Free Cedar Woman by Debra Shiveley Welch Page B

at way - t h at is,
    if you tr u ly j o i n your h ea r t and m i n d as one - what e v er you a s k for, t h at's t h e way i t 's go i ng to b e .
     
    Passed down fr o m W h ite Buf f alo Calf W o m an
     
    “ T h is in j u n is g on n a k ill m e!” Vic k i cried e xp l od i n g t h rou g h t h e fro n t d oo r, ha n d s w av in g a b o v e h er he a d . P r o c eedi n g i n t o t h e res t a u ran t , s h e pla y fully b u m p ed h e r h i p ag ainst Len a ’s a s she pass e d t h e c o u n ter an d conti n u e d her way to t h e ba c k of t h e est a blish m ent.
    Nic k ie q u esti on e d with a raised eyebrow as Lena laughingly explain e d,
    “ I gue s s last m on t h’s f i g u res were go o d .”
    Nic k ie allowed h e rself a t w i rl on t h e swi v el st oo l on w h ich s h e sat a n d q u e r ie d :
    “ Goo d ? ”
    Lena s m iled. “ Yeah,” s h e a ff i r m ed, “real good.”
    In the t h ree y ears since L e na b e g a n w o r k in g at V i ck i’ s, m any changes h a d taken place. Vicki m anag e d to obtain a lease on t h e store on t h e no r t h s i de of h e r res t a u r a nt at a very e c o n o m i cal rate. A n e w, la rge
    doorway between the t w o units created, the entire s p ace exp a nded and

co m p letely renovat e d, t h e re s taur a nt, u n d e r Lena ’ s directi o n , op e n e d t o rave r e vu e s in rec o rd ti m e.
    Vic k i m a d e h er way to h er office, a feeling of g ratitu d e ov er w hel m ing her as s h e wal k e d t h ro u g h t h e ne w ly ref ur b ish e d resta u rant. T h at g i rl i s s u ch a b l ess i ng t o me! S h e t h o u ght to h e rself.
    Blessing? she chuff e d inwardly, hell, she ’ s a bl o ody m i racle! Look at
    t h is plac e , I ’ m a go d d a m n e n trepr e n e ur! Vicki s m iled to h e rself at h e r i nfr e q u e n t swea r in g . I t m a d e h e r f eel go o d, li k e s h e h ad g r o w n u p all of a sud d en – f i n a lly.
    Too restless to stay in h er office, Vic k i slowly wal k ed ar o und t h e resta u rant, so a k i n g it in – g l o ating, ac t ually – to h e rsel f .
    Shin i n g h a rdwood floor i ng r e placed t h e cra c ked and worn linoleu m . R ef l ected i n i t s sh i n in g e x p a nse w e re new m ap l e t ab l es and c h airs. The
    walls, p ai n ted a soft, creamy w h ite, m el low ed t h e roo m , a n d si m p l e ,
    pe n d a n t li g hts replac e d t h e o l d, y ell o wed g l ob e s of b e f o re.
    The c ou n t er r e m a i n ed – a nos t a l g i c ges t ure on t h e o w ne r ’s p a r t , hi g h ly p o lish e d m aple repla c ing t h e w or n F o r m ica. The o ld cha l k bo a rd was g o ne, a n d f re s hly pr i n ted m enus lay waiting at a s m all hostess station. A n e w kitch e n, bu i lt behi n d t h e wall against w h ich t h e gr i dd l e sto o d, b o asted all new eq ui pm ent.
    Vic k i’s was n o t a fi n e- d i n i n g esta b lis h m e n t, b u t it was u p -scale f r om m o st of the rest a u r a nts s u r ro unding i t, exc e pting those located i n t h e v a rio u s h o tels wit h in t h e d o wntown C o lu m bu s area.
 

     
C o m for ta b le a n d war m , Vic k i’s was a n ice alter n ati v e t o t h e fast food c h a i n s a n d h igh-end restaurants available to office work er s, s h op p ers a n d t o urists, b u t its m a in attracti o n was t h e foo d .
     
     
    Vic k i re t u r n ed to h e r o f fice. P u tting h e r feet u p , and res t i n g t he m on t h e to p o f her d e s k , she nes t ed t h e ba c k of her he a d i n her c up p ed hand s , leaning back in t h e co m fortab l e, leather c h air whi c h L e na insist e d u po n f o r her e m plo y er’s o ff i ce.
    She l o v e d g o i ng ba c k o v er t h e past three years. She en joy e d the r e m e m b e r i ng , sa v or e d t h e m e m or ies, like a child carrying her C h rist m as st o c k i n g around u n til s h e w e n t to b e d on C h rist m as n i gh t , cra d ling it in h er ar m s un til s h e sle p t.
    She saw