Queenie's Cafe by SUE FINEMAN Read Free Book Online Page A

thought he did or he wouldn’t have tried to push her into selling.
    “It was a rundown little bar nobody wanted. Bernie bought it for a song. The location is great for this kind of restaurant.”
    She glanced around again. “This doesn’t look anything like a bar.”
    “It didn’t look like this back then. When I got involved, we gutted the inside and started over.”
    “That’s probably what I should do to the café, but—”
    “You don’t need to gut the café. It’s the right kind of business for that community. This kind of restaurant wouldn’t ever make money in Kingston.” He broke off a piece of bread and offered it to her. “I assume you’ll keep your prices low enough so the local people can afford to come in.”
    “Yes, that’s what I had in mind.”
    He buttered a piece of bread. “What else did you have in mind?”
    “Healthier foods, less grease, maybe a Sunday brunch.”
    “So you’ll need new menus.”
    “I need a lot of things. The roaches and rodents and ants destroyed everything Queenie had. I’ll have to start completely over.”
    He waited until they’d eaten some of their lunch before asking, “Would you be interested in a partner?”
    “I thought I’d get a loan and do it myself.”
    “You can do that. On the other hand, with a partner, you could do something with the motel, put a new roof on the café, buy new furniture, and fix things up like you want.”
    “For what?”
    “For a percentage of the take.”
    She shook her head. “There’s never been enough take to share.”
    “Why don’t you show me the motel when we get back and we’ll talk about it.”
    “I guess it won’t hurt to talk, but I’m not too sure about taking on a partner.”
    “It’s your property, so it’s up to you, but if I were you, I’d want the place to make enough money to live comfortably. You don’t want to work your tail off for nothing. With the motel in that condition, I don’t see how you can make enough to pay the expenses.”
    Taking on a partner was definitely something to consider. She had to get money somewhere and if the banks wouldn’t give it to her, what else could she do? Her bank account was almost scraped clean and Queenie’s account barely covered her suppliers’ bills.
    Luke talked about Bernie and the other businesses his corporation invested in. Maybe she’d had him pegged wrong. Maybe what she thought was arrogance was simply self-confidence. If he helped Bernie design this place, he obviously knew what he was doing.
    So Luke Windsor had money to invest. Why would he want to buy into a place like Queenie’s Café? And that old motel needed so much work, it probably wasn’t worth anything. So what did this guy really want from her? Why would a man like this waste his time on a worn-out place like Queenie’s Café and the King of the Road Motel?
    Or on Laura Whitfield?

Chapter Four
    L uke dropped Laura off at the store in Vero Beach so she could get her car and arranged to meet her at the motel later that afternoon. He wasn’t sure he’d be interested in getting involved with the motel, but he’d checked the property records after his visit to the café and discovered both businesses were on the same piece of property. If he decided to go into business with Laura, it was all or none.
    He drove to Kingston and turned off the highway at Queenie’s Café. Every time he came here, he was struck by the pathetic condition of the café and the King of the Road Motel. The patched roofs, faded paint, and weeds growing through the asphalt gave it the look of poverty. Why had Laura’s parents let it get so rundown? Didn’t they know their business would be better if they maintained the place? Nobody in their right mind would pay money to stay here when there were decent motels a few miles away.
    Laura met him at the motel office. “Pretty grim, isn’t it?”
    That was a good word for it. Grim. “Is anyone staying here now?”
    “Just the regulars. Their rooms