Free Spanish Bay by Hans M Hirschi

and she asked me to take over. We were going to meet this week to hand over some of the stuff I need.”
    “I see. Well, that’s not going to happen right now, for obvious reasons. And I don’t have the slightest idea how to run a café. Can you manage it on your own, as it is?”
    “We’ve kept it closed since Sunday. But yes, I know where to order the supplies we need, and we have enough cash reserves to stock the cash register. Do you want me to open it up again?”
    “Give me a day to think about that. I’ll need to go through her files and get a clearer idea of the situation. And I need to see if there is a will or something to help guide my decisions.”
    Chris was horrified. “A will? But she was doing better last night.”
    “Oh, no, don’t worry, Chris. She’s still alive, but if I can find a will, maybe I can see what she wants. Since she’s still unconscious, I can’t ask her. Also, I don’t know what the contracts say. I know she owns the property, but I’m not sure what the zoning plans say on whether it could be developed into something else. This, of course, influences a decision about whether or not to put the place on the market.”
    “I see.”
    “I know this is difficult for you, Chris, and this is why I think it might be a good idea to open the café again. I don’t want to destroy any value it has. And I know we need revenue if we’re to pay you and our suppliers, at least for now. But I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t encourage you to look for work elsewhere. The sooner we come to a decision about Sally’s Café, the better.”
    Chris was devastated. And even though Samantha broke it to him in a kinder way than he had anticipated, she was still more or less telling him to take a hike.
    “I hope you understand, Chris, that Sally will never be able to work again. Even if she wakes up and recovers, there will be some damage to her brain. She may be paralyzed, she may not be able to talk, and she may not remember things. We should be grateful that she’s still alive. Just give me a few days to sort through things, before we make any final decisions. And who knows, maybe by then Sally is awake and we can ask her.”
    Samantha got up from the couch and walked up to the balcony door, looking out over the bay. Chris got the message. Meeting adjourned. He carried the glass to the kitchen and took his leave.
    He was confused by this woman. She seemed pleasant enough, yet she was absolutely determined to close the café. The café was everything Sally had. It was her pride, her life. Why was Samantha so adamant about closing it, or even selling it? It wasn’t for him to question; Samantha was Sally’s sister and she could damn well do what she wanted.
    Chris drove down to the café and prepared for opening the next day. He called their suppliers to order fresh baked goods and sandwiches, and he had to restock some of the drinks they sold. He spent a lot of time talking to people about Sally, what a tragedy her stroke was. Everyone was willing to pitch in; Sally had been a focal point in the town for quite some time. It made Chris proud to be working for her, and he decided then and there that if Sally’s Café truly were to close, he would make sure it did so with a bang.
    When he re-opened the café the next day, he was busier than ever, and not because of the tourists; so many of the town folk came by, as well as the kids from the high school, whose academic curriculum was winding down with the approaching summer break. Neil helped out as much as he could—before and after school—as did Natalie.
    The next day was just as busy, and the one after, and so on, and Chris managed to get by. More often than not, he’d end up at Neil’s house after closing, with Sarah feeding him her delicious cooking and Neil tending to his emotional and physical needs. But nothing could take away his feelings of unease when he still had Damocles’ sword dangling over his head.
    ***
    Ten days after the