by Rachel Cade
Lyndie had grabbed a paper cup and lid to prepare her boss’s coffee when she almost crushed it in her hand.
Her knuckles grew rigid resisting the urge.
“The kitchen’s closed when Jeff’s gone,” Mitch said to her relief.
“The sheriff can’t get a little grub?”
Lyndie felt a knot in her stomach. She’d been on auto pilot for most of the day and just wanted to get home.
“Coffee’s what I got.” Lyndie kept her back turned to them both as she filled the cup while Mitch spoke. “Her shift’s up, I’m not paying for over time.”
Lyndie put a lid on the cup and placed it on the table in front of her boss. “I just needed to cash out the register.”
“No need. I’ll take care of it. You can head out.”
“No coffee for me?” Will was in full uniform, staring at her. Lyndie didn’t let her gaze move up past his tie.
“Here.” Mitch slid the cup over to him. “Have mine.”
“No, no.” Will set the coffee back in front of Mitch. “That’s your coffee. I want Lyndie to make me a cup.”
Lyndie felt her face heat.
“That was the last of the water,” she answered, hoping Mitch’s notorious cheapness would kick in and she’d be saved.
“Make him a cup, Lyndie. It’s fine.”
Without another word, Lyndie did as instructed, prepared and served Will the coffee while he made small talk with Mitch.
Halfway to her car, she heard the diner door open and close.
She sped up her steps.
“Lyndie.” His deep voice stopped her.
When she turned, he was approaching the trunk of the hatchback, eyeing her.
He’d taken off his hat so that his low dark brown hair wisped around his temples. Everything about his appearance was neat and clean. Just like his attitude. He always knew exactly what to say to people. Tall with a square jaw, in or out of uniform he appeared to be a Disney prince come to life and everyone in town treated him as such.
“Yes,” she answered flatly.
“Heard you had an issue today up at Langley’s.”
She somehow kept from rolling her eyes. Of course he’d find out about that.
Retrieving her key, she shoved it in her car lock.
“You were trying to get diapers and your card declined.”
Lyndie opened the car door. A mix of anger and embarrassment jerked her movements.
“If you need something for the kid, you can just text me-”
“I don’t-” She strangled her voice then closed her eyes, trying to keep calm. “I don’t need anything from you.”
“I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about the kid.”
“He has a name.” Lyndie shook her head slowly. “Max.”
The moment she said it, she saw his puffy tanned cheeks, and the back of her eyes started to sting. She needed to get home to him.
“You’re still bitter about me and you, huh?” Will had come closer and was now blocking her in the space of the open car door.
“I need to get home.” She didn’t like him in her personal space. And part of her worried that his words were true.
After Lyndie’s grandmother had passed in high school, she’d withdrawn even further into herself. For a time, she considered leaving Amber Falls like most of her class. But one day while she was walking from the gas station, Will passed her in his car. He offered her a ride and it was so hot that day, she accepted.
He was kind to her and he listened when she talked. No one really did that.
Slowly, they developed a friendship.
He told her how he wanted to become Sheriff. How he wanted to make Amber Falls better for the people that lived there. She watched him volunteer at all the events when he forced her to come along. At some point, she came out of her shell and realized how special their town really was.
A full year passed before they were intimate.
Everything about them was so slow and genuine.
That’s why she’d been so blindsided when it all fell apart.
What was actually genuine was that she was just a placeholder until something better came along.
“My point was if he needs anything, I can take care of it. Just because we’re not together doesn’t mean we can’t communicate. And you don’t have to pull stunts to try to make me look bad in front of the town.”
The badge on his shirt glinted under the streetlight. His words forced her to look up at him.
“What?”
“Don’t act stupid, Lyndie.” He looked down at her, his eyes narrowed in annoyance. “Don’t because you’re not.”
She didn’t want to explain herself to him, but he was being so ridiculous. “I needed the diapers for Max. I didn’t know the account was overdrawn.”
“Are you gonna get emotional now?” The only emotion she felt was anger. It seemed she wasn’t doing a good job of hiding it. His condescending tone didn’t help.
“No-”
“No one told you to get pregnant, did they?” he interrupted. “I know I didn’t. You knew I had plans.” He almost stepped forward but held back, biting his lip. Then he shook his head.
Will placed his arm on the hood of the car. “You and me. We’re done. I get that you’re hurt by it, but I’m not tolerating any games. You had that kid to trap me, and it didn’t work.” He leaned in closer to her. “It’s never going to work.”
His eyes were dark moss green, but as he spoke, they carried no color. Lyndie stared into their darkness, trying to keep her mouth from gaping.
He had looked down on her in another kind of way under the stars in the back of his truck.
“God, Lyndie,” he’d said, thrusting deep into her. “I’m gonna come in you so hard, baby.”
Their cries rose up to the sky that night, miles away from down.
It was the night Max was conceived.
Trap.
That kid.
Lyndie felt the spit in the back of her throat, poised to hit his face.
“Get away from me, Will.” It took every ounce of strength to keep her voice steady.
He didn’t move. “Or what?”
Her right hand tightened into a fist at her side until her nails dug into her palm.
But what was she going to do, hit him?
He deserved it. There was no doubt.
But he was the Sheriff.
Outside of Hugh Langley, he had the most power in their small town. He could easily make her life hell if he wanted to. The best thing she could do for herself and her baby was to keep her head low and stay out of his way.
“I’m not playing any games, Will. And I don’t want you. That’s the truth.”
Will straightened, blowing out a breath. “No. The truth is all I have to do it push you on your back in that seat and you’ll gladly open your legs for me, just like you used to.”
He tapped the top of the car twice. “You make sure you cut the bullshit.” Then he raised his voice as Mitch came out of the diner. “And have a nice night.”
Chapter Three:
Desert Rose
Early the next morning, before dawn, Noa found himself wandering the empty streets of Amber Falls.
There was a barber shop, a grocery store, and a hair salon on the same block. Across the street there was another spot labeled “General Store.” All the store signs were hand painted.
Not a single car was on the road, driving or parked, and Noa stood on the sidewalk in his sheer black tank top and jeans, wondering if he’d just wandered into the 1950s.
Downtown consisted of two blocks, the one he was on and the one across the street.
In addition to the general store, the other block had a hair salon called Peggy’s with a woman’s bouffant hairstyle making one of the Gs and a movie theatre on the corner.
According to the sign it was showing The Blob at 7 o’clock.
“What the hell,” he mumbled, eyeing the retro posters in the windows.
&nbs
p; The sun still hadn’t peeked over the mountains when a neon open sign flickered in a window.
It was a diner car with a white and turquoise Route 66 sign on the top.
Noa was pretty much done exploring this Twilight Zone town.
The plan was to get back to his bike and try to find a room.
But his gut reminded him he hadn’t eaten in close to a day. And even that had been some garbage snacks from the gas station.
Route 66 apparently offered the best food in Nevada; that’s what the tagline boasted, anyway. It was likely bullshit, but it wasn’t like he had a lot of options.
Glancing down at his clothes and visible nipple rings, he had to grin. This would be interesting.
When he opened the door, he immediately recognized the chick from the gas station. She was wearing the same uniform.
Her eyes widened as she tucked a bobby pin in her hair, another pinched between her lips.
In front of the counter, the position gave him a decent view of her body as her raised arms cinched the outfit under her breasts.
Though he really wanted to, Noa held back from letting his gaze wander too much, opting to keep his eyes locked on hers as he spoke. “Morning.”
“Hi.” The bobby pin fell from her mouth and clattered on the floor as she tried to catch it.
She mouthed a curse, bending down to get it.
“I saw the open sign.” Noa stayed outside, noting it appeared she was alone. “Is it alright to come in?”
She continued to stare at him as she straightened. “Technically, we don’t open for another hour. I just always forget to turn on the sign, so I was just getting ahead of myself.”
Noa nodded, backing away to close the door.
“It’s fine though,” she said, waving him forward. “You can come on in.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She quickly rounded the counter. “Can I get you a coffee?”
“I’ll take it.” Noa let the door close behind him as he stepped inside.
He glanced around the place; it was just as ‘50s as the rest of the town. Was this whole thing intentional or did they just never evolve?
The sound of his boots was loud on the checkered floor, and even the door seemed loud.
When he turned back her eyes lurched up from his shoes. Noa didn’t mind being alone with her one bit, but he understood her being weary of him.
“How do you like it?” she asked.
“With bacon and eggs,” he answered honestly.
Noa quickly grabbed his wallet. “I have cash.”
Lyndie gestured toward a stool. “Have a seat. I’ll find something for you.”
He did as she asked, saying, “Thanks.”
Lyndie was thankful to have a moment to herself in the back. It took her a second to realize she should have given him his coffee first.
The gas station guy with the hair.
And the eyes.
And everything else.
What was he doing at the diner when it was barely six a.m.?
She hadn’t even been able to fix her hair properly when he opened the door.
Talk about the absolute last person she ever thought she’d see again. Then he comes inside pretty much naked from the chest up. It didn’t even make sense to her that a man would dress like that. Where had he come from? Was he in a rock band she didn’t listen to? Whatever he did for a living, it was probably something dangerous. Her thoughts were rambling, completely rambling.
Why the hell was her heart about to leap out of her chest?
He was a customer. Just some guy passing through town.
She needed to calm down and get it together.
“Leftovers.” She set a plate of steak, eggs and pancakes in front of him less than five minutes later. It was piping hot and looked delicious. “On the house.”
“I told you I have-”
“No. Don’t even try it.” She laid out a napkin and some silverware for him. “Would you like cream and sugar in your coffee?”
“Sure.” He looked up from the plate and she made sure to turn to the coffee machine.
“How did you find us?” she asked, setting the coffee by his plate.
“Hmm?” he asked, his mouth already full.
Lyndie couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sorry. I’ll let you eat.”
He made a sound of protest at her back as she turned to grab a fresh order pad from the shelf.
“How’d I find you?” he repeated after swallowing.
Us was what she said, but didn’t try to correct him.
“It’s a kind of obscure town.”
“It’s definitely unique.” He took a sip of coffee. “I’m on a cross country trip.”
Lyndie’s brows rose. “Wow.”
When the plate held his attention again, she tried her hardest not to stare at his exposed chest. The thin layer of sheer was no barrier to the artwork that ran along his skin. His chest was just as defined as his arms. After a subtle double take, she realized he his nipples were pierced, little studs resting on the sides of each one.
While he drank his coffee, she noticed the dark image on his right hand: a scorpion.
Lyndie must have looked like an eighty-year-old woman to this man.
Her shoes were from Bonnie’s thrift shop, her uniform was shapeless, and her hair was finally in the bun she was trying to make when he’d startled her. All she needed was a string of pearls and a pair of heavy thick rimmed glasses.
“Lyndie,” he said, reading her name tag.
“Yes.” She offered him her Route 66 smile and ignored the jolt at suddenly hearing her name from his mouth.
“Noa.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” She said this at the same time he put down his fork and held out his large hand for her to shake.
“It’s nice to meet you” was supposed to be the end of the formalities.
Lyndie took her opposite hand and reached for his. He didn’t hold her hand too tight, but he didn’t have to. Her hand might as well have been her whole body in that instant.
Noa’s hand was firm, warm, and somehow soft and rough at the same time.
“Likewise,” he said. His index finger rested on the pulse of her wrist, and she didn’t know if she wanted to grasp tighter or snatch her hand away.
Thankfully he let her go.
But his fingers brushed hers one more time before they were completely separated.
“The sun’s finally coming up.” Lyndie glanced over his wide shoulder, grateful as hell for the distraction.
“Why do you come here an hour early?” he asked.
“To stock. Sometimes I thaw out food for the day, sometimes I check inventory and put in orders.”
“On top of waitressing?”
Lyndie shrugged. “When you’ve been here a while, you pick up on things.”
“Sounds like you run the place to me.”
Lyndie shook her head. “No. That’s Mitch. He’s the owner.”
“I hope he pays you well for all your work.”
Lyndie just made a noise with a half-smile.
“I’m guessing you’ll be on your way after today.”
“What makes you say that?”
Lyndie watched the sun burn a line across the mountains right beneath the half-raised blinds. Leaning on the counter, she stretched her back. “By now, you’ve seen what our town has to offer.” She rested on her elbows and turned her head to him on a short laugh. “It isn’t much.”
If her skin looked like caramel, did it taste like it too?
Noa chewed on his last bite while he thought about it.
He imagined a scenario where she would lock the diner door and show him exactly what she had to offer, and he was much more interested in that than the town.
Noa knew it was best if he didn’t think about it too much, else he’d have an awkward walk back to his bike, hidden on the outskirts of town.
“I don’t know,” he said, resting his fork on his plate. “I�
�m curious now.”
Lyndie’s giggle bubbled up from her mouth as she straightened. “Not about this place.”
“What if I was?” he questioned. “What would be the harm in that?”
Her eyes widened a bit and he could see she was considering how to proceed.
“No offense,” she held up her hand, “but you’re a little different.”
Noa grinned. “Okay.”
Lyndie picked up his plate. “Amber Falls doesn’t do different.”
What about you Lyndie? Do you do different?
The question was on the tip of his tongue, but he was doing his best to tread lightly.
She went to the back with the dishes. While she was gone, he grabbed a sheet of paper off the pad she left on the counter.
“You know a decent spot I can get a room?” he asked when she returned.
Lyndie didn’t hide her surprise. “Did you not hear a thing I said?”
Noa smelled something sweet over the lingering scent of coffee and wondered if she was wearing perfume. Something else for him to taste.
“I heard everything you said.”
Her face was skeptical. “And I heard L.A. is really nice.”
“I’m not interested in L.A.,” he admitted.
He tried to stare at her, but despite being directly across from him, she refused to look up from the tabletop.
Noa’s hand itched to reach up and touch her face, but he kept them occupied beneath the counter with the loose sheet of paper.
“There’s a spot on the east end of town, Lil’ Apple.”
“Lil’ Apple?” he repeated.
She pulled back from the counter with a nod. “It’s bright red like an apple but it’s shaped like a brick. You can’t miss it.”
“I’ve got some walking to do, then.”
“Where’s your bike?”
“Around,” he answered.
“Looks like the town’s finally waking up.”
Noa turned around on the stool to see someone opening up the grocer’s on the next block.
“I better grab some extra coffee filters,” she mumbled suddenly. “We always run out.”
By the time she returned, Noa was gone.
It happened so fast, she almost thought she hallucinated him.