Chapter Thirty #2
Wren ripped out the entire floor and replaced it with a light hardwood.
The walls are all painted white with a dark grey border along the top and bottom.
All of the booths and tables have been replaced.
The tables are all dark wood with sturdier chairs that have cushioned seats.
Each booth has a wooden table with either red or black seating on either side of them.
There's a large booth on each side of the dining room that has one of those circular booths instead of a bench seat on both sides of the table.
Wren extended the diner and made it almost three times as big as it was previously.
She wanted to help more customers and have a larger kitchen to prepare more of the food on the newly updated menu.
All of the pictures Leah had on the walls before remain in the diner.
There’s been additions to them. Wren found pictures of Leah from each stage of her life when we started to go through the things in her home.
There’s a large picture of Leah and her husband Wren blew up directly behind the counter so you see it when you first walk in.
All of the appliances have been upgraded and replaced.
Especially the milkshake machine, coffee pots, and the ice cream station.
There’s an entire section just for ice cream and other desserts that have been added to the menu.
The counter is longer and has all new seats in front of it.
It curves around to the swinging doors leading into the kitchen and the other side ends against the wall where the register sits.
There’s deeper shelves beneath it for supplies and the counter against the wall is where the new coffee station sits.
The window to pass orders through remains because Leah loved looking out it and seeing her diner filled with happy customers.
“Judge, you can take the members of the club to the table reserved for you,” Wren says, pulling me out of my head as I continue to admire all the hard work she just put into the diner.
“Got it, Little Bird,” I tell her before leaning in for a kiss.
Wren doesn’t shy away from my touch in front of others and I love that about her.
Turning to the club members, I lead them to the circular booth in the back where a reserved sign sits.
Wren decided this would be our table and no one else is allowed to sit there.
Even if we’re not in town, this booth will always remain empty for us.
With the addition of more tables in the dining area, there shouldn’t be any reason for others to sit here.
Taking a seat where I can watch my girl, everyone sits and we all talk about the improvements Wren made to the place.
It’s perfect and I know Leah would be happy with everything.
***
Today has been long and I know Wren is exhausted.
The new staff she hired to help those of Leah’s employees she kept on, are all amazing.
They’re polite, here for the customers, and helped one another out without any kind of competition over tables and all that shit.
During the entire day, Wren never once lost her smile.
The real, genuine smile instead of that fake as hell one she had plastered on the first day I walked in and saw her here.
Wren moved around the diner, helping everyone, unless one of us made her sit and take a break.
We fed her, got her desserts, and made her sit between two of us so she couldn’t jump up when she saw something that needed to be taken care of.
She didn’t even give us an attitude when we enforced those breaks.
Now, it’s just the two of us left in the diner as Wren closes the place up for the night.
Yes, that’s a change she made with Leah’s blessing.
The diner will no longer be open twenty-four hours a day.
It will close at nine Sunday through Thursday.
Friday and Saturday nights the diner will close at eleven.
“You almost done, Little Bird?” I ask her, entering her office to find her zipping the deposit bag shut so she can lock it in the brand-new safe.
“Yeah. I just finished the totals for the day. We did so much better than I thought we would,” she tells me, excitement in her voice as she pushes herself out of the chair to no avail. Reaching down, I help her get up while dropping to my knees in front of her once again.
“Little Bird, I know we’ve been takin’ this slow and I’ve been okay with that.
I understand I have to earn back your trust and prove to you I’m not gonna just disappear when shit gets hard or I get scared of turnin’ into my parents.
You changed that all this mornin’ with three little words.
Wren, I love you and have since that very first night in The Hide Out.
You make me want to be the best version of myself and become better than I was yesterday.
For the first time in my life, I want to have you at my side to create as many memories as possible.
I want to be the strength you need when you can’t find your own, support you in every dream you have, and raise our children together.
Little Bird, you make every day brighter and each breath easier to take.
I’ve already almost lost you and it proved to me that I can’t live without you.
Will you do me the honor of becomin’ my ol’ lady?
” I ask Wren, not sure if she’s going to agree to this or not.
Wren and I had a long talk about what it means to be an ol’ lady and that she’ll have to get a property tattoo.
While she’s not really excited about getting a tattoo, Wren did say she would agree to be my ol’ lady and wear the rag.
She wants everyone to know I’m her man. Hearing her say that made my heart skip a beat because in a way it was her version of claiming me.
“Yes, Bray. I will happily be your ol’ lady. I love you and those weren’t just words I said this morning. I fell in love with you a long time ago and it’s been a battle ever since as I tried to fight the feelings,” she answers as I stand and lift her in my arms, kissing her deeply.
“I don’t have your rag here with us. It’s back at the clubhouse in my room. We headin’ there tonight?” I ask her when we finally break the kiss.
“Yeah. Rhonda will be opening the diner tomorrow and Lance is closing,” she informs me as we leave the office and make our way through the diner.
I check to make sure everythin is off before we enter the dining room and head for the front door.
Wren steps out first as I set the alarm.
Closing the door behind us, I make sure both locks slide in place before removing the keys and handing them back to Wren.
“I’m gonna fuck you all night long wearin’ nothin’ but your rag, Little Bird,” I whisper in her ear as Tristan pulls up in the SUV.
Wren doesn’t say anything as I help her in and get in the driver’s seat.
Tonight, Zach is on his bike and Tristan will be riding mine back to Briar Glen.
During the ride back, Wren falls asleep and I pull over long enough to cover her with the blanket we’ve started keeping in this SUV.
There’s also snacks, drinks, and a few other things Wren will need on a long trip like this.
For now, I’m content with her sleeping because when we get back, she’s mine for the rest of the night.
I plan on worshiping her body and exploring every single inch.
Yes, I did ask her doctor if sex was okay and we were told yes as long as we listened to her body and didn’t get too adventurous.
So, tonight is the night Wren and I learn what we both like and spend countless hours wrapped up in one another.