Chapter 23 The Slowest Burn
Chapter twenty-three
The Slowest Burn
“When’s the company-sponsored spa day?” Lulu asked Angelica just as a breeze drifted in through the kitchen door.
The girls had wondered if customers would show now that the temperatures were bearable.
Today’s line stretched out the front door and around the corner, three shops down.
As soon as one table cleared, Angelica seated the next family.
One after another, until my corset clung to my skin, drenched in sweat.
No one wanted to ask how long we’d be able to keep up this pace.
“Don’t get me wrong, but your girl is tired.” Lulu walked out the door, turning around to face us when she stepped into the parking lot. “Spa day.” She gestured wildly, like a game show hostess revealing the grand prize.
Lulu was right. Days had become weeks, each running into the next. It was mid-September, and in the two months I’d been here, I’d started calling Tombstone home.
Angelica yawned. “I’ve thought about it, but nothing works. The dining room isn’t big enough to bring in another waitress. The sections would be too small.” She examined her fingernails, picking at a cuticle. “We could go to Tucson for the day.”
“Is that a yes?” Lulu grabbed Angelica by her shoulders. “Don’t tease me like this.”
Angelica laughed, gently shrugging Lulu off. “It’s a maybe.”
“That’s mom code for no,” I teased. A motorcycle rumbled down the street, and we all watched, waiting to see who the biker was.
Lulu flicked her ponytail off of her shoulder. “I’m not the only one looking worse for wear. We could escape for an entire weekend. Pampering. Sleeping. Pure heaven.”
Cactus pulled into the lot, parking his bike right in front of where we stood. We hadn’t made plans for tonight, so this was a surprise. “Ladies,” he said, removing his helmet, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
“Help me convince your sister to do a spa weekend.” Lulu framed Angelica’s face with her hands. “She needs to be rejuvenated, and you wouldn’t deny your favorite sister and her best employees a treat, would you?”
“She’s my only sister.” He laughed, a low, gruff sound as his eyes lit up.
I scanned him instinctively. In the beginning, I’d constantly waited for him to snap—collapsing under the weight of it all.
Cactus was learning how to relax, and with every softened look on his face, my fears eased a little more. He wouldn’t leave me prematurely.
“Ang needs to move on.” He winced. Scorpion had been coming to the saloon more often. While I wasn’t afraid he’d physically hurt me, I hated the psychological games he played with Angelica. He’d show up either right before the cowboys or right after.
Most days, Angelica ignored him. Every so often, he’d catch her unguarded, long enough for pretty words and empty promises.
He’d be around more to make a go at something real.
If she turned him down, he’d follow it up with what her heart wanted the most. He wanted to be a better father.
His side chicks would then show up as she was leaving, shattering the illusion.
She was lonely in a crowd, reaching for the version of herself he had always taught her to question.
“Pick a place, and I’ll pay for the trip.” His face went blank, but the twitch underneath his eye gave him away. Cactus didn’t care if we went on a weekend trip. He cared about our safety.
“Yes!” Lulu pumped her fists in the air, twirling in the parking lot of the saloon. She dragged me with her, laughter bubbling up before I could stop it.
Angelica laughed heartily, walking over to Cactus. She wrapped one arm around his neck for an awkward side hug. “You don’t have to do this. Thanks.”
“Me too!” Lulu danced some more, gyrating to the music that played in her head.
“You need to find someone worthy of you.” He cleared his throat. “I won’t say a word if you suddenly start dating, as long as they’re decent.”
“We’ll see.” Angelica squeezed his shoulder before pulling away.
“More mom speak for now,” I chimed in, and she shot me a look.
“See if you get any more $50 tips.”
“Hey, I earned that. They were weird, and I nearly had a heart attack when I thought they’d walked out on the check.” The warmth drained from Cactus’s face. His jaw tensed, gaze sharpened, always scanning for danger. He’d circle back, pressing me to walk him through every detail.
“When are you making lasagna?” he asked Angelica, shifting her attention away from me.
“Whenever you want, as long as you bring Roxy.” She kissed his temple before pulling away. “I know,” she sighed. “I’m not ready to let go.”
She said goodnight and walked off as Lulu chased her to her car, her voice animated as she tried to sell the idea of a spa day. “You can’t say no to Cactus paying.”
My feet moved on their own as the quiet settled around us.
I rarely went in for public displays of affection, but I stepped into him, anyway.
My arms wrapped around his neck without a second thought.
He slid one of his arms around my back, and everything in me settled into place.
I breathed him in, smelling of sunshine and leather. He’d been out riding all day.
“Hi,” I whispered, placing my forehead against his.
His arm tightened around me, and I swore I felt him draw me in with each breath. I pretended I didn’t notice for fear I reeked of saloon food and sweat.
“Come on,” he murmured. “I brought dinner. Thought we’d watch the sunset from the overlook.”
***
“That was delicious, thank you.” I put my trash back in the bag before sticking my legs out in front of me. Cactus would never let me on his bike wearing my uniform. He’d thought of everything, bringing me a pair of my jeans and a sweatshirt.
“It’s hot deli from the grocery store. Nothing special.” I wouldn’t argue with him over food, but it was better than anything I would have had tonight. The microwave had officially died, and I was living on delivery. There was only so much saloon food I could eat after serving all day.
Quiet settled around us, and I thought about testing a new limit.
I wanted to feel the softness of his lips against mine.
We’d come close several times before but had never crossed that line.
I didn’t think he’d say no, but kissing was more intimate than touch.
He’d never made me feel uncomfortable, and if he turned me down, I’d respect that.
Tapping his leg, I waited, but he studied me out of the corner of his eye. I sat up on my knees and faced him, tapping his leg again. He needed to follow my lead without my asking.
His legs shifted, creating enough space for me to sit between them.
I reached out to smooth the lines of his forehead.
I traced the bridge of his nose, over to his cheek—the skin weathered from years of riding.
His mustache twitched as I followed it from the top of his lip to the end, where it curled slightly.
Using my other hand, I trailed the same path on the other side.
This was it. The intensity of his gaze held me captive. I’d never had someone see me so clearly, and it was overwhelming. I leaned forward, touching my lips to his before quickly pulling back.
“Kiss me,” he exhaled.
I placed my hands on his shoulders, leaning in. This time, I licked his lips, begging for something, anything. He granted me entry, parting his lips to connect with mine. I wanted to remember every detail, no matter how small.
Everything was blurry in the heat of his kiss.
I grabbed fistfuls of his T-shirt, anchoring myself to him so that I wouldn’t float away.
I had been the one to start this, but he kissed me like he needed it.
Deep, slow, and then demanding. When I gave in, his control slipped, only making me want him more.
It should have scared me, knowing my dating history, but Cactus would never hurt me, and I believed that with every fiber of my being.
“Grant,” I breathed into the space between us. He buried his hands in my hair, lightly tugging at the roots.
“Say it again.” His voice was hoarse.
I kissed him, lips pecking until we found the right combination. He’d attack until I whimpered against his mouth, pulling back until I reignited our heat. “Grant.” When I couldn’t breathe, I laid my head against his shoulder as he held me.
He shifted me in his lap until his chest pressed against my back. His arms wrapped around me tight as he placed a kiss on my temple. “Tell me about today.” His voice rumbled in my ear.
“There were four of them,” I started, watching as the sun set in bright orange.
“They walked in with their helmets still on, but that wasn’t the weird thing.
They ordered the same meal, cooked the same way, and when I brought the food, they all ate with the same hand.
” I shifted, trying to get closer to his body.
“This was the worst part. They all had the same tattoo on the inside of their wrists.”
“You said you thought they stiffed you,” he prompted.
“Yeah, I went to run another table’s food, and when I turned around, they were gone. I thought I was going to owe Angelica, but on the table was $150. I kept the $50, and the rest paid for their bill.”
“How did they look?”
“Black clothing, but I’m sure they wore contacts and dyed their hair the same shade. They even held their helmets while they ate.” His body tensed as I talked. “Is something wrong?”
“Not sure, but if they come back, call me.” He placed a kiss on my neck, sliding his tongue up to my ear. “I’ll fight for you.”
I thought about reigniting the fire from our kisses, but a raindrop hit the back of my hand. Does it really rain in Arizona? A few more scattered across the sleeve of my sweatshirt, leaving dark spots behind. The rain felt like the promise of something brand new.
“Yes,” he chuckled, answering me. I must have asked out loud. “It does, but we need to go. There’s only one road on this mountain, and if it rains, we could be stuck in a flash flood.”
He turned onto the main road as the rain poured. It felt like a clean slate, washing away the part of me that used to hurt. I no longer needed to brace for disappointment.