Roger's Resort

Sam laughed and replied, "You leaving the river early wouldn't have anything to do with that farmer's daughter I've seen you mooning over, would it? I saw her in the hayfield helping her dad when we drove up."

That time, it was Terry's turn to blush before he mumbled, "Uh, maybe. She's fun to talk to."

"Yeah, right. And maybe to hug and kiss or something?" A grinning Sam turned to Roger and said, "Let's go, Captain. My work here is done."

Roger said, through his laughter, "Aye, Aye, Ma'am. Casting off." He imitated a ship's horn before saying, "Shift Colors, Underway."

They soon lost sight of Terry and became absorbed in fishing, enjoying the sport and the beautiful spring day. Even though it was only late April, the day was warm, and they each had a sheen of sweat on them while in the sun. Thankfully, the best fishing spots were in protected, shady areas, so with the light breeze, they stayed cool most of the time.

It was almost two before Sam said, "I'm hungry, and we haven't had a bite in ages. Let's find someplace to relax and eat lunch."

"Sounds good to me. My stomach's been growling for a half hour or so. I know just the place. Hang on," Roger said as he got the boat moving.

About five minutes later, Roger motored into the mouth of a feeder stream and beached the boat on a gravel bar. Sam jumped out and tied off while Roger followed with the cooler. He led the way up the bank to a grassy area where he sat the cooler in the shade.

Sam followed and looked around when she made it up the bank of the stream. "This is perfect! Where are we? I didn't know this place was here. I love how the brush and briars protect it from the field."

"We're about two miles below the resort on the old Jennings place. You can't see this little meadow from the river, and since there are no deep holes to fish and the gravel bar is so small, almost no one stops here to find it."

"How did you find it?"

"I lost some gear the last time the river was up, and one day when I had nothing better to do, I floated down to see if I could find any of it. A life jacket was caught in one of the trees, so I stopped to get it. When I climbed up for it, I saw the meadow. This is the first time I've stopped here since."

Sam hugged Roger and gave him a gentle kiss before she said, "Well, then, I'm glad that life jacket showed you the way. Now, feed me before I eat you!"

Roger grinned and said, "Promises, promises," then jumped back from her half-hearted attempt to slap his shoulder before he bent to open the ice chest and pull sandwiches and drinks out.

The couple found a mossy place to sit and quickly devoured their sandwich. They only had one each since Roger hadn't planned on Sam's company, but that was enough to dull their hunger. After their meal, Roger lay back and sighed before he said, "Damn, I missed days like this while I was in the Army. I've been so busy since I got home that I haven't done this as much as I'd like. If you hadn't come with me, I'd probably be back by now doing some work."

"Oh, I'm sorry! We can go back now if you want."

Roger pulled Sam down with him and snuggled her against his shoulder before he said, "No. I don't want to go back. I don't have anything that needs to be done, I hate to sit around, and I would have gone to work for something to keep me busy. I'd rather be here with you."

Sam smiled, leaned to kiss him, and said, "That's good. I'd rather be with you, too."

Roger pulled Sam down for another kiss before she relaxed in his arms, and they drifted off to sleep. After a short nap, Roger asked, "Do you want to fish more, or shall we go back?"

"Let's go back. I'm going to need an early supper. That sandwich didn't last long."

They were motoring up the river and had just crossed onto Roger's place when Sam hissed, "Roger. Look over there." She was pointing at some large trees right on the bank of the river that had an old, well-used truck underneath them. Beside the truck, he could see Terry and Emily, the daughter of the farmer who farmed the tillable land for Roger. They leaned against one of the large trees with Terry's hand under her blouse while they kissed.

Sam laughed and said, "I wonder how many fish he caught? It looks like he's planning to work his worm in her pond instead of a worm in the river."

Roger looked at Sam in shock. He'd never heard her talk like that before and didn't know what to say. Sam saw his look and blushed before she said, "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's not a problem. You just shocked me, is all. You're right, though. Do you want to stop and harass them or go back?"

Sam took a picture with her phone before she said, "Let's go back. I have a picture if I want to torture him later. Why don't we go to the hotel, and I'll cook supper for you if you have any real food there."

After they cleaned up, Sam made her way into the kitchen and opened the huge freezer and commercial refrigerator. She pulled things from each and began clashing and clanging pots and pans while she prepared the meal. Roger tried to help her but only got in her way. He finally sat to the side and watched while she cooked.

Sam served an excellent seafood Alfredo, garlic bread, and a salad with homemade Italian dressing in less than an hour. She even made a small batch of Bruschetta for an appetizer. In between bites, Roger praised her efforts. At the end of the meal, he said, "Sam, this was wonderful. It's easily the best meal I've eaten in weeks, if not forever."

Sam blushed and replied, "Thank you. I was surprised you had anything I could cook. Most bachelors just have junk food in their pantry."

"I'm nowhere near the cook you are, but I do cook, so I keep ingredients around."

Sam got up and began clearing the table, so Roger jumped to help. In less than thirty minutes, the dishes were done and put away, and Sam was leaning on the counter, looking at the kitchen. She said, "This is a great kitchen. It's well laid out and has great work surfaces. There is ample storage and cooling space, too. I'd love to have a place like this to work. Nona puts out good food, but her kitchen is a hole-in-the-wall compared to this one. Have you ever thought about opening the restaurant when you begin accepting guests for the hotel?"

"I hadn't given it much thought," Roger replied as he wrapped his arm around Sam and guided her into the lobby. He sat on one of the large leather couches and pulled her onto his lap before he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again. "I've had a few people ask about it recently, but I'm no cook and don't want to go there."

Sam's eyes sparkled, and she leaned her head on Roger's shoulder before she said, "I would love to have a setup like this to work in. It's always been my dream to have my own restaurant like Nona does."

They were kissing again, hands drifting underneath clothes, when the front doors swung open, and Terry yelled, "You in here, Sis? I thought you'd be gone by now. What're.... OH! Sorry," he said as he turned to leave.

Sam pushed away from Roger and blushed before Roger said, "Terry, wait. Get in here."

A worried-looking Terry walked back into the room slowly and stood guiltily beside the couple. Roger laughed and said, "It's cool, Terry. We're not mad. It looks like we both need to be more discrete, though. You do know those trees are visible from the river, don't you?"

It was Terry's turn to blush and look guilty. He was trying to come up with a reply when Sam said, "Cool it, Bro. It's probably time we left anyway. She leaned into Roger again, kissed him quickly, and said, "See you tomorrow?"

"Sure. Come on out, and we'll grill some ribs. I bought a couple of racks I planned on doing over the weekend. Hell, bring the family if they want to come."

Roger walked his guests outside to Sam's SUV, opened her door for her, and after she was seated behind the wheel, he kissed her. She smiled up at him while he closed the door and stepped back. Before she started the car, Terry yelled, "Hey, Roger. Can I bring Emily to the Bar-Be-Q?"

Roger laughed before he said, "Sure, but I was going to invite her family, too."

"Oh, ok."

Roger was busy that week and time seemed to fly by. Since Terry was in school, Roger did all the work that got done. He was planting annual flowers and doing spring clean-up before the big camping season began. He wanted to open the hotel and start accepting guests, but he couldn't spend his days at the desk responding to guests, answering the phone, and still accomplish his outside work. He decided to bite the bullet and advertise for help, knowing he would need at least two employees for the hotel. He wasn't sure if he could fill enough rooms to pay their salaries, much less turn a profit, but he had to try, or renovating the rooms would have been wasted money.

Roger wanted to hire locally, so he placed advertisements on the bulletin board at the Post Office, local cafe, and convenience store before advertising at a greater distance. He was surprised when an older woman (Hazel), a farmer's wife, and a new high school graduate (Cindy) applied three days after he placed the flyers. He explained their duties and told them that until he saw how things went, he could pay minimum wage, but both almost demanded the jobs. The minimum wage in their smaller town was considered good pay. Since they interviewed well, he hired them and advertised the rooms on the radio and TV.

Two days after his advertisements ran, a reporter from the nearby city called and requested an interview which Roger was happy to give. After the newspaper article ran, his hotel filled all the rooms for the weekends during the summer, and most of the rooms were during the week. Within a month, his income skyrocketed, and he had to hire more help.

Roger and Sam were on another date just before July 4th when the discussion turned to the resort. The conversation began when Roger said, 'Honey, I know it's only ten p.m., but I'm exhausted. Would you be upset if we cut our date short so I could go home and get some sleep?"

Sam looked at Roger and saw the sallow look and dark circles under his eyes. She gasped and replied, "No. Let's go. I think you need to hire more help. You look awful."

Roger awakened to a wonderful smell. He opened his eyes and glanced at the clock before he cursed and jumped from his bed. It was almost eight o'clock, and he had work to do. He quickly showered, dressed, and wandered out of the apartment, following his nose to the kitchen, where he found Sam working. When she saw him, she smiled, poured him a cup of coffee, and said, "Sit. Your breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."

Befuddled, Roger sat at a table she'd placed near the door between the dining room and kitchen so he could talk to her while watching her work. Soon, Sam set a Denver omelet and hash browns before him and returned to the kitchen, where she checked the oven. Roger didn't know what smelled best, the food in front of him or the smell of baking. Sam returned with another plate and sat with him to eat.

"Not that I'm upset," Roger said, "But what are you doing here, honey?"

I'm here to help you. You're working too hard and too long every day. You need to learn to pace yourself, or you'll get sick. Now, eat your breakfast and listen to me while I. Tell you how it's going to be from here on out."

Roger heard voices in the lobby and stood to see who was there when Sam said, "Stay there and eat. That's your hotel employees. I gave them some jobs to do while we had this talk. Now, I told Nona I would only work part-time for her from now on. I will be here getting your hotel up and running the rest of the time. You and Terry have done all the renovation, now leave it to me to get the rooms filled and everything humming.

"You concentrate on repairs and the campground and guide us and the canoe rentals. Oh, by the way, I've decided to reopen the kitchen. I want half the profits for my work, and you get half for rent on the facility. The girls and I will finish cleaning the dining room and kitchen then I'll need some money for supplies if you have it. If not, I'll buy them and take the money from profits until I'm repaid."

Roger sat listening to Sam in shock. Every time he tried to say something, she talked over him until she finished explaining how it was to be, then she smiled and sweetly asked, "Any questions, honey?"

Roger just looked at her for a moment before he managed to say, "No, I guess not."

Sam stood, picked up their now empty plates, bent to kiss him, and headed for the kitchen, saying, "Good. Now that that's settled let's sit on the veranda with our coffee before we begin our workday."

Roger was still sitting at the table when Sam returned with two coffee cups and a carafe of coffee. She slowed down when she walked past him and said, "Well, are you coming?"

The still-befuddled Roger stood, pushed his chair under the table, and followed Sam while trying to figure out how the truck that hit him got into his hotel.

Sam chose one of the padded gliders on the veranda for their seat. She motioned for Roger to sit, sat beside him, and poured their coffee. She leaned against him slightly while they drank their elixir and gazed over the campground toward the slow-flowing river. Excited shouts of playing children could be heard, and they saw several people in the water enjoying a brisk morning swim.

Without thinking, Roger pulled Sam closer and bent to kiss the top of her head. She looked up at his face and smiled before she snuggled closer for a moment before sitting straighter. She said, "I like to snuggle, but it's hard to drink my coffee, sweetie."

They were drinking their second cup of coffee when Hazel came out and asked, "Sam, we've finished the lobby. Do you want to tell us how you want the tables arranged, or should we start cleaning the kitchen?"

Sam stood, kissed Roger quickly, and said, "I'll be right in. We need to do the kitchen first. It'll take longer and needs to be finished as soon as possible so we can get the health inspector out and get our license."

Roger still hadn't comprehended what hit him when the ladies were out of sight. He finished his coffee and took the carafe and cups inside. The three women were so busy scrubbing the kitchen they didn't notice him put the cups and carafe on a worktable before he made a quick getaway. Roger decided the best thing to do was head for the campground and begin his usual morning chores while he thought about his strange morning.

Roger was working on a playground he was installing when two young Hispanic girls found him. The taller one was carrying what looked like a take-out box from a restaurant, and the shorter one had a sizeable insulated jug of liquid. The tall one said, "Are you Señor Roger?"

Roger replied in the affirmative, and the woman continued, "I am Tammy, and this is my sister Rose. The Señora hired us to clean and work in the hotel. She sent us with your lunch since you did not return to eat." After Roger took the meal, Tammy asked, "Will there be anything else, Señor?"

The dumbfounded Roger replied, 'No, thank you for the food," and walked toward a picnic table where he sat and opened the box to find an Italian sub, still warm, chips, and a pickle. He quickly took a bite and almost moaned in pleasure; it was so good.

Five days after Sam took over, the first guests checked into the hotel. By the time their health certificate and restaurant license was received three weeks later, all the rooms were filled on weekends, and about a quarter were filled during the week.

Sam got her grandmother's permission to trade off her name for the hotel restaurant and called it Nona's Ristorante South. She had learned almost all the recipes for the meals at the original eatery from her grandmother and planned to serve many of them. Still, she also wanted to serve several American dishes, so she dropped the Italian from the name. Their grand opening was advertised heavily for a week before opening day, and they opened to a packed house.

Sam was ecstatic that the restaurant was profitable from the second month on. Nona was somewhat unhappy because her business declined by about one-fourth. Sam was feeding the local population that used to drive the larger town and eat at Nona's. When Nona complained, Sam said, "Now, Nona. You've been complaining for years now that you're too busy. Now you can rest more, maybe even close some days or cut your hours. You told me I could use the name and your recipes."

Nona sighed and swatted at Sam before she said, "I did, but I did not think I would lose my customers. Many who do not come any longer have been good customers for years. I miss them."

Sam thought a moment before she said, "If you feel that way, why don't you come to our restaurant and see them? You are not open on Sunday, and we are. Come see us. Some of your regulars eat lunch with us after church."

Nona smiled and said, "I will do that. I will now close Sunday through Wednesday and feed my customers Thursday through Saturday. If they want good food the other days, they can come to see you." She did the Nona thing and pinched Sam's cheek, saying, "You are a smart girl, Sammie."

The last big weekend of the summer arrived with a heat wave. The hotel and all camping spots were full of Labor Day revelers, and many tents were pitched haphazardly in shady areas not commonly used. Roger and Sam were chatting with the guests while they made the morning rounds of the campground. While they were emptying the trash cans on the riverbank, Roger grabbed Sam's hand and said, "Let's take a break."

Roger led Sam upstream a few feet to a small secluded grassy patch they liked to sit in. Before sitting, he kissed her deeply and looked into her eyes. He said, "Sam, I love you. Roland left me a letter before he died, and one of the things he said in it was that he believed we would be good together. He was right. I can't believe how good we are together. I've never had a friend like you before."

Roger sat on the padded wooden glider underneath the large sycamore tree and pulled Sam onto his lap, where he kissed her again. She sighed and leaned against him while they looked over the slowly flowing stream. Roger kissed her head, gazed at her upraised face, and said, "Sam, will you marry me? We're so good together I want to make it permanent so I can spend as much time together as possible."

Sam's eyes opened widely before a huge grin broke over her face. She wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss before saying, "Yes. I've hoped and hoped you would ask me. When?"

"I don't care, other than as soon as possible. You choose."

Over an hour after the proposal and acceptance, Sam and Roger were still snuggling when they were interrupted by Terry. When he saw them, he said, "Sam, we've been looking all over for you. It's late, and your cooks could use help."

Sam yelled, "OH, Shit! I forgot. Damnit." She jumped from Roger's lap, bent to kiss him, and took off running for the hotel.

Roger looked guilty and jumped up to follow. As he passed Terry, he said, "Sorry. Thanks for finding us."

Terry stood watching a moment before he turned and ran to follow Roger. By the time Roger and Terry made it to the parking area, Sam had jumped into the 4-wheeler Terry used to get around and was headed toward the hotel as fast as it could safely go. Roger climbed into his truck and waited for Terry to get into the passenger seat before leaving to unload the trash in the large dumpster behind the hotel.

While driving, Terry grinned and asked, "What were you guys doing that made Sam forget about the restaurant?'

Roger looked at Terry, then turned his attention back to the front as he said, "We were talking and decided to take a break. We just lost track of time."