Chapter 17
Kayla
I finish the last sip of my iced latte as I step inside the café, mourning that it’s empty.
It was really good. I don’t have to ask Noah how he enjoyed his; he finished it on the way over.
“Where do you want to sit?” I ask him as we wave at a few regulars.
He picks a table, and I bring him over a cup of ice water.
“Let me know if you need any help.” I leave him and head into the kitchen.
“Hey, Butch,” I call out. He lifts a hand in greeting, but I don’t leave.
“I need to talk to you when you get a chance.” He walks over to me a few minutes later, and I jump right in, knowing he has to get right back to the line.
“You know those guys you banned?” He nods because there are so few people that he actually bans from the restaurant.
“I need you to unban them.” He stares at me, and I hurry to explain.
“I’ve gotten to know them, and they’re really nice guys.
They’re definitely not,” I pause and lower my voice.
“Part of my past. They don’t deserve to be banned.
” He stares at me for a long, uncomfortable minute.
Then he nods. “Okay. You can tell them they’re unbanned.”
I release the breath I was holding. “Thank you.” I glance at the clock and see that I have about three minutes before I technically have to clock in, just enough time to do what I need to do.
I rush through the restaurant and out the front door.
Knowing I don’t have much time, I start to jog.
I can see Jackson’s on the phone, and he’s not looking my way.
As if he can sense me, he suddenly turns and pins his eyes on me.
He says something into the phone and then hangs up.
“What’s wrong?” he demands, striding towards me.
I laugh; I can’t help it. “Not everything in life is bad,” I tell him. “I just came to tell you that Butch unbanned you guys.” He blinks, like he doesn’t get what I’m saying. “You and Ransom can start eating here again, if you want. You won’t be kicked out.”
He looks over at the café and then back at me. “Did you do that?”
I nod. “I told him you guys were nice guys.” I frown exaggeratively at him. “Don’t make a liar out of me.”
His eyes meet mine, and I see the seriousness reflected there. “I’m not nice.”
“Yes, you are. I gotta go, or I’m going to clock in late. I can’t afford to lose this job. See you, Jackson.” I start back towards the café.
“See you, Kayla.” The low rumble of his voice follows me across the parking lot, and I can’t help the smile that crosses my lips.
Once I'm inside, I wave at Noah and then quickly clock in, breathing a sigh of relief when I see I’m on time.
The morning turns into afternoon quickly, and the time disappears.
Jackson and Ransom appear just after noon, and I can’t help my smile when I see them.
“Hey,” I call out as I grab two menus and walk over to them. “Table or booth?”
“Booth,” Jackson says. Then he looks over my shoulder. “Can we sit with Noah?”
I can’t help my smile. “Sure. I’ll move you all to a bigger booth.
” I walk over to Noah. “Hey, these strangers want to eat with you. Want to join them?” Noah smiles, and it tugs at my heart.
He packs up his bag and follows me as I lead them all to a bigger booth.
“All right. What can I get you all to drink?”
“Coke for me,” Ransom says.
I look at Jackson next. Big mistake. I get lost in his eyes for just a second before I force myself to look away. “Water,” he says in that gritty voice of his.
“Got it.”
I pocket my notebook and am just about to turn away when Jackson adds, “And a Sprite.” I pull back out my notepad and write it down and then check in with the table next to them.
I’m just about to head to the kitchen when one of the guys a few tables away calls out, “Hey.” I look behind me and realize belatedly he’s talking to me. I make my way warily to their table. “Where’s my burger?” he asks.
“I’ll go check and see if your order’s up yet,” I tell him calmly.
“It’s been twenty minutes,” he argues.
“I’ll go check on it.” I turn and walk away before he can make an even bigger deal. I head right into the kitchen. “Do we have that burger for table twelve? He’s making an issue out of it.” I normally don’t rush the kitchen, but in cases like this, I have to.
“Plating it now,” Butch says. He slides it forward a moment later. “And the second plate.”
I pick up both plates and make my way out to the problem table. “All right. Here you go. A bacon double cheeseburger with fries and meatloaf and mashed potatoes.”
“This ain’t my order,” the guy that called me over in the first place says.
I look down at his burger and fries. “It looks right to me.”
“Do those look like onion rings to you?”
I stare down at his plate a moment and then back at him. “You ordered fries.” I know he did; there’s not a doubt in my mind.
“You calling me a liar,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest.
I take a steadying breath. “I’ll go put in an order of onion rings.”
“Yeah, you will, Sweetheart.”
I bite my tongue, so I don’t say anything.
On my way to the kitchen, I make the mistake of looking over at Jackson’s table.
His eyes meet mine, and I can see the fury in them from here.
It surprises me so much, I nearly trip over my own two feet.
Ransom drops a hand on Jackson’s shoulder, and Jackson looks away from me.
I hurry into the kitchen and scribble out an order for onion rings for my table.
“Butch, I need an order of rings for that same table as quickly as you can get them to me.”
He picks up the order and frowns at it. “Somebody giving you trouble?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
I leave the kitchen and make my rounds to each of my tables.
I don’t get to Jackson’s table yet because I circle back to the kitchen to see if the onion rings are done.
I only have to wait a minute longer, and then I carry the piping hot rings to the table.
“Here you go.” I set the rings down and force myself to be polite.
“Enjoy." I leave before they can cause more problems. I finally make it to Jackson’s table with drinks.
“Sorry, Guys. Here we go.” I hand Ransom his Coke and Jackson his water.
I pick up the Sprite and try to hand it to Jackson, but he nods at Noah.
I put the Sprite in front of Noah and ruffle his hair when his eyes widen. “What can I get everybody to eat?”
“What’s good here, Noah?” Ransom asks.
“The burgers,” my burger-loving brother answers without hesitation.
“The meatloaf and mashed and the chicken parm are both really good too,” I add. “And Butch makes amazing fried chicken.”
“Well, fried chicken it is then,” Ransom orders.
“Mashed and gravy and green beans okay?” I ask.
“Sounds delightful.”
I look at Jackson next. “What can I get for you?”
“Steak and baked potato.”
I smirk because that’s exactly what I guessed he would order. I write everything down and then pocket my book. “I already know what you want,” I tell Noah. “I’ll put those in,” I tell the guys.
“Thanks,” they both say as I head to the next table.
Thankfully, my trouble table left. I take one look at the receipt and shake my head, not really surprised.
I will never understand why customers take out their frustration with their server over something that is out of their control by not tipping them. At least they’re gone; good riddance.
I check in with my other tables and deliver food to another table before Noah’s burger is ready. I grab Noah’s burger first and carry it to the table. “Here, Noah.” I eye Ransom and Jackson. “Yours should be coming soon.”
“No rush,” Jackson says in a low voice.
I drop off their food a few minutes later, but now, we’re full into the lunch rush.
So, I’m kept incredibly busy. I check in with the guys a few times and refill drinks but that’s about it.
I take back their empty plates and bring over the check, minus Noah’s burger and drop it off.
When I come back through, there’s a card on top of the receipt.
“I’ll be right back with this.” I take it to the register and process the card before taking it back to them along with an updated receipt.
“All right. You are ready to go. Did you guys enjoy it?” I ask as I start stacking the empty plates.
“That was so good,” Ransom says, patting his stomach.
I look over at Jackson. “And the steak?”
He nods. “It was good.”
“Good.” I look down at Noah with a grin. “And the burger.”
“Perfect,” he says, making all of us adults chuckle.
I take the stack of dirty dishes to the back and drop them off next to where Ezra is washing dishes. “Thanks, Ezra,” I call out and set them next to where he’s working.
I head back out, thankful to see the lunch rush starting to fade.
I notice Noah is back at a smaller table again.
“Hey,” I say as I walk past. “You good?” He nods, and I continue.
As things slow down, I get a chance to help do some extra tasks that need to be done.
Business starts picking up again around four.
When five rolls around, I'm ready to be done for the night. I finish the tables I was serving and then make my way to the back where I clock out. My stomach growls, reminding me I didn’t eat lunch.
I noticed the extra fries on Noah’s plate and the way he cut the burger in half.
But I didn’t want to throw off Ransom and Jackson, and I really didn’t have time anyway.
I usually get Noah’s food during a down time when I can take a break and eat with him, but I didn’t want him to miss out on eating with Ransom and Jackson. But now, I’m starving.
“You heading out?” Jessie asks as she passes me.
“I am. Have a good night.” She gives me a quick hug. “You too.” I pull back, ready for her to release me, but she holds me tightly. “I saw the looks he was giving you.” I pull back harder this time, and she releases me.
“Who?” I ask, genuinely confused.
“That guy,” she hisses.
Realization dawns. “The guy that got mad at me?”
She smacks her forehead dramatically. “Sometimes, you are so clueless.” I frown at that. “Jackson.”
I frown. “Jackson? What looks?”
Her eyes widen. “Like you were a steak, and he was a starving man.”
I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up out of me. “You’re crazy.”
She doesn’t laugh. “I’m serious.”
“Jackson is intense. Whatever looks you thought you saw are just his intensity.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t think so; this was more than that.” She leans closer. “When that guy was giving you problems, I thought he was going to jump over the table and come defend your honor.”
“Defend my honor? Who even says that?”
“I do, Kayla.”
I shake my head. “Like I said, he’s just really—”
“Intense. Yes, I got that; I saw that. But I'm telling you; he was intense about you.”