Chapter 3
“Hey, Jo.” A retired man at the end of the counter called out to her above the music. “Can I put an order in?”
“Just a minute. I’ll be right with you, Hank.” Tonight was crazy busy, but she loved it. The Friday night jam sessions were always packed with locals and tourists.
Sailor’s father, Adrian, who owned Regal Bikes and played guitar here on weekends, had invited two extra musicians tonight who had followings. Every booth was packed, and there was a line at the door waiting to come in.
It was so busy, she’d hardly thought about Blue all evening.
Two young women in cute beach cover-up dresses motioned to her. “Are our shakes coming up soon?”
She smiled brightly. “Right now.” She turned to the shake maker, poured in the ingredients, and punched a button.
The shake machine made a sound like a washing machine on a death spin.
“Not now, please.” Jo slapped the side of it with the flat of her hand.
“Oh, my gosh,” one of the young women said, her eyes widening. “Is that dying? I hope we can get our shakes.”
“Come on,” she muttered. “Not tonight.”
She’d sent a server home early because he had a debilitating migraine, leaving Jo to run the counter alone.
The shake machine shuddered, whined, and then went silent.
Jo closed her eyes. Beside the two young women, three tables had ordered milkshakes. It was the busiest night of the week, and her signature Queen’s Blend coffee shakes with vanilla bean ice cream and dark chocolate bits were now off the menu.
“Excuse me.” A voice from the other side of the counter cut in. “That sounds like the drive coupling.”
Jo glanced back at a tall, muscular guy about her age with sun-bleached hair. He grinned at her. She couldn’t quite place him, but he looked familiar. He wore a faded T-shirt with a whale shark on it and looked like he’d just come off the beach, same as half the people on Crown Island.
“You’ve been in here before, haven’t you?” Jo asked.
“A few times. I’m a friend of Sailor’s.” He stuck out his hand. “Rocky Bay.”
She was surprised. “Wow, you’ve changed. I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you for a minute. Junie mentioned you were here.”
He ran a hand over his short cut. “It’s probably the hair. Finally had to cut it.”
It was much more than that. He’d bulked up and looked older. Like a man, not the lanky kid she’d met a few years before.
“Sounds like the drive coupling,” Rocky repeated, gesturing at the machine.
“It’s a little rubber piece that connects the motor to the blade assembly.
They strip out all the time on those older models.
” He craned his neck to look at it. “My uncle Mitch has the same commercial model at Java Beach. I’ve fixed it several times. ”
“Then come back and take a look. She’s all yours.”
Jo didn’t normally let people behind her counter, but now that she knew Rocky wasn’t a total stranger, she was glad to let him fix the shake machine if he could.
Hank and his wife were nearly out of patience.
As Rocky rounded the corner, he said, “I grew up around my uncle’s restaurant. I’ve fixed clanky shake machines, clogged ice makers, and industrial dishwashers.” He ticked them on his fingers. “Also, outboard motors, though that’s more of a hobby. Unless you’re dead in the water.”
“Which I’m about to be.” She nodded toward a drawer. “Tools are in there, and there’s more in the back if you need them.”
Jo returned her attention to the two young women. “I’m afraid those shakes will be delayed. Can I get you something else to drink?”
They were staring at Rocky. “No, we’re happy to wait now,” one of them said, while her friend nudged her in the ribs with a grin.
Jo hurried to take Hank’s order.
Rocky started working behind the counter like he belonged there, found the tools he needed, and had the base plate off the machine in under a minute. Jo watched him work while she poured drinks and rang up checks, glancing over whenever she had a second.
“I’m meeting Sailor here,” Rocky said, his hand inside the machine. “Figured I’d come early for the music.”
“You’ve known him a while?”
“We met while surfing a while back. I’m not in his league, but he doesn’t hold it against me.” He pulled out a small rubber disc and held it up. “Here’s your problem. Stripped clean. Do you have a spare?”
“Maybe. Check the supply closet. Go through the kitchen and ask the crew.”
He reemerged with the replacement part, and within a few minutes the shake machine hummed back to life, smooth and steady.
A cheer went up from the counter crowd, and the two young women giggled and fanned themselves.
“You’re a lifesaver.” Jo prepared their shakes. “If you don’t know anyone, you can talk to my kid brother Hugo over there. He’s studying business, too.” She tried to get his attention, but he’d just arrived with a group of friends. She could use his help, but she hated to ask.
A red vinyl bar stool opened up at the counter.
“I’ll sit here if that’s okay,” Rocky said. “Unless you need me to do something else. I can fill water glasses and bus tables.”
“I might take you up on that.” The offer was tempting.
“Then I’ll wait for your signal.”
She whipped up a Queen’s Blend mocha shake and gave it to him.
At the first sip, he grinned. “That’s amazing. Real coffee, ice cream, and chocolate. No wonder you’re so busy. I’m impressed.”
Jo smiled. “Glad you like it. I have a lot more surprises where that came from.”
Rocky looked around the diner, taking in the vintage diner décor and Adrian and his musician friends, who were revving up the crowd with old Beach Boys songs.
“This place is great,” Rocky said. “I heard Friday night was special, but I didn’t expect this kind of energy on Crown Island.”
“It’s the high summer season,” Jo said, sweeping away dishes. “From what I hear, your uncle’s place does pretty well this time of year in Summer Beach.”
Rocky nodded as he sipped his shake. “Uncle Mitch gets the morning shift at Java Beach. Surfers, tourists, the town gossips, and the local bookie.”
“So, you’re one of the new cousins. What a small world. What’s it like discovering a new side of the family?”
“The Bay family is already pretty large, so what’s a few more?” He grinned. “I think it’s cool. April seems very nice. That makes Maileah and Junie cousins, too. If Sailor ever marries Maileah, we’ll be sort of related. Is there such a thing as cousins-in-law?”
“Probably.” Rocky’s reasoning made Jo chuckle.
“Are you sure you don’t need help?” Rocky asked.
She looked down the counter at dirty dishes stacking up. Rocky seemed easy-going, and all the women were watching and smiling at him, so what did she have to lose?
“Actually, that would be great. You can fill water glasses and bus the dishes. I have orders I need to bring out.”
“You got it, boss.”
They worked in rhythm like a natural team. Her other servers looked quizzical at first but accepted the help. When Adrian invited people to sing along to “Margaritaville,” Rocky broke out in song. The crowd at the counter clapped and cheered.
At the end of the song, Rocky twirled Jo around, and they took a bow. Everyone applauded.
“Look out,” one of the young women said to her friend. “Cute cop by the door. You can have him, unless he’s here to shut the place down.”
Jo spun around. Blue was in uniform, which meant he was on a break, not off duty. Yet his gaze was glued on her.
And Rocky. Who was laughing and leaning close to her to speak above the music.
Blue’s jaw clenched, and he rotated his neck. He turned as if to leave.
“Blue!” she called out and waved him over, keeping her voice bright.
He crossed the diner in an unhurried, deliberate way. When he reached the counter, he stood across from her, hands on his hips.
“Everything okay here?”
“Meet Rocky,” she said. “He’s Sailor’s friend from Summer Beach. And one of the Raines family’s new cousins.”
“Rocky Bay. Nice to meet you.” He stuck out his hand.
Blue shook it. “Officer Blumenthal. Are you working at the diner now?”
“No, but Rocky saved my life tonight,” Jo said. “The shake machine died in the middle of the rush, and he fixed it in minutes. I’m short-staffed tonight, so he pitched in.”
She was talking too fast, and she didn’t know why. Except that Blue was staring at Rocky as if he’d just as soon arrest him for looking at her.
Or touching her. Blue must have seen Rocky twirl her around.
Still, she had nothing to feel guilty about.
Blue puffed out his chest and hooked a thumb in a belt loop. “So, he repaired your shake machine.”
“It was the drive coupling,” Rocky said cheerfully. “Happens all the time with that model.”
“You’d know, would you?”
“My uncle owns Java Beach over in Summer Beach. Maybe you’d heard of it.”
“And you work there?”
“I used to help out sometimes in the summer.”
A stool cleared, and Blue sat at the counter. He looked at Jo. “I didn’t know you were expecting company.”
“I wasn’t,” Jo said, delivering a fresh ketchup container to a customer. “He just walked in.”
“I’m waiting for friends,” Rocky said, apparently unaware of the current running beneath the conversation, or that he was being interrogated.
If he did, he was ignoring it.
Rocky refilled some water glasses on the counter. “Figured this was a good way to kill time. Jo needed help.”
“I’ll bet she did.” Blue stared hard at Rocky, then looked back at Jo. “If the coffee is fresh this time, I’ll have a cup.”
“Coming right up.” Jo turned to pour it. With her back to them, she couldn’t help a small smile.
Blue acting jealous? What was that about?
There was no reason for Blue to look like he’d just walked into a crime scene.
But when she turned and put the coffee in front of Blue, she saw his hand resting on the counter. He drummed his fingers, asking for her attention.
She didn’t stop moving.
After a few minutes of avoiding Blue, Jo saw Sailor and Maileah cutting through the crowd.
“Hey, look at the rockstar,” Sailor said. “Dude, what are you doing behind the counter? Finally land a job, you bum?”
Rocky held out his arms and grinned. “Just lending a hand where I’m needed.”
Maileah smiled and nodded at Jo. “Glad you helped out our cute single friend.”
Surprised, Rocky glanced at Jo with interest. “Is that so?”
When Jo cast her eyes toward Blue, Maileah’s smile faltered. She and Sailor hadn’t seen him.
Maileah wedged her way through the crowd to Blue. “I didn’t know you were back. How was your trip?”
“Fine,” he replied, his lips drawn into a tight line.
He motioned to Jo. “You look busy. Better make that coffee to go.”
Jo put her hands on her hips. She wasn’t going to put up with this from Blue, especially when she’d done nothing but have a little fun with her customers and staff on a harried Friday night. Besides, what did he do in Chicago? Why was he so busy he couldn’t call her?
She squared her shoulders. “As you wish, officer.”