Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
DANI
“Right this way,” I said with a smile as I turned, menus in hand, and led a family through the restaurant to a table over in the corner.
Setting the menus down, I waited until everyone was seated before speaking again.
While I filled water glasses, I carried on my usual commentary.
“If you already know what you’d like to drink, please let me know and I’ll make sure your waitress gets it as soon as she can. Meanwhile, our specials tonight are …”
I could reel the specials menu off without even thinking too hard. Considering I was the one who came up with the weekly specials, it was helpful my memory stayed sharp.
“Hey! Give me that!” the teen girl exclaimed as her eyes cut toward one of her twin brothers who had just snatched the menu out of her hands.
“Hey, buddy,” the father said, his tone entirely unruffled and calm. “Give that back to your sister. Let’s look at my menu together.”
Immediately on the heels of the father settling down that minor kerfuffle, the other twin let out a screech. “Ow, he kicked me!” the little boy exclaimed, narrowing his brown eyes at his brother, who looked exactly like him, across the table.
This time, it was the mother who jumped in. “Remember, inside voices, please.” She looked over to the boy I presumed to be the alleged kicker.
Without a word from her, he blurted out, “I didn’t mean to. I was just wiggling in my chair.”
“And what do you say? Even when it’s an accident,” the father said as he took a sip from the water I had just filled.
“Sorry,” the boy said slowly.
The other boy looked mollified. When his mother ran her hand down his back and encouraged him to take a look at the menu, everyone moved on.
After I jotted down the requested glass of wine for the mother, a scotch for the father, the root beer for the teenager, and two glasses of apple juice for the kids, I hurried toward the bar.
“Apple juice?” the bartender, Griffin, asked as he glanced up.
“That’s right. Two apple juices. It’s for the kids. Evie has that table, so she’ll be over to get the drinks in just a few, I’m sure,” I said over my shoulder as I hurried away.
Pushing through the wide swinging door into the kitchen, I paused to hold it open for Evie. “By the way, I already got the drink order for the family I seated at table seven. Need help with that tray?” I asked as she adjusted the large tray resting on her shoulder and completely filled with plates.
“I got it,” she replied with a smile as she turned, her brown ponytail swinging behind her while she hurried across the restaurant. Evie was one of my most solid waitresses. Always willing to pitch in and help, she was fast and efficient.
Out of habit, I scanned the line cooks. I tried to keep my kitchen running smoothly at all times, and we had a bumpy month or two before Thanksgiving, which had worried me.
Now though, the new staff we’d hired seemed to be settling into a rhythm with the rest of the team.
With a satisfied nod to myself, I turned and headed out to the reception area.
My mind lingered on the family I’d just seated.
Although they clearly had their hands full with a set of twins, who looked to be around four or five, along with an older preteen, the parents were easygoing and both took a hand in responding to the kids in the middle of getting settled at a table at a restaurant.
Having run a restaurant for years and working in them even longer all through college, I knew quite well that restaurants could be kryptonite for families with children.
Wade would be that kind of father.
Riiiight. Just what I need. To be thinking about what kind of father Wade would be.
I forcibly shoved him out of my thoughts and walked briskly to the front of the restaurant, practically having to chant “Don’t think about Wade” in my mind.
I was relieved to find a line of customers stacked to the door when I rounded the corner. Perfect. I need to be too busy to think.
This was in contrast to late last night when I had been unable to sleep and found myself doing Internet searches about ectopic pregnancies and chances of future ones—entirely against the advice of Dr. Sue.
Conveniently, I stayed so busy this evening, I was about ready to collapse by the time we saw the last customer out the door.
The holiday season kept us very busy. The Blue Ridge Mountains had pockets of cute towns and restaurants, and Stolen Hearts Valley happened to be one of the more popular areas.
There was a ski resort about a half an hour away, so we got the overflow from them, in addition to all the customers at the lodge because Jackson found ways to keep us busy all year long.
Pausing after I locked the doors to the entrance, I glanced around, my eyes scanning the holiday decorations. I walked over and straightened one of the wreaths hanging on the wall that had likely gotten nudged out of place by someone’s shoulder.
“Hey, I was just wondering where you were.”
I followed the sound of Shay’s voice to find her leaning in the archway that led into the main room of the restaurant. She held a bottle of wine in her hand.
“Well you found me. Are we having an after-work drink?” I asked with a tired smile.
“Yes. Evie texted me and told me it was nuts here tonight and that you had to call in Valentina for backup. Meanwhile, I was up to my eyeballs working on some website updates. I figured we could all use a few minutes to relax and unwind. You up for that?” she asked with a smile.
“Of course.” Flicking off the lights, I fell into step beside her. We walked through the now empty restaurant. My eyes traveled over to the windows where the snow-tipped mountain ridge across the valley glowed a silvery white under the moon.
I took a breath and let it out, trying to shake the sense of melancholy I’d been feeling the last few days.
By virtue of my nutty work schedule and Wade’s, I’d managed to successfully avoid another night with him.
Part of me felt like that was an achievement, while another part of me longed for him so deeply, I felt it in my bones.
When we stepped into the kitchen, my heart jumpstarted at the sound of his laugh.
Shay happened to look over her shoulder at just that moment. She stopped abruptly. “Oh. Was I supposed to warn you the guys were here too?” she asked, sotto voce.
“No,” I squeaked. “It’s totally fine.”
Steeling myself to withstand the sheer temptation of Wade’s presence, I walked over toward the ovens. Knowing Evie, she probably already put in any leftovers to warm. Upon opening one of the ovens, I was pleased to see a loaf of garlic bread was already warm, in addition to a pan of artichoke dip.
“Thanks, Evie! That all we got?” I called over to Evie as she strode toward me, sipping a glass of wine.
Reaching up, she took the elastic off of her ponytail, sending her glossy brown hair in a tumble around her shoulders.
“That’s it. Can you believe it? It’ll have to do.
Come sit down. I’ll check on it in a few minutes,” she said as she slipped her hand through my elbow and tugged me over toward the picnic-style table at the back of the staff kitchen.
Because I was that unlucky, Wade slid over immediately, opening up a spot at the end of the bench just as I reached the table. “Here, get her a glass of wine, Wade,” Evie ordered. “I’m going to get the food and plates.”
“No, you’re not.” Dawson stood abruptly. “You’ve been on your feet, waiting on tables all night. You’re not waiting on us,” he said with a smile as he dipped his head and pressed a kiss against the side of her neck.
Their intimacy was so casual and easy, it made my heart squeeze.
Wade was pouring me a glass of wine, leaving me little option but to sit down beside him and enjoy it.
Anything else, and it would seem like I was being difficult.
As it was, I already knew most of our shared friends thought I had an attitude with him.
Even though I was loath to admit it, they were right.
I was cultivating my casual attitude. Although, that was incredibly difficult.
Especially given the fact that just having his fingers brush against mine as I sat down and accepted a glass of wine from him sent a hot sizzle of electricity spinning up my arm and radiating through my body.
“We were just voting on who had the longest day,” Wade said with a slow grin.
Dear God. All he had to do was grin and my belly spun. I took a deep breath and a healthy gulp of my wine. “So, who’s winning the vote?” I asked, hoping the flush suffusing my body wasn’t obvious.
“So far,” Shay said as she sat down across the table from me, “it’s you.”
“Me? All I know about the day is everybody in the restaurant was practically running a race just to keep up. And you guys,” I said, casting my eyes across Wade, Jackson, and Walker, “always have crazy days.”
“Yeah, but we figured you were the only one up making bread at five in the morning,” Wade drawled from my side.
I chuckled. “Maybe so.”
Just then, Dawson returned to the table, quickly passing out plates for everyone before striding back to the oven to pull out the garlic bread and artichoke dip.
Once he was seated again, I caught his eye and winked. “You know, if you ever need some extra cash and want to cover backup shifts …”
Dawson threw his head back with a laugh. “I don’t think so. I can handle this, but dealing with all those customers?” He gave a little shudder before reaching over to spoon some dip onto his plate.
Conversation meandered slowly as people sipped drinks and nibbled on our small fare for this late evening snack. This was what I loved about my job. Because it was more than a job. Working here felt like being part of a family.
When I felt Wade’s big palm curl over my thigh and a hot jolt of need spun through me, I prayed that whatever we had unleashed didn’t ruin us.