Her hands trembled slightly as she planted herself in the seat next to him.
“I’m Wesley, by the way.” He extended his hand and she shook it.
“Nice to meet you.”
He folded his hands together. “Mind if I pray?”
“No.” She bowed her head and listened as he prayed out loud, thanking God for his food and his company. “Thanks for eating with me. Dining alone is no fun.”
“You’re welcome. Thanks for offering.” She smiled, nearly pinching herself to make sure this wasn’t a dream.
“My pleasure.” He took his steak knife and a fork and cut through his chicken fried steak.
“Why did you buy an extra meal for me?”
He shrugged. “You said you’d never had the chicken fried steak. I thought you might like to try it.”
His kindness caught her off-guard. “So, do you do that for every waitress you meet?”
“No. It’s never happened before.”
She took a sip of water. “Why me?”
“You looked like you could use a break.”
“Well, you’re right about that. Thanks again.”
He nodded. “So, tell me about yourself, Shannon.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Family? I thought I overheard that guy say something about kids? You married?”
“Uh, no. I take care of my younger siblings.”
“Oh, okay. I see.” He nodded. “And your parents?”
“They…they recently passed.” It was still tough to say that without breaking down.
“Really? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, it’s okay. You didn’t know.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “That must be hard.”
“Yeah, it is. But I’d rather not talk about it.”
He lifted his hands as though he were backing off. “Totally understand.”
“You?” Her brow lifted. “Family?”
“Not married. No kids. I still live at home with my parents, believe it or not.”
Her smiled widened. “No cabin in the woods?”
He rubbed the scruff on his face. “I guess I should’ve shaved this morning. I wasn’t planning on meeting a pretty girl. I’m usually clean shaven.”
He’d likely look gorgeous either way. But… Her cheeks warmed. He thought she was pretty?
He glanced at his flannel shirt and chuckled. “No cabin. I wouldn’t mind, though. That sounds nice.”
“It does, doesn’t it?”
He nodded. “So, do you live in the area?”
“Near Cross Plains. You?”
“I’m out between Holton and Nebraska.”
“Oh, I think I remember something about a tornado ripping through there several years back.”
“That’s right. Wasn’t there also one in Cross Plains just a couple of years ago?”
“Yeah. It hit one of our neighbor’s properties, but no one was hurt that I know of. It also went through the hilltop area above Vevay, I heard. Touched down a few places there. Closer to Center Square, I believe.”
“Oh, wow. Do y’all have a basement?”
“A small shelter. It’s better than nothing, though. Do you?”
“Oh, yeah. My mom insisted on one before we even thought about purchasing a place. That was a priority. And good thing. We’ve used it several times.”
She glanced down at her barely eaten meal. “I don’t mind talking, but maybe we should try to eat before my break is over.”
“Good idea.” He grinned, then dug into his baked potato. “This is good.”
She nodded and took a few bites. They ate in silence until they were both nearly finished.
“So, Cross Plains? My grandparents actually live out that way. They’re in Pleasant Township, I believe.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “What a coincidence.”
“That’s cool. So, do you visit them often?”
“Ah, every once in a while.”
She set her silverware and napkin on top of her empty plate. “Okay, well you know what my job is. What do you do?”
“I’m a graphic designer. I design websites, signage, that sort of thing.”
She frowned. “Really?”
He chuckled. “Is something wrong with what I said?”
“No, it’s just…well, you don’t look like you sit at a computer all day. I picture you doing something a little more…physical.”
He briefly surveyed himself. “You noticed my muscles, huh?”
She likely turned all kinds of shades of red.
He laughed out loud. “I was joking.”
She smiled timidly. “Of course, I noticed. Who wouldn’t?” Yeah, she just said that out loud.
“I do work out at the gym. It’s nice to know someone actually noticed.” He winked. “But, to be honest, I have worked on my dad’s construction crew and still do from time to time. It’s just not my field of choice.”
Shelby waltzed by and tossed Shannon a pointed look. “Break’s up, sweetie.”
Shannon frowned and turned to Wesley. “Well, I guess that’s my cue to get back to work.”
“Ah, too bad. This was nice.”
“Thank you for the meal. That was nice.”
“It was my pleasure, Shannon. We’ll have to do it again sometime. Maybe when you’re not working?”
Had he just asked her on a date? Her heart sped up.
“I don’t know. I don’t get a lot of time to myself. I have the kids and…” she shrugged.
“That’s not a problem. I’ll just stop by here again then, if you don’t mind. Are you working all week?”
“I pretty much work every day during the week while the kids are in school.”
“Great. I’ll be seeing you then.” He nudged his head toward a customer. “I better let you get back to work.”
She nodded, then grabbed a menu to take to the waiting diner, but she kept an eye on Wesley. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and left a tip. That hadn’t been necessary. Especially after he’d just purchased a meal for her. He moved to the register and Shelby rang up his bill.
She turned to the customer. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Sure. I’ll take a Coke. And I’m ready to order right now.”
She glanced over just as Wesley exited the restaurant. He lifted his hand to wave goodbye and she smiled and dipped her head in response.
“Sure, what would you like, sir?”
As Shannon finished up her work day, memories of her time spent with Wesley occupied her thoughts. He’d seemed like a really nice guy. Not only had he purchased her meal and kept her company, he’d also left a generous tip. She looked forward to him returning to the restaurant.
FIVE
Gorgeous. That’s what she was.
Wesley could not get the blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty out of his mind. What good fortune he had, having stumbled upon Shannon. She seemed to have such a pure heart. Selfless, apparently being the sole provider of her siblings. Hardworking. He’d seen how she’d bustled about the restaurant. She appeared to be overdue for a break when he’d walked in.
And he thought he’d just gone in because he was hungry. Well, he might have been hungry, but there was no doubt in his mind that meeting Shannon had been a Divine appointment.
Just like that, they’d clicked. He’d never had that with any woman in the past. Not that he had in mind to jump into a relationship with someone he’d barely met, but…
Whew. His senses were on overload.
But he needed to take a step back. There was so much he didn’t know about her. Was she saved? Did she even go to church? He wished he had asked. But their brief time together had flown by.
Perhaps their next meeting would provide more information. Or…what if he caught her when she got off work? He did have his laptop in the truck. He could work right there and just wait in the parking lot until she walked to her car.
~
Wesley was deep into a project for a client, when a knock on the window of his truck startled him. He glanced up to see an officer standing next to his door. He frowned, then turned the key in the ignition to roll the window down.
“May I help you, officer?”
“Yes, sir. We’ve had a call about you.”
“About me?”
“Are you stalking someone who works at this restaurant?”
“Me? Stalking? No. I mean, I am waiting for my friend. I’m not sure what time she gets off.”
“If she’s your friend, wouldn’t you know what time she gets off?” Wesley didn’t appreciate the cop’s cocky tone.
“I would go in and ask her, but I don’t want to bother her.”
“I see.” The officer nodded. “Or you could just call her.”
“I don’t actually have her phone number.”
“Why don’t you Google it?”
He frowned. “I don’t know her last name either.”
He should have just kept his mouth shut. The cop didn’t need to know what information he was privy to. Why had he even said that? It’s not like it was this cop’s business. Was he just setting him up? It sure seemed like it.
“Friend, huh? So, instead you’re just waiting out in the parking lot all day? It sounds an awful lot like stalking to me.”
“Wait a minute. You said someone called? From the restaurant?” Had Shannon reported him? He hoped that wasn’t the case.
“I’m not permitted to say who the call came from. But I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“Why?” Not that he meant to argue with the officer.
“We can discuss it in my patrol car if you’d prefer.” The officer’s piercing gaze meant business.
He lifted his hands. “I don’t want any trouble. Okay, I’ll leave.” He surrendered and turned over the ignition. Sheesh!
“Thank you. Have a nice day.”
Yeah, right.
Wesley grumbled as he pulled out of the parking lot. Now what?
The officer followed close behind him until he headed out of town. Did the man think he’d turn around and go back to the restaurant? He was surely tempted to. It was a free country, wasn’t it?
But what if Shannon had been the one who’d called? Did she think he was stalking her? He sincerely hoped not. Perhaps returning to the restaurant wasn’t such a great idea after all. But he’d been so sure that God had arranged their meeting. Maybe he’d been wrong.
He’d likely scared her off by being so forward. Way to go, Wes.
SIX
Shannon pulled her car into the driveway, half excited about her day and meeting gorgeous Wesley and half nervous about Melanie’s well-being.
She needed to pick her baby sister up from the neighbors as soon as possible. The babysitter never did call her. She hoped it was a good thing. No news was good news, right?
How she’d hated leaving her with a virtual stranger. But what could she do? If she didn’t work, she couldn’t put food on the table. She’d have to do an internet search on what the cheapest foods to eat were and plan their meals around that.
With Christmas just around the corner, she really needed to stretch her dollars. Maybe she’d also look up affordable Christmas gifts or fun things to do without spending a lot of money. A borrowed Christmas movie or two from the library would be a nice treat for them. Popcorn was a luxury, but at least it was cheap. She could buy a box of the microwave kind next time she was at the dollar store.
She truly wanted to make the best of this Christmas for the kids. A fresh tree was out of the question, but maybe she could find an artificial one at the thrift store. They already had lights and ornaments up in the attic, so she wouldn’t have to buy those.
Before heading to the neighbors’ place, she hurried into her house and dropped off her purse. She’d stuffed some money into her pocket to pay the babysitter, although they hadn’t discussed a price. She’d been scurrying just to get Melanie taken care of, that she’d left without even thinking of payment.
Shannon put her ear close to the crack in the neighbors’ door to see if she could hear any crying. She didn’t, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. After knocking on the door twice, it finally opened to her.
The teen girl, Avery, greeted her with a smile. “She did fine. Only cried for about ten or twenty minutes after you left.”
“Twenty minutes?”
“I found a toy for her, but that didn’t work, so I turned the tv on. She loves tv.”
Great, so her baby sister sat in front of the television all day long? Shannon nodded, but frowned. She shouldn’t assume the worst. It wasn’t fair to the babysitter.
“I took her outside too and pushed her on the swing.”
“The swing?” Her heart raced. She pictured Melanie letting go of the ropes and flipping onto the ground. Just stop!
“Don’t worry, it’s a kiddie swing. Trust me. Really, she did fine.”
Shannon’s eyes roamed the room, but Melanie was nowhere in sight. She wouldn’t panic. “Where is she?”
“Oh, she’s napping in my sister’s room. I’ll go get her.” Avery disappeared around a corner, then came back a moment later with Melanie in her arms. “Look who’s here,” she said in a baby voice.
Melanie burst into tears the moment she spotted Shannon. She held out her arms and Shannon took her from Avery.
“It’s okay, baby.” She jostled Melanie on her hip. “How much do I owe you?”
“Can you swing twenty-five? I’ve gotta put gas in my car.”
“Sure. That sounds good.” Twenty-five bucks was a steal. Maybe she should consider using Avery more often. That would be one way she could save money. She dug into her pocket with her free hand and handed a twenty and a five-dollar bill to Avery.
“Thanks.” Avery stuffed the money in her pants pocket and handed Melanie’s bag to Shannon.
“No, thank you. You were a life saver.” She headed toward the door. She couldn’t wait to get home and relax for a few moments before the bus arrived with the boys. “You’re sure she did fine?”
“Honest. After that first crying fit, she did great.”
Shannon sighed and nodded to the door. Yeah, she’d been overreacting. “Do you mind if I use you again?”
“Anytime. As long as I’m home and don’t have plans. I could use some extra cash. She’ll probably cry less once she gets used to me.” Avery smiled and waved as they walked out. “Bye, Mel.”
“Bye-bye!” Melanie waved with her chubby little hand. She seemed content.
Shannon walked the short distance to their home. “Look at you. Not a tear. I think you’re just trying to make sister worry, aren’t you?”
“Momma!” Melanie smacked Shannon’s cheek with a kiss.
“I’m not Momma, baby. But you probably won’t remember much of Momma when you grow up, will you?”
“No. Momma go bye-bye.” Melanie likely didn’t even realize what she was saying. “Going home?”
“Yep, we’re going home. Did you have a good time with Avery? Was she nice to you?”
“A, B, C, D…” Melanie sang.
“That was good! Did you learn that today? Did Avery teach you that?”
“No, frog.”
“A frog?”
“Yep. Frog say A, B, C, D…” she let off humming, probably not remembering how the rest went.
“Was it E, F, G?”
“Yep. E, F, G.”
“Very good, sweetheart. I think you might have had a good time at Avery’s.”
“Yep. Had good time.”
Good. That made her feel much better about leaving Melanie with their teen neighbor. Although Shannon was only a year older than Avery, her responsibilities had aged her. Emotionally, she was closer to a decade older.
She brought out a few toys for Melanie, then loafed on the couch for about ten minutes, pondering her day. All things considered, it had actually been a good day so far.
Now, to figure out
what she’d make for dinner. The boys would be returning home from school anytime. Since Jaycee was only in kindergarten that let out around noon, he stayed in an afternoon program until he could ride the school bus home with Brighton. It seemed to work out well and allowed her to work a couple of much-needed extra hours.
She thought again about the pleasant lunch she’d shared with handsome Wesley. She hoped she hadn’t been dreaming, because if she had, she’d rather not wake up. He’d seemed so kind and genuine. She couldn’t wait for the day he’d walk back into the restaurant.
SEVEN
“Shannon! Someone’s here!” Brighton hollered from the front room.
Shannon set the basket of laundry down on the bed and walked into the living room. “Did they knock?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you look out the window? Who is it?” Shannon hated opening the door to strangers. Since it was just her and her siblings, she was now the adult-in-charge. But she didn’t always feel like an adult.
Brighton shrugged. “I don’t know. Some old people.”
“Elderly people,” she corrected. “Old sounds rude.”
“Whatever.”
“Not whatever. Okay or yes, ma’am would be appropriate.”
“Whatever.”
She pinned him with a warning stare. “Brighton.”
“Okay.” He lifted his hands. “You’re sounding like Dad now.”
She went to the door and looked through the peep hole. Hm…was it the Amish man they’d seen at Walmart the other day?
She opened the door a few inches, but kept her foot firmly behind it. Not that her foot would prevent anyone from barging in if they wished. “May I help you?”
The man spoke, “My name is Christopher and this is my wife, Judy. I met Jaycee at the store the other day.”
Shannon nodded, a tentative smile on her face. “I thought it was you. How did you know where we lived?”
“I mentioned your situation to some of my neighbors and it turns out one of them knew your folks.”
“Oh.” She swallowed, not wanting to dwell on her parents’ death.
Unlikely Santa Page 3