Celtic Sister by Meira Pentermann Read Free Book Online

sounded like exactly what she needed at the moment. She grabbed the bottle of wine, refilled her glass and toasted Uncle Sahil before she realized how tasteless the gesture was.
    “To grease,” she declared.
    Sahil raised his water glass and clinked hers. “To people who cross your path at the precise moment you need them.”
    It was eerie what he said, as if he had read her thoughts. Nevertheless, it couldn’t be truer. The Patel family, Uncle Sahil, and an inexpensive room in the corner of a motel entered her life at a time when she had no one to nurture her back to sanity and nowhere to go.
    ***
    After she helped clear and clean the dishes, Amy retired to her room. Both exhausted and manic, she craved more red wine. She pulled a bottle out from under the bed and searched for a wine opener. Nothing.
    Of course. This isn’t a four star hotel.
    She tried flipping television channels for twenty minutes and eventually retrieved a whiskey bottle. Saturday was her day off. She wouldn’t drink tomorrow night. Tonight she had to celebrate her new job and settle her racing mind.

Chapter Five
    True to her word, Amy did not drink on Saturday, proving she was nothing like her mother. Now that Amy had plans to move forward with her life, she no longer needed the crutch. She slept most of the day. Unlike alcohol-induced sleep, a clean, healthy rest reinvigorated her exhausted body. She was eager to get to work on Sunday morning.
    The future Banhi’s Grill was located in the strip mall where Amy had purchased all her food and other supplies when she first arrived. Nestled between an American grill and a liquor store, the narrow, one-story restaurant space promised to at least inspire passersby to drop in and check it out. Once inside, they would be impressed by the warm red velvety drapes, yellow accent scarves, and vibrant mural of an Indian goddess resting by an exotic fountain. Although it still smelled of carpet cleaner and grease remover, Amy could close her eyes and imagine the smells she enjoyed in Raksha’s dining room.
    Tedious job was an understatement, but Amy was glad Sahil had not fully explained the situation. Hardened grease that required strong chemicals, thick rubber gloves, steel wool pads, and hours of scrubbing left her exhausted by nightfall.
    On Thursday, she encountered hundreds of mouse droppings at the back of one of the lower cupboards. She screamed so loud and long that Sahil came running. He grabbed a knife and hollered threats before he found Amy on the floor crying. She sniffled, looked up, and started laughing. When she explained the situation to Sahil, he returned the knife to a safe place. Then he helped her get to her feet and made her a strong, sweet cup of chai tea. Amy sat in a cozy leather booth and drank it, relieved to smell something other than grease and chemicals. Sahil settled in across from her with his own mug. He indulged in a long sip, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.
    “Nothing like a hot cup of tea to reset the spirit,” he said.
    Amy nodded.
    “I’m sorry about the mouse droppings, Amy. If I had noticed that, I would have swept them out before you got there. I just called Ravi—”
    “Oh, you didn’t have to do that.”
    “It won’t even faze him.”
    “Still, I signed up for an onerous cleaning job. It comes with the territory.”
    He scrunched up his nose. “Call me old-fashioned, but I think females are exempt from anything related to rodents.”
    Amy laughed. “Fair enough. I appreciate it.”
    “Just leave that cupboard alone and check out the ovens. I’ll have Ravi at least pre-clean that area and hunt for any other surprises on the floor level.”
    “Okay, thanks. I finished the dishwashing area and the tabletops and floors in the prep area.”
    “You’ve been working very hard. Made much more progress than I expected in five days, that’s for sure. There is a lot of stubborn grease in there. I downplayed it to get you in here. I was really