so good, I had to hire several cooks right off, but they are still kind of in training to the way I like things done.”

Faith chuckled. “I understand.”

“I’m hoping that they learn quickly. I’d like to get back to church once in a while. There are just so many men without anyone to cook for them, we can’t hardly close. But one of these days when they send for their families, I’m going to close long enough to get to church.”

“Hopefully, that will be soon.”

Mrs. Miller hugged her once more. “When things get a little more settled, we’ll have to have some tea and a nice long chat.”

“I’d like that,” Faith said.

A crash sounded from what Faith assumed was the kitchen in another tent in back of the one they were in, and Mrs. Miller was off like a shot.

“My, I think they chose the right business to open,” Ben said.

Gabe nodded. “I’ve seen the lines of people trying to get in here before. Longer than what waits at some of the others in town.”

“They’ll be rich in no time,” Matt said.

“I don’t know about that, but at the very least they’ll be able to make a good living,” Faith said.

“Sure you don’t want to open a café, sis?”

Faith shook her head. “I’ll be happy cooking for my boarders. And I want to be able to go to church. I think this is too much business for me.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Ben said.

“Besides, we’re going to put up the frame on that boardinghouse tomorrow,” Gabe said.

“Really? Tomorrow?”

“First thing in the morning.”

“It’s really going to happen. Oh my, I’d better get busy looking over that catalog and placing a few orders.” She couldn’t stop smiling, not even when their meal came.

The food was very good, but Faith was more than a little pleased when Gabe leaned over and whispered, “You are a much better cook than Mrs. Miller—or at least the cooks she’s training. You would have a line clear out of town.

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