Make that three people short.
Of course, Trudy’s proclamation was an exaggeration; something or other was going to put her out of business at least three times a day. Still, somehow she’d managed to keep the diner’s heart beating for the past twenty years when she’d bought the previous owner out.
Tiffany, the other waitress, breezed by with warm pies to stock the counter displays in the other room. “Cindy ain’t sick. Cindy has a blind date tonight.”
Geneva shared a smile with Mel, the main cook, but didn’t say anything as she slid off the mitts and gave the large pot of homemade mashed potatoes a stir. As expected, Trudy went off like a bomb, filling the kitchen with inventive curse words. Everyone moved around her, giving her the wide berth she required. They all knew the steam would dissipate and Trudy would be operating on full throttle again soon without risk of being scalded.
Geneva moved around Mel, where he tossed burgers, to turn off the alarm for the French fries. She took the basket out of the oil and hung it on the rungs above to drain.
“Oh, and Gen?” Tiffany poked her head back inside the kitchen. “Your Baby Daddy Dustin just took up residence in his usual place at the counter,”
Geneva stood perfectly still for a moment, staring unseeingly at the golden potatoes, battling back a sudden surge of nausea.
“You okay?”
She glanced at where Mel had leaned in to quietly ask the question.
“Yeah. Fine.” She smiled. “Thanks.”
She removed her hand from where it lay against her stomach, a spot she often found it resting lately, and then tipped the fries out onto two plates and salted them.
Lately, it was getting harder and harder to face Dustin. She didn’t know how to explain in a way that would register with him that just because she was pregnant, it didn’t mean they were a couple. And that she didn’t expect anything more from him but to be a good dad. But he seemed determined to make something out of nothing. And his unwanted attention was eroding what had once been a great friendship.
A friendship that had accidentally become more for five whole minutes a little over two months ago.
It wasn’t that the sex had been bad…
Okay, maybe it had been.
But that wasn’t the reason she didn’t want to be anything more than a joint parent with him. They were friends— period.
And the one-nighter had happened on the day she’d buried her mother in the ground and her sadness in a bottle of tequila.
“I remember my wife couldn’t even keep crackers down during her first try,” Mel said, putting two cheeseburgers onto buns and then handing the plates to her.
“Thankfully I haven’t been sick once.” She smiled as she dressed both burgers and then balanced all four plates on her arms. “I only feel like I’m going to be.”
All…the…time.
Trudy gathered her wits. “With my luck, your first time will be all over one of the tables. A full one.”
“Knock wood,” Geneva said, edging through the swinging doors to deliver the burgers to Table 6, passing Tiffany as she went.
“Trade you Table 7 for 3,” the too-pretty nineteen-year-old said.
That meant there was someone male and attractive at Table 7, one grouped in her regular station. She didn’t even glance that way. Instead she took in Table 3. A crowd of rowdy teenagers.
“Pass.”
“I’ll share the tip with you. Fifty-fifty.”
Geneva kept walking.
“And you can keep the other tip.”
She let her silence speak for her.
She genuinely didn’t have it in her to deal with the other table just then. Not after pulling a double shift and working all last night to get in a rush job to design a last-minute sales flyer for Johnny’s Jalopies car dealership.
She said hello to Dustin as she passed without stopping to hear what he might have to say, then waited with a smile for the couple at Table 6 to move their joined hands before placing the burgers and fries down in front of them.
“Anything else I can get you for now?” she asked.
“Ketchup,” the girl asked.
“On the table.”
“Oh. Thanks.”
“Are the pies fresh?”
“Always. Today there’s blueberry, apple and, of course, Trudy’s chocolate marshmallow.”
“I’ll take a piece of the blueberry,” the girl said.
“And I’ll have Trudy’s,” the guy added.
“Very good. You want them now or after you’ve finished?”
“Now.”
“After.”
“I can do both,” Geneva said.
She got the coffeepot, which unfortunately happened to be near where Dustin sat, and the blueberry pie. After delivering the pie, she moved on to Table 7, filling the two cups that had been turned up to indicate coffee would be appreciated.
“Welcome…gentlemen.”
Wow.
Okay, so she didn’t normally agree with Tiffany’s taste in men, which seemed to run from blond kids with mohawks to tattooed motorcyclists. But this time, the fickle teen was spot on.
She recognized Darius Folsom. He came in to the diner often enough and was a great guy along with a great-looking one.
But his tablemate was new.
And he was hotter than a July Colorado Springs day.
She silently cleared her throat. Not that she was interested. After all, she was an expectant mother. But she did still have a pulse.
And, apparently, a sex drive. Something she hadn’t anticipated, given her condition. Which probably explained her unusual, spellbound response.
Just looking at this guy made her think of sweaty sighs and hungry kisses.
“Hi, Geneva,” Dari said with a smile. “It’s crazy in here tonight.”
She made an effort to ignore her curiously overwhelming chemical reaction to his friend. “It always is. What can I get for you today?”
“Meat loaf, of course.”
She looked at his guest…and nearly lost her breath.
God, did eyes come any browner?
And the way he was looking at her…
“Well, if he’s game, so am I. Meat loaf.”
She smiled, probably bigger than the situation called for.
“Meat loaf it is, then. Are you sticking with the coffee? Or would you like to add something else?”
“Milk,” Dari said. “A nice, big cold glass.”
“Make that two.”
“You got it.”
She turned from the table feeling something other than nausea stir her stomach. It was a welcome change. Not overly so—while she wasn’t and had never really been involved with Dustin, she wasn’t shopping either—but nice nonetheless. It had been a long time while since she’d felt anything other than expecting.
“I hate you,” Tiffany said as they passed again.
“I love you,” she said back and then disappeared into the kitchen.
She leaned briefly against the wall inside, savoring the very female feelings while she could. She knew better than anyone that she’d soon have to nip them in the bud.
“You all right?” Mel asked after seeing her face. “You look a little flushed.”
“What? Oh, yes. I’m fine. It’s just hot in here.”
How long had it been since she’d experienced that unmistakable spark of attraction? Long enough for her to have forgotten what it felt like. Even though she knew exactly how long: since before her mother fell ill a year and a half ago.
She briefly closed her eyes, willing the sudden cold away.
How alive it made her feel, that spark of shared attraction. Hot summer sunshine seemed to course through her veins even though i
t was a chilly and rainy November day. And twenty pounds at least had been lifted from her feet.
“It’s not like you to waste time daydreaming,” Trudy said as she passed with a mop.
Geneva blinked.
No, it wasn’t like her.
And like that, the moment to nip the sexy sensations had arrived. Time to return to the real world where sexy strangers didn’t exist.
Damn.
2
“I KNOW YOU SAID you don’t plan to be in town long, but about that favor I wanted to ask…” Dari said.
Mace found himself following the pretty waitress with his eyes. She was all curly light brown hair, tanned skin and long legs, even in the unattractive white orthopedic shoes she wore.
He bet her thighs were toned and strong and could grip his hips like nobody’s business.
And that mouth…
“Hmm?”
He looked to find Dari grinning at him.
“Thought you weren’t interested in dating,” his friend said, indicating the waitress.
“I’m not.” He sipped his coffee, which was surprisingly good for diner fare. “I might, however, be interested in getting laid.”
Dari howled with laughter. “I stand corrected.”
“You’re sitting, but I get your point.” He put his cup down. His words were meant as a joke, but just barely. The waitress did stir something in him he hadn’t felt in a while. And while it was physical, there was more to it. There was a genuine quality to her smile, a kindness. “Are you really asking for a favor already? I’ve been in town, what?” He looked at his watch. “Five minutes?”
“I meant to ask you the first minute.”
Dari’s expression, more than his words, got Mace’s attention. It wasn’t like his friend to exaggerate. Whatever he was going to ask was important.
In his career in the military, Mace had come to understand how important it was to immediately recognize who he could count on…and, more importantly, who he couldn’t.
Going back to their teenage years, he’d always been able to depend on Dari.
He grimaced, wishing his friendship skills extended to relationships. Maybe he would have had better luck.
His hand instantly went to his cell phone where another voice mail waited from Janine. He didn’t expect it to be much different from the first one.
“Shoot,” he encouraged now.
“Okay. I’ve given you a brief rundown on how quickly Lazarus has grown in such a short time. And with that, comes growing pains. Most notably, we’re attracting some high-profile contracts I’m sometimes afraid we’re not prepared for yet. This one falls solidly into that category.” He paused. “There’s an ex-general, now a political radio pundit, coming into town the day after tomorrow for a three-day stay, including two public rallies. We’ve been hired to handle security for the public end of his schedule—transportation, et cetera—in cooperation with his personnel and local law enforcement. While I’m sure we can handle it, well, it would be stupid not to utilize our assets. And I see you as a definite asset in this case, what with your background and your connections.”
He nodded. “Go on.”
“Well, in a nutshell, I was wondering if you would consider sitting in as co-lead on this one?”
Mace sat back, carefully considering what Dari was saying…and not saying. His friend went on to share some additional details, such as the name of the dignitary. He was familiar with the guy. Hell, nearly everyone in the western hemisphere was familiar with him, if only because of his skill at gaining attention, usually by exhibiting offensive behavior.
“Okay, I get the military connections and the growing pains. But this job sounds pretty run-of-the-mill, tooling around with a political celebrity. What is it you’re not telling me?” Mace asked.
“There have been threats.”
“Threats.”
“Yes. Specific to his visit here.”
For the past few years, Mace’s military career focus had been counter-terrorism, so this was right up his alley. But…
“And…?” he led.
Dari chuckled and pointed a finger at him. “Never could get anything by you. Truth is, these threats are serious enough to concern his security personnel and serious enough to concern me.” He checked the cell phone he had on the table next to his wrist. “And…well, if I’m hoping that by pulling you in on this job, it’ll convince you to sign on with us when your tour’s over in six months…that’s between me and the wall.”
Mace considered him.
Dari grinned. “Did I mention that it won’t hurt business to have a Navy Cross recipient on board with us? No? Well, then there’s that.”
He grimaced at the reminder.
“By the way, Megan and I are looking forward to attending the ceremony Saturday.”
“You’re going?”
“Of course, I’m going. My ass is part of the reason you’re getting the sucker. What makes you think I wouldn’t be there?”
He took a deep breath.
“I plan to sit up front and center.”
“Refill, gentlemen?” a knockout blonde smiled at him suggestively as she held up a coffeepot.
Mace found himself looking for the pretty brunette even as he and Dari held up their cups. The waitress topped them off then hovered for a moment before finally moving away.
“You didn’t even look at her,” Dari said.
“Sure I did. She’s too young and too…”
“Eager?”
“That, too.”
They shared a laugh.
“Okay,” he said.
“Okay what?”
“Okay, I’ll do it. Where do you want me when?” He laughed and looked around the diner again.
There she was.
He found himself relaxing in to the booth as the waitress who’d garnered his attention came through the kitchen door looking even more attractive.
She brought their meals quickly despite the busyness of the place. They ate while Dari outlined the specifics of the assignment.
This beat the hell out of staring at the cracks in his motel room ceiling, feeling guilty about not spending more time at his parents’ any day.
And it made him forget about those shadow hands pressing against his neck for a much-needed while.
Mace’s gaze followed their waitress where she bussed the table next to theirs, even as another couple moved to occupy it. She was calmly efficient and attentive, smiling warmly despite the obvious crowdedness of the diner as she took their drink orders.
He couldn’t help noticing that there was a guy about his age seated at the counter who kept trying to get her attention for more than a second at a time…and that she did everything politely possible to avoid giving it to him.
She briefly glanced in his direction and their gazes met, inspiring something a little more than respect in his response to her.
He smiled and she returned it before she moved on to another table then went back into the kitchen.
Oh, he’d bet she was the type who’d be up for anything, any time. A challenge, a new experience, a new restaurant, it wouldn’t matter; she’d be in…and make it doubly worth it just by being there.
“Okay, I’d better get moving,” Dari said, edging from the booth. “Megan’s already at The Barracks.” He stood, pocketing his cell phone. “Thanks for agreeing to come in on this job for me, Mace. You have no idea how much of a relief it will be having you aboard.”
“You haven’t seen what I charge for babysitting a political big mouth yet.”
“Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll be more than worth it.” He peeled off a couple bills to pay for his half of the meal. “Sure you won’t change your mind and join us for a drink?”
“I’d rather step directly into enemy fire.”
“I believe you would.” They shook hands and agreed to meet at Lazarus the following morning, then Dari left.
Mace sipped on his coffee and watched his friend through the front window of the diner, even as more customers approached.
He glanced around. The place was more than busy, it bordered on chaotic. At different times, he was aware of a woman swearing in the kitchen, a couple of tables complaining about the lateness of their meals and from what he could tell, there wasn’t a busboy to be found.
His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He fished it out to find Janine’s name highlighted again. He sat and watched the screen blink until her call finally rolled over to voice mail.
Why was she being so persistent?
He couldn’t even begin to guess. So he didn’t try.
He slid the cell back into his pocket without checking the message.
“Dessert?” the pretty waitress asked.
He looked up at her. Despite everything, she managed to treat him as if he was her only customer, where the other waitress practically shooed people from the tables the instant they took their last bite.
“Trudy’s chocolate marshmallow pie is the house specialty.”
He took her in, noticing how the world seemed to rush around her in a blur while she stood perfectly still.
Of course, that could be just him.
The vintage jukebox in the corner. Definitely the jukebox. He’d play a song—an old one—pull her into his arms…lean her against the machine and work his hand up her skirt to find out just how sweet those thighs and what lay between them were…watch her smile melt into a sexy sigh.
“Maybe later,” he said.
He didn’t detect any flicker of disappointment that he wasn’t leaving to free up the table for another diner.
Distinguished Service & Every Move You Make (Uniformly Hot!) Page 2