Chapter 11
The Eatery was half a block from where Lucy parked, and it took only minutes to get from her car to the restaurant.
Several windows looked out onto the street.
Aiden climbed the two steps that led to the front door.
He held it open as she passed. Lucy’s shoulder brushed his arm, and her heart skipped a beat.
She tried to ignore her reaction, but it was no use.
She was drawn to him same as a moth to a light.
The restaurant was busy. Most seats were occupied, and the sound of conversation mixed with the clattering of cutlery on china.
An older woman with jet-black hair stood behind the cash register. She looked up and smiled. “Back again, Aiden?”
“You know I love this place,” he said with a smile. “Looks like you’re busier than this afternoon.”
“It’s good to have the college students back. They liven the place up,” said the woman. “Sit anywhere you can find a chair. I’ll be right over.”
Aiden led Lucy to a booth that was tucked into a back corner. Lucy slid onto one of the benches, and Aiden took a seat across from her. He handed her a menu. “What’s good?” she asked, scanning the list of options.
“Everything,” said Aiden.
The server approached. “Don’t let him lie to you,” she said. “He’s been eating here since he was a wee little tyke. At three years old, he picked his favorite and that’s been his order ever since.”
“Lucy, this is Ruth. Ruth, Lucy,” he said, introducing her to the server.
Setting aside her menu, she asked, “Tell me, what’s his favorite?”
“Aiden likes the grilled cheese with bacon and tomato. Callum, he’s the oldest Colton, is a burger and French fries kind of guy.
No onion. Kelly likes the chicken Caesar salad, but only since she was a teenager.
Before that, she was all about the chicken strips.
Matilda is like Wyatt, and they always try the special.
And Dylan, well, we only see him every so often.
But he usually wants the soup of the day and a club sandwich. ”
“Wow.” The Coltons reminded Lucy of her own family, back when everyone was still in the area. She wasn’t about to say as much, not in front of Aiden at least. Instead, she said, “Your memory is impressive.”
Ruth smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “The Colton clan has been regulars for years. We take care of our own.” And then, she asked, “What can I get for you, Lucy?”
“I’ll take the Aiden Colton favorite,” she said.
“Should I make that two?” Ruth asked.
“I’m going to try the special,” said Aiden.
“Getting adventurous,” said Ruth.
“That, and I had the sandwich for lunch today.”
Ruth scribbled the order on a pad of paper. “Drinks?”
“A soda for me,” he said.
“Same,” Lucy said.
The server turned from the table. “Hey, Ruth,” Aiden called after her. “What is the special?”
“Chicken and biscuits. You still interested?”
“Sounds delicious.”
“I’ll get that right out to you.”
She waited until the server walked away. “This restaurant is nice. I like it.”
“It’s my favorite place. It’s not just the food. Everything is locally sourced, if possible, and made from scratch, so it’s delicious. It’s the people—like Ruth—who make it special.”
“Do you come here for every meal?”
He gave her that smile, the one where the dimple showed in his cheek. Her stomach did a happy cartwheel. “I eat here a lot, but not that often. Today’s a rare occasion. I stopped by earlier with my brother Cal.”
“The sheriff,” she said.
“That’s the one.” He paused. “Anyway, we came here for lunch. I was thinking about going someplace else for dinner.”
“Oh yeah? Where’s that?”
“It’s a new restaurant. It’s popular. Trendy. Expensive.”
“Sounds awful.” She winked at Aiden to show that she was joking. Or sort of joking, at least. “Really, I’m glad we ended up here. It means a lot that you brought me to your favorite place.”
He slid his hand across the table and brushed her knuckles with his fingertips. “You look pretty. I should have said that already.”
Heat crept up her chest and into her cheeks. She laced her fingers through Aiden’s. “You look pretty nice yourself.”
Years ago, before her brother’s death, Lucy had been just a regular girl who wanted to hold hands with a boy. But somehow, she’d gotten buried under all the grief. Had the old Lucy finally found her way back to the surface?
“Here you go,” said Ruth, setting two glasses of fizzing soda on the table. “Your orders will be up soon.”
Lucy let her hand slip away and picked up her glass. She took a sip and let the sugar and caffeine buzz through her system. For a moment, she wasn’t sure what to say next. And then, “Does your brother know anything else about what happened last night? With the fire, I mean.”
Aiden shook his head and took a sip. “Cal said he’d send patrols to your ranch. Those should start soon, tonight even.”
In an instant, The Eatery melted away. She was trapped in the fire again. She gripped the broken door handle in her fist. Smoke swirled around her, burning her eyes and her nose and her throat. Heat from the flames pressed down. Her heart raced and her pulse thrummed in her ears.
She shouldn’t have come out. She shouldn’t have asked about the fire. She shouldn’t have hoped for something better.
“Lucy.” Aiden’s hand was on her wrist. “I’m here. You are safe. I will help you.”
She focused on the warmth of his palm. The pressure of his fingers on her wrist. The sound of his voice. Her pulse slowed, and she sucked in a deep breath. “I’m okay,” she said, wanting it to be true.
“Take a drink. It’ll help.”
She lifted the glass to her lips and sipped. The carbonation calmed her stomach.
He asked, “Better?”
“Much.” She took another sip of soda.
“If you need to leave,” he said, “we can.”
She’d been given a way to escape. If she left now, there’d be no shame. Once she got home, she could tell Grandpa Rusty about the beginnings of her panic attack. He’d understand. He’d be sympathetic
But the truth was that she didn’t want to go. With Aiden’s help, she was able to control her heart rate. Her breathing. She’d stopped the attack before it got going. She took another sip of soda. “I’m good.”
“You sure?”
Was he trying to get rid of her? Had she made a scene? Lucy scanned the room. People ate and drank and talked. Nobody looked at their table, tucked into the back corner. “If you want to leave,” she began, “we can.”
“I understand what you’re going through. I don’t want you to be somewhere that makes you uncomfortable.” Aiden squeezed her wrist.
It was the second time that he mentioned having panic attacks. She still couldn’t see the affable Aiden Colton gripped by a dread so complete that he couldn’t move. “Honestly, I’m okay.”
He gave her wrist a final squeeze and leaned back in his seat.
The need to say something was a pressure against her chest. “So, you eat here a lot.” The minute she spoke, Lucy wanted to groan.
How had her conversational skills gotten so bad?
Then again, she didn’t need a lot of charm with the cattle, the horses, or even Grandpa Rusty.
“I mean, your family is from the area. Have you lived here all your life?”
“Born at Red Grove University Hospital, just like all my siblings.”
“How many are in your family?” It seemed like a safe topic.
“There’s six of us. Four boys. Two girls. I’m a twin.”
“No way.” She couldn’t imagine another version of Aiden Colton. “Identical or fraternal?”
“Fraternal,” he said, lifting his glass. “What about you?”
“It was just me and Derek,” she said, “my brother who died.” Even now, emotion clogged her throat and burned at her eyes.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” he said.
Lucy had received enough condolences to last her a lifetime. She waved away his sympathies. “It was a long time ago. He had an overdose.”
“Still, death is hard.”
His words struck her in the chest. Aiden was good-looking. Smart. Funny. Brave. Hell, he was even kind. But there was more to him than just the dazzling perfection. Who had he lost?
“Death is hard,” she said with a long exhale. And then, “What were we talking about?”
“You were telling me about your family. Last night, you mentioned your dad and four of his brothers were the five steers. Does everyone still live in the area?”
Lucy shook her head. “Rusty and I are the only two left.”
“That’s a lot for the two of you to manage.”
As if she needed a reminder of how difficult it was to keep the ranch afloat. “The Harrises have been at Five Steers for generations. That’s one of the reasons I don’t want to leave. It’s more than land to me,” she said. “It’s a connection to my family. My past.”
“I respect that,” he said. “Family is important to me, too.” He smiled and his dimples showed. “Sounds like something else we have in common.”
Maybe that was what bothered her the most. Aiden was obviously handsome. He knew everyone in town, and what’s more, they all loved him. What did he see in a simple ranch girl like her? “Why did you ask me out?”
“I noticed you last night when you were talking to Ted. And because you’re beautiful, I wanted to meet you.
Then—” he shook his head, giving her that dimple-smile “—we shook hands. There was something, I don’t know, a spark.
I’ve never had that happen before, and that’s when I knew that I wanted to get to know you better. ”
“Last night,” she sighed, suddenly tired, “feels like it happened in another lifetime.”
Before she could say anything else, Ruth arrived with plates balanced on her forearm. Setting down the food, she said, “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Looks delicious,” said Aiden.
He was right. His chicken and biscuits were covered in a creamy gravy that was filled with peas, beans, and carrots. Her sandwich was perfectly toasted and cheese oozed out of the side. The server set a dish filled with French fries next to Lucy as well.
She popped a fry into her mouth. The outside was crispy, and the inside was soft and warm. “Perfect,” she said, humming with satisfaction.
Ruth said, “Enjoy your meal.”