by K. C. Crowne
“Is that your professional opinion?” I teased.
“Yes. If you’re ever in the market for another career, well, the diner is always looking for good cooks.” She winked at me and sank her teeth into a bite of tenderloin.
I had to admit it was good, but I figured she was also being nice.
“So what did you want to talk to me about?” I asked, sipping my red wine. “Because surely you didn’t come all this way to try my food.”
“Oh no,” she said. “Nothing in particular, really. I just wanted to see you outside of the diner, to get to know you more, to help with my decision.”
I raised my eyebrow. “And you’re still seriously thinking about it?”
“I would have told you had I made the choice not to do it.”
“Yes, but honestly, I wasn’t thinking when I asked - I feel it would be a lot less complicated to just go through an agency.”
“But you did ask me, and you were right - we both want or need something, and it’s a way we could help each other out.”
I drank more of my wine and contemplated what she was saying. I didn’t want her to feel obligated to do anything on my behalf. I felt like an ass that I hadn’t just kept my mouth shut and gave her the money straight-out, no strings attached. But my mom had been right about her having good genes, and I liked the idea of her being the biological mother of my child.
Of course it was more than just her genes, it was everything. I liked her, and it felt more natural than choosing a mother from a book based on her characteristics. I also trusted her.
But I knew I was asking for something that I had to right to ask for too.
“I told you, the money is yours regardless.”
“I don’t take handouts from people. I learned a long time ago that when people give you something, especially a gift as generous as the one you’re giving me, it always comes with strings attached. Even if they swear it doesn’t.”
Damn. Sounds like I’m not the only one with trust issues.
“And nothing I could say or do would convince you that I want nothing in return?”
“Nope,” she said, leaning back in the chair, her plate mostly empty in front of her. I liked that she wasn’t afraid to eat and enjoy food.
“I can’t force you to take the money, but I hope you reconsider. I’d like to keep the diner around, it’s important to Liberty. It’s important to me.”
Felicity stared at me for a long moment, as if waiting for me to say more. Her blue eyes were so blue, it reminded me of the Caribbean Sea.
I wondered if she’d ever been to the Caribbean. I bet she’d look amazing in a bikini. Her soft skin sun kissed, her blonde hair flowing freely in the wind. Her breasts nearly bursting from the tiny bikini top.
“I may take the money, in exchange for doing this for you. I’m still trying to decide and giving it some deep thought.” She spoke up and pulled me from my fantasy.
“Good,” I said. “This isn’t a decision to take lightly.”
“I agree.”
Felicity drank from her wine, but I could tell she was being careful not to overindulge. I knew the reasons behind it most likely - and she was right to do so. We couldn’t let our guard down. What had happened at my office couldn’t happen again.
I stood up and got a bottle of sparkling water instead of another glass of wine.
I offered her some, which she gladly accepted. I gave Koda a small bite of pork and
he followed us into the living room and laid down by the fire. Felicity got down on the floor with him and his tail smacked against the wooden planks as she rubbed his ears.
I joined them. The fire was nice and warm, and sitting that close to it was cozy.
“So tell me more about your work with kids. I remember you mentioned that you participated in a program for children in hospitals, but I had no idea it involved your dog. How did you get into that?”
“Well, it all started after I got Koda,” I said, giving my old boy a scratch as I talked about him. “I had a patient, an autistic teenager, who hated coming into the clinic. He’d always throw a fit, making it hard for his parents to control him since he was already larger than his mother, and about as large as his father. He loved dogs, and Koda was always really good with everyone he met - so I asked his parents if I could bring him in. Apparently when the boy heard there was a dog in my office, he came much more freely - and never threw a fit after that as long as Koda was there. And Koda was such a natural with him, I decided to see about training. He was only a pup back then, about a year old.”
“How old is he now?”
“He’s ten,” I said, rubbing his soft, golden fur. “Getting up there in years, but still going strong. And still very good with kids, no matter how old they are.”
I met her gaze, and she offered a shy smile. I was no fool; I knew why she was asking these questions.
“Koda has been around babies. I’d never leave him alone with an infant, but that’s just common sense. He’s had his tail tugged, his ears pulled, all that. I generally try to avoid it, but sometimes kids rush him and it happens. With my own child, I would teach them how to respect Koda’s boundaries, even if I do trust him. Better to be safe than sorry.”
“I agree,” she said softly, continuing to stroke the dog’s fur.
Koda lifted his head, then laid it in her lap. That brought a huge smile to Felicity’s face.
“He’s such a sweetie.”
“Best dog in the world.”
“Because of all the work you’ve put into him,” Felicity said. “All the care, all the training.”
I shrugged. “He was a good boy even before that. I can’t take all the credit.”
She nodded, then looked down at Koda instead of me for a few moments. I looked off into the fire, trying not to stare at the outline of her perfect face.
“So why do you want a child?”
Her question took me off guard for some reason.
I didn’t have a rehearsed answer, all of this was happening so fast. So instead, I answered from the heart.
“My mother is the only person I have left, and she’s getting up there in years. I have no siblings, no cousins. No one. I’ve always valued family and wanted one of my own one day. But it was hard with my career and everything and it just never happened before now. Now that I’m slowing down a bit, I’d like to start working toward that. I just think life is better when you have a family to share it with.”
“I agree,” Felicity said. “And from the sounds of it, you have a soft spot for kids.”
“Yeah, animals and kids. But don’t spread that around. It’ll challenge my big burly mountain man status.”
She giggled and it was a beautiful sound.
I had to admit, I enjoyed sitting there near the fire, just the two of us loving on Koda. It was my idea of the perfect night. Good food in our belly. A warm fire on an otherwise cold evening. My dog and a beautiful girl.
And the way Felicity looked at me, with a fire in her eyes, made me want to extend the evening for as long as I could. Every time I said something, she looked at me with more and more need in those baby blues. My jeans were beginning to get tight as all the blood rushed south.
I had to do something, before I’d lose my head again with her.
“Is everything okay?” she asked as I jumped up from the floor.
“Yeah, just going to clean up the kitchen.”
“Here, let me help you—”
“No, it’s fine. Stay here and relax.”
. Once I was alone in the kitchen, I leaned against the counter and breathed out a sigh of relief. Closing my eyes, I tried to cool myself down, willing my cock to behave itself.
I heard Koda’s nails on the hardwood floor. I assumed he was following me, but no, he was following Felicity, who popped into the kitchen anyway.
“I’m not the type of guest to just leave the host to clean up by himself,” she said, grabbing the plates from the table.
She was fac
ing away from me, her ass so perfect and round.
When she turned back around, her gaze fell lower on my body. She opened her mouth in surprise as her cheeks turned a bright shade of red. She mumbled something I couldn’t make out, but stayed there, in the middle of my kitchen with dirty dishes in her hands.
“I should probably go,” she said.
“Yeah, maybe so,” I said. “Here, let me take those.”
My hand brushed against hers as I took the plates from her. There was an awkward silence as I carried them to the sink.
“I just think, in case we’re going to really do this, we shouldn’t get too intimate, you know?” She was stammering, her embarrassment clearly showing.
I felt terrible that I’d put her in such an awkward position. Had I only kept my stupid mouth shut.
“No, I mean, yes. I agree.”
And I did. Even if we didn’t go through with the baby thing, I couldn’t allow either of us to get too close to one another. I wasn’t ready for commitment, and probably never would be. I’d already fucked up the friendship I had with Felicity, no need to make it even worse.
“Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page.” But something in her voice, the way her tone dropped ever so slightly, told me that she wasn’t really glad about it.
Even if it was the right thing to do.
Felicity
I couldn’t stop thinking about that evening at Abe’s house. I’d never been inside his home before, and it had been more beautiful than I could have imagined. Two stories with a spiral staircase at the front entrance. A kitchen almost the size of my whole house. The things I could do in there, with granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances and everything brand new. Plus, all that space to spread out while cooking. He had a better kitchen then the diner did, and he was the only one who used it.
“He’s amazing,” I gushed to Leah, leaning in close so no one else in the restaurant could hear me. We’d managed a temporary fix on the sewage issue and were open for a couple of days - but my inspection was happening later that afternoon. I tried not to think about it, instead focusing on my dinner with Abe.
“Yeah, it sounds that way. Almost sounds too good to be true,” Leah said.
I cocked my head to the side. “You think so?”
Leah finished her lunch and leaned back in the booth with a cheeky grin.
“I mean, the man lives in a mansion, is wealthy and successful, and he takes time out of his busy schedule to visit sick kids in hospitals? I don’t doubt all of that is true, I just think— well, maybe you’re seeing him with rose colored glasses because you’re falling for him.”
“I’m not falling for him,” I scoffed, rolling my eyes to avoid looking into hers. “He’s just a good person, and I think he’d make a wonderful father.”
“Oh I don’t doubt he would, but I think you need to be careful, Felicity.”
“I am being careful,” I said with a frown. “You suggested I get to know him better, and I did. I still haven’t made my decision, but it has helped me feel better about the idea.”
“I just worry about you getting too close to him,” Leah said. “Then again, if he’s falling for you too then maybe—”
“No,” I said, holding my hand up to stop her. “I can’t think like that.”
“You’re right,” Leah said with a sigh. “I shouldn’t put thoughts into your head like that, I just want to see you happy.”
“Trust me, so would I. And don’t get me wrong, I’d love to find a man like Abe someday, but he’s made it perfectly clear that he’s not open to a relationship and I need to believe him. I can’t let myself get pulled into a fantasy world where we live happily ever after together.”
“So you do like him?” Leah had a soft smile on her face, but there was worry in her eyes.
“I do, but I’m not in love with him, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Yet,” Leah muttered.
“What was that?”
“You heard me.”
I huffed in silence for a moment. Maybe Leah was right, maybe I was getting too close to him.
“Why don’t you just take the money he’s offering, Felicity? He said there were no strings attached.”
No one seemed to understand why I was so hesitant to take handouts, and it was getting old. Especially since Leah knew about my past.
“You remember Richard, right?” I asked.
“Yeah, calling him Dick was always fun and fitting, how could I forget?”
Richard was my high-school boyfriend and he came from a wealthy family of lawyers. A bit snooty, but I was young and didn’t know better.
“Well every time he would buy me dinner or do something nice for me, it came with a price. Usually a sexual favor of sorts.”
“He was one guy, and a dickhead at that. Not everyone is like that.”
I closed my eyes and tried to push the memories from my head. The night he’d taken me to a very fancy, expensive meal in Las Vegas. He’d flown me out there for graduation, to celebrate, and we stayed in the presidential suite. It was all very glamorous until we got back to the hotel room.
“Felicity, you okay?”
“Yeah, just trying to forget all about him,” I said, opening my eyes and praying I wouldn’t cry. “I can’t help it, Leah. I don’t expect you to understand, but I just can’t do it. My father wasn’t much better about all this either.”
“That’s very true.” Leah said with a sigh. “But just because you were raised to always be self-sufficient, doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help sometimes.”
I was fine getting help on little things. But this was simply too big.
The health inspector walked through the door, and I groaned to myself. I slipped from the booth, telling Leah, “I have to go, inspection time.”
“Good luck, Felicity,” she said, giving my hand a squeeze.
I needed all the luck I could get at that point.
Ooo000ooo
I flipped the sign over to Closed with a sigh. We didn’t even make it to the end of the day. The sewage backed up again, our temporary fix didn’t last as long as I thought it would. And the inspector caught it all, plus other issues that needed to be fixed before I was allowed to re-open.
I stared out the glass on the door, at the park directly across from me. I was right on the edge of town.
I loved the location because we were near the parks, where folks could hang out on their lunch break after eating here. Families could make it an outing, head to my diner for breakfast, then spend a day hiking and playing. Office buildings were nearby too, with most people working within a five- or ten-minute walk to the diner.
Tears welled in my eyes as I thought about shutting the doors for good. I owed so much in bills. The loan on the property, plus all the other loans I’d taken out to get operational, would eat up any profit from the sale. I’d already been given a price from the developer wanting to buy the property - and it was a decent number, sure, but I wouldn’t have enough left over to open another restaurant. I’d still be paying off this one, most likely.
The checklist of repairs felt heavy in my hands.
I glanced down at it, and a knock came at the door. I jumped back, startled by a face looking at me through the glass.
The face smiled, and it was a familiar one, but it still didn’t fill me with anything but dread.
Chester Garrison of Garrison and Sons Development, a Utah-based development company, was standing outside, waiting for me to let him in.
He’d been the one to offer me money for the place, and was likely checking back in to see if there’d been an offer. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the reason behind the sudden inspection either - someone likely called.
I considered not answering, but he saw me standing there, looking right at him. He knocked again just for good measure.
With a sigh, I walked over to the door and unlocked it. Chester came striding into the restaurant, shaking off the rain from his jacket.
“Well, it is coming up on winter in Utah.”
Chester smiled. “Ah, yes. The great state of Utah. I always wondered why I wasn’t born somewhere warmer.”
“You could always move.”
Chester Garrison might not be as rich as some of the developers we’d dealt with in the past, but he was still doing better than most of us. He could easily afford a home on the beaches of California or whatever warm locale he preferred. But then he’d probably have to give up his role in his daddy’s company. Chester was the “son” in Garrison and Sons, his father holding down the CEO role even though he was practically on death’s door. Chester was nearing forty and likely itching to take things over.
Chester sat down in a booth, still facing me. I didn’t sit down. I had no desire to share a table with him. I stood several feet away and nibbled my nail.
“What do you want, Chester?” I asked.
“I’m here to see if you’ve reconsidered my offer. I heard about your failed inspection, and—”
“News travels fast,” I said dryly, cocking my brow and staring right at him. “Or maybe you knew all about it because you’re the person behind it.”
“Me?” Chester asked, feigning shock. “And why would I want to do that?”
“Because you want to force me to sell for your ridiculous offer,” I said. “I’m no fool, I know my property is worth more.”
“Oh, so do you have other offers?”
I didn’t. Initially, developers swarmed the area, eager to get their hands on property to mine for the lithium which was in our soil. But our mayor, Elle Schaeffer, had recently made it harder for them by turning much of the land into public parks. They’d have to buy from the city, and the city wasn’t selling. My little piece of land wasn’t as valuable as some of the others, simply because of the size. It didn’t seem worthwhile for many of the bigger companies since the surrounding land was off-limits to them.
But Garrison and Sons took the opportunity to swoop in after the big guys stepped out. They didn’t have to make nearly as much to make the investment worthwhile, and they also knew I was in a pickle.