He grinned and eyed the menu before he carefully reached for it.
She quickly pulled it back. “I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?” She cringed as another wave of heat filled her cheeks.
His grin faded. “You can’t hurt me. Not with a weapon of that caliber anyway.”
“Right.” She sighed to relieve her tension. Come on, Gabby — pull yourself together before he thinks you’re a dimwit.
“I’ll just sit here if that’ll make things easier on you.” He stepped up to the counter and sat on a stool.
She crinkled her nose. “That sure does make things a little easier on me. But not any less awkward since I’m your waitress.”
Another smile formed, but it quickly disappeared between his pinched lips. “How’s about I make things even easier on you and just order a cheeseburger and fries, with a glass of iced tea.”
“So I guess you won’t be needing this?” She held up the menu.
“No, you can keep your weapon.”
“You’re not gonna let me live down my clumsiness, are you?” She slid the menu back into its slot behind the counter.
“Of course I will. I’m trying to make things easier on you, remember?”
“Sorry. I’m usually not this dim-witted. I was just a little embarrassed for being caught daydreaming.”
“Oh? What about?”
She tried to picture the tall handsome hero she’d daydreamed about, but the only face she could see now was that of the man sitting in front of her. “Nothing.” She gulped, trying to push the thought from her head before she turned three shades of red again. “So — cheeseburger, fries, and an iced tea. I’ll be right back.”
Colt watched as she went to the computer at the other end of the counter. Gabrielle, her name tag said.
She glanced back at him and smiled bashfully.
Though Colt smiled back at her casually, he was completely smitten by her beauty. Wisps of chestnut hair fell loosely about her pink cheeks. Her daintily rounded nose stood in perfection above her full rosy smile.
She quickly turned her attention back to the tall silver canister and filled a glass with tea.
He took the opportunity to steal a glimpse of her plush rear end, tucked tightly into her jeans. This woman is beautiful everywhere, he thought to himself.
She returned to him.
“Here you go.” She smiled, carefully setting the tea on the counter.
“Thank you, Gabrielle.” He nodded and took a gulp of his iced tea, relishing the icy liquid as it satisfied his taste buds.
A puzzled look crossed her face. “No one calls me by my full name. You’re not from around here, are you?”
“Actually, I’m from here. Just got back in town today.”
“Really? I don’t remember seeing you anywhere. How long have you been gone?”
“Eleven years.” Colt tried to keep images of the last decade from flooding his thoughts.
“Eleven years? You’d think in such a small town we would’ve at least seen each other in school.”
“I moved when I was sixteen.” He wondered why he’d never seen this angelic beauty before. Even if she had been an awkward teenager, he was sure he would’ve remembered her spirited green eyes.
“Oh.” She thought for a minute, and then smiled. “That explains it. Eleven years ago I was only twelve. I was still in elementary school.”
“Gabby!” Emmit belted from the kitchen side of the serving counter. He slid a plate of fries and a cheeseburger across it.
She turned and grabbed the plate, setting it in front of Colt. “So what’s your name, anyway? Maybe I’ve heard of you?”
“Colt.” He smiled. “Colton Tayler.”
“Hmmm … sounds familiar.”
“And what about you, Gabby, is it, or Gabrielle?”
“Neither. I hate both names.” She sighed. “I hate Gabby more, but no one around here listens to me anyway. And the last name’s Sinclair.”
“Aha!” He grinned with satisfaction. “Sinclair — from the Sinclair ranch. We used to be neighbors.”
A huge grin crossed her face. “That’s right. That’s why your name sounded familiar.” Her grin turned into a slight smile as her enthusiasm faded. “It all seems like another lifetime ago. So much has happened since then, I hardly remember.”
Colt noted a hint of sorrow in her tone. He wondered if her past was just as oppressive as his. He decided it was best not to pry. “You’re right — it was another lifetime ago. Though, I do recall a time when you were running around in pigtails chasing your brother while I was helping Zeke fix your dad’s tractor.”
Her eyes lit up. “I remember that day! My pesky little brother threw mud at me and made me mad, as usual.”
Colt chuckled. “How is JB anyway?”
“He’s doing great. But he goes by Jack now. I take it you knew him?”
“Yeah, I helped him out once. Saved him from a bully,” he replied with playful smugness.
“Uh.” She placed both hands on hips. “That little stinker. He never once told me he was bullied.” She shook her head. “Thank goodness you were there to help him, Colt.”
“Anytime.” His gaze locked with hers.
She hid a smile between pursed lips and lowered her eyes. “Well, I should probably let you eat in peace before your food gets cold.” She turned to leave.
“Thank you, Brielle.”
She spun around to face him again. “What’d you call me?”
He shrugged. “You said you didn’t like either Gabrielle or Gabby, so I thought I’d give Brielle a shot. I don’t wanna be calling you something you don’t like. You know, in case I run into you again.”
“Brielle…” She softly tested the sound of her new name. “I like it.” She smiled.
Colt watched as she disappeared into the kitchen, still wearing her smile. He contemplated whether or not to ask her for her phone number. Asking a woman out had never been much of a big deal before. But this time, for some odd reason, he was nervous. Just do it, you coward. He continued to battle the notion as he finished his cheeseburger and fries and washed it down with the rest of his tea.
Brielle pushed her way back through the doors. She smiled when she saw his empty plate. “All done?”
“Yep. It sure was good. Best meal I’ve had in a while.” He grabbed his wallet and opened it, pulling out a crisp twenty. “Here you go.” He handed it to her.
Shoving the twenty into her apron, she pulled out a wad of ones. “Here, let me get your change.” She began to count up from the total on the ticket.
“Keep the change.”
She furrowed her brow.“No, it’s too much. The total was only six nine—”
He shook his head. “No, keep it.” Glancing around, he motioned at the empty diner. “It looks like business was slow today anyway.”
She hesitated briefly, before she smiled. “Thank you very much, Colt. It was a pleasure serving you today.”
“Oh no, the pleasure was all mine,” Colt replied honestly.
He had forgotten how country women differed from city women. Most were more modest and reserved, holding on to old-fashioned values — something he didn’t mind at all. Actually, he downright welcomed it. He had to ask her out on a date. To give her his number. Something. He became nervous. Just get hold of yourself and ask her to dinner. Taking in a deep breath to calm his nerves, he looked into Brielle’s merry green eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but was stopped short by the honking of a car horn in the parking lot.
Brielle glanced out the window at the brand-new Dodge Challenger that had pulled up to the front door. She smiled. “That’s my ride. Gotta go.”
Colt turned and eyed the driver in the red sports car, who was hanging out of the window, waving for Brielle to hurry. Just my luck, she’s already seeing someone.
The driver opened his door, put one foot on the ground, and leaned over the top of the open door. His gray cowboy hat tipped back, he stared through the window of the diner.
He was slender, but his well-defined arms proved him a hard worker. Blond locks swirled from under his hat. And with his boyish features, Colt wondered whether he was even old enough to drive.
The driver reached his arm in and honked the horn twice more.
Colt shook his head, wondering why she’d purposely choose to be in the company of such an impatient, disrespectful jackass. He was in dire need of a good walloping.
Brielle smiled apologetically. “Yeah, he can be impatient sometimes. Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Colt. Maybe I’ll see you back here again?”
“I’ll be here for breakfast,” he answered, feeling foolish for arrogantly assuming she’d accept his number. It’s time to regain those respectable values you were raised with, Colt, you dumbass! He shook his head at himself. It was probably best this way anyhow. A woman like her wouldn’t have given him the time of day if she’d known where he’d spent the last month and why.
“Bye, Colt. I’ll see you at breakfast.” She smiled and rushed out the door.
Colt couldn’t help but feel disappointed as he watched her get into the car with the dominating creep. He wanted nothing more than to sprint out of the diner, yank the lanky jackass from behind the wheel, and give him a lesson on how to treat a lady. But not wanting to end up back in jail less than twenty-four hours since his release, he decided to head back to the motel for some much-needed rest.
He stood and walked out of the diner. Though he was still full from dinner, he couldn’t wait for breakfast.
TWO
Colt opened his eyes at the crack of dawn. He quickly showered and dressed in the new clothes he’d bought at the clothing store on his way back to the motel the previous night. He chose a blue T-shirt topped with a gray-and-black plaid long-sleeved shirt. He rolled the sleeves above his elbows and then pulled on the stiff pair of blue jeans, along with a new pair of socks and his work boots.
He felt like a brand-new man today, and nothing was going to stop him from setting his roots just the way he’d planned them. On this day he was going to buy himself a truck and head out to the old farm, hoping to tempt the current owners to sell with the proceeds from his mother’s life insurance policy. The hefty sum had been a shocking surprise.
After they’d moved to the city, his mother’s meager wages as a waitress were barely enough to pay the bills. Against her wishes, Colt had gotten a job at a nearby garage to help put food on the table. At night he had attended adult school to obtain his high school diploma, and then community college where he had earned an associate’s degree in business management. His plans to attend the university, however, were thwarted once he learned of his mother’s cancer. Dutifully, he dropped out of college and worked overtime and weekends just to make ends meet. For six long years and sixty hours a week he had labored under greasy hoods, wrenching, busting knuckles, trying to keep up on the mounting medical bills, trying to care for his dying mother. Yet in the end she ended up taking care of him.
Sighing heavily, he grabbed his wallet off the table and headed for the diner.
With Brielle on his mind, he kept a steady pace as he walked, anxious to see her again. He didn’t know why, since she was already seeing someone, but it didn’t matter. Even the thought of being mere friends with her seemed to put his woes at rest. Within five minutes he pushed open the front door of the diner.
Brielle beamed when Colt walked in. She’d taken extra care in getting ready this morning, setting her alarm an hour early to apply a light layer of makeup — a ritual she usually saved for dates, which were few and far between.
All morning, with every jingle of the bell hanging over the door, she anxiously awaited Colt’s charming presence, only to be disappointed with a local face. But now he was finally here.
Mimi’s eyes lit up at the hunky morsel. She quickly grabbed a menu.
Brielle snatched the menu from Mimi’s hands. “Uh uh. This one’s mine.”
Mimi narrowed her eyes and tried to snatch the menu from Brielle’s firm grasp. “It’s my turn.”
Brielle clenched her jaw and smiled. “I said I’ve got this one.”
“Good morning, Brielle.” Colt gave a quick nod in her direction. “Lucky me to have you as a waitress two days in a row.”
“Hmph.” Mimi snorted her disapproval through pursed lips. She let go of the menu. “I guess I’ll just get the next one … Brielle,” she mocked tartly before she sauntered into the kitchen.
“Sorry about that.” Brielle shrugged. “She doesn’t like to lose.”
“I didn’t realize there was a competition going on.” Colt smirked.
“Me either.” She lowered her eyes to hide her embarrassment and set the menu down in the same spot where he’d sat yesterday. She quickly changed the subject. “What would you like this morning? The special’s ham, eggs, and biscuits with gravy for four ninety-nine.”
He sat down and picked up the menu, handing it back to her. “Then I guess I won’t be needing this now, will I?”
She smiled and slid the menu back into the slot. “I guess not.”
She reached for the coffee pot and grabbed a mug from under the counter, filling it to the brim. Though she had filled a cup of coffee hundreds of times before, she’d never felt this nervous. Every move she made was a conscious effort to complete the task at hand.
“Here you go, freshly brewed.” She sighed with relief when the cup made contact with the counter without one drop of the hot liquid spilled. Turning toward the kitchen, she yelled over the back counter, “Another special, Emmit.”
“Thank you, Brielle.” Colt sipped his coffee. “So, do you know where I can buy a truck around here?”
Her eyes lit up. “Yes — my brother’s selling his truck. He’s trying to pay off the new car he just bought.” A frown replaced her smile. “It needs a little work, though. The engine keeps sputtering then dying.”
Colt grinned. “How much?”
“Eight hundred. It is pretty old though. An ’81 Dodge I think. And it’s black,” she said with assurance.
He raised his brow. “And he’s only selling it for eight hundred? Is it wrecked?”
“No. Maybe a couple of scratches and dings, but that’s about all. He’s just glad to be out from under a hunk of junk he has to work on all the time and into something new.”
“Gabby!” Emmit shouted from the kitchen.
She grabbed the morning special from the pass-through counter and set it in front of Colt.
“Where’s this truck at?” Colt asked, digging into his eggs.
“At Zeke’s Garage.”
“Zeke’s still in business, huh?”
“Yeah, I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you. Billy Collins works there too.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, suddenly remembering her date with him that night. He’d been relentless about asking her out. Until two days ago she’d always turned him down because his record for cheating was all but branded on his forehead. But since he wouldn’t take no for an answer, she figured a date would finally end his pursuit.
The doorbell dinged and a customer walked in.
“I’ll be right back.” Brielle grabbed a menu and went to the front door.
Colt cut a slice of ham and shoved it into his mouth. The last time he’d seen Billy Collins, he’d left him lying in the middle of the football field after school, holding his black eye. Then he put a protective arm around nine-year-old Jack Sinclair and drove him home.
“Okay, I’m back,” Brielle announced as she went behind the counter to face him again. “I’ll give you Jack’s number.” She snatched a pen from her apron and jotted his number on a napkin. “He’ll meet you there if you call him. He’s off today.”
It sure wasn’t the number he was hoping for, but it was close enough … for now. “Thanks, I’ll head down there now.”
He finished the last bite of ham and gulped his coffee. Then he grabbed his wallet from his back pocket and fished out a twenty, handing it to her. “Thanks for bre
akfast, Brielle.”
She put her hands up and shook her head. “No, please, breakfast is on me.”
“I can’t let you do that.” He insisted on paying, though he admired her good intentions.
She eyed the extended twenty. “All right, but you have to let me give you change this time. You can’t leave me such a big tip. Especially not if you’ll be eating here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a while. You’ll be broke before you know it.”
He chuckled slightly, surprised by her concern. It felt great to have someone he’d known less than twenty-four hours worry about him. “All right then, you calculate the twenty percent.”
Brielle beamed proudly. “I’m just gonna go ring it up.” She pointed toward the other end of the counter before she made her way around Mimi to the register.
As soon as her back was turned, Colt swiftly slipped out of the diner and headed for Zeke’s. On his way there he called Jack to set up the sale. And in less than ten minutes he was standing before the run-down garage — the only business in town still in its original shape. Both bay doors were open, though by the rusted appearance of their frames he wondered if they would even shut.
He walked into the left bay and entered the office door along the wall.
Zeke was sitting before a desk piled high with papers, a torn-apart carburetor on the middle of it. His buzzed red hair was streaked with gray. Crow’s feet and brow lines marked his face.
Zeke looked up at Colt quizzically before he grinned. “Well, I’ll be damned.” He stood and made his way around the front of the desk, extending his hand. “Colton Tayler, I never thought I’d see you again.”
Colt smiled and firmly shook Zeke’s greasy hand.
Zeke looked at Colt’s grease-smudged palms. “I’d hug ya, but I don’t wanna muss you all up. You look good, Colt! Real good! Looks like the city was a good move for you and your mother. How is Annie, anyway? Is she here with you?” he asked hopefully. He grabbed a clean rag from the bin next to him and handed it to Colt.
Colt sighed heavily and took the rag, rubbing it on his palm. He tossed it onto the desk. “She passed away about a month ago.” His voice was low and throaty. “Breast cancer.”
Under the Midnight Stars Page 2