Peaks and Promises (The Haven Brothers #6)

1. Reese

Reese

Restless. I’d been back for less than twenty-four hours, and I was already restless.

Without looking up, I pushed the empty mug closer to the edge of the table so the waitress could pour coffee.

The busy diner buzzed with activity—dishes and silverware clanked, food sizzled on the grill, the waitstaff bustled up and down the single aisle between booths, and a low hum of conversation hung in the air.

Housed in an old railroad car, the diner had a vintage vibe, but I wasn’t there for the ambience. Mostly, it was close to my house.

“Your server will be here in a minute to take your order,” she said as she finished pouring.

Still scanning the menu, I grunted a reply, but she’d already walked away.

Like a reflex I couldn’t control, I checked my phone. As if I’d suddenly have a message from my partner with a new job.

That was how it always went. I’d do a job, come back, and tell myself that would be it for a while.

I was going to take some time off. And why not?

I’d just spent four months doing security for an archaeological site in Peru.

Looters and grave robbers could be a problem, but we hadn’t encountered too many issues. Except the bugs.

Idly, I scratched a mostly healed insect bite on my arm.

Take time off. That made sense. I probably needed a break.

But now that I was back and had all the time in the world for a greasy diner breakfast, I was impatient as hell. Ready to get back to work.

To do something.

My waitress appeared next to the booth, dressed in jeans and a pink T-shirt with the diner logo on the front.

“Oh, hey,” she said. “It’s you.”

Bracing myself for impact, I looked up and met her gaze.

Bam. Those pretty blue eyes and bright smile hit me square in the chest, just like they always did.

“Hey, Summer.”

Her smile widened and she scrunched her nose. She had a dusting of freckles across her cheeks and her blond hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail.

“Where the heck have you been? I thought you disappeared on me.”

“I was out of town for work.”

“Must have been quite the trip.”

“It was long. Glad to be back.”

“I’m glad you’re back, too.” Her cheeks flushed. Biting her lip, she pulled her notepad and pen from her apron pocket. “So, what can I get you? The usual?”

“The usual.”

“Steak and eggs. No hash browns, no toast,” she said as she wrote.

One corner of my mouth lifted. “Good memory.”

She shrugged. “You’re kinda memorable.”

My smile grew.

“Anyway.” She laughed a little, as if she were nervous.

“How’s your son, by the way?” I’d never met her son, but I knew from chatting with her that she was a single mom. When I was in town, I was something of a regular at the diner and usually managed to be seated in Summer’s section.

“He’s fine. Probably ready for school to get out.”

“Good to hear.”

She hesitated, her eyes still on mine. I wanted to say something else, but I wasn’t sure what.

You’re beautiful and I’d like to take you out sometime.

No. I couldn’t say that. A relationship was out of the question.

She motioned toward the front. “I’ll get this going for you.”

“Thanks.”

I watched her make her way up the aisle and disappear into the kitchen.

“My toast is burnt,” the man in the booth across from me complained to the woman sitting with him.

She picked up a wobbly piece of bacon. “Is this even cooked?”

The man lifted his hand to get the attention of one of the other waitresses. “Excuse me?”

I went back to my coffee. The food there wasn’t great, and the coffee was worse. It tasted stale. Like it had spent a decade in an aluminum can before being dusted off and opened to serve to customers.

So, why was I there? Certainly not for the food. Or the coffee. It was just convenient. And it didn’t have anything to do with—

Summer came out again with two plates of food. She smiled when she passed my booth. I smiled back.

Okay, so her smile knocked me on my ass every single time. She was beautiful, with sexy curves a man could get his hands on.

But it wasn’t like I had a crush on her or anything.

She walked by again and I tore my eyes away before I started ogling her ass. I shifted in my seat and tugged at my jeans, trying to act casual—like I didn’t need to adjust myself.

I checked my phone again, and of course I didn’t have any messages. It had been maybe two minutes. What did I expect?

Another temptation poked at me, digging its claws in deep. Looking wasn’t a good idea. It would only make me feel like garbage.

I did it anyway.

My social media presence was anonymous. No one would find me. But I could find them. My family back home.

Breathing through the sudden tightness in my chest, I scrolled through some of their recent photos.

Sisters-in-law who’d been crazy enough to marry my brothers.

Nieces and nephews I’d never met. For almost two decades, I’d watched life unfold for the Haven family from afar, knowing I couldn’t be a part of it.

Knowing I couldn’t go back.

With a frustrated growl in my throat, I swiped to close the app.

“Hey, Reese?”

Somehow, Summer’s soft voice eased the tightness in my shoulders. I looked up into those pretty blues and was hit with a rush of heat.

“Yeah?”

“I forgot something.”

“What’s that?”

“How you like your eggs. You’d think I’d remember, but in my defense, it’s been a while.”

“It has been a while. Over easy.”

She smiled. “Got it. Do you want more coffee?”

I eyed the half-empty mug. I wasn’t sure how much of the black liquid my gut could safely handle. “I’m good for now.”

“Okay.”

Right as she was about to return to the kitchen, a loud roar came from outside. Motorcycle engines. Two, at least. But that wasn’t what made my back ripple with tension and my fists clench. It was the flash of fear on Summer’s face.

The color drained from her cheeks and her shoulders slumped.

Before I could ask what was wrong, she hurried up the aisle and disappeared into the kitchen.

My senses were on high alert, my eyes on the door. In a second, I had a mental map of the restaurant, including exits and potential weapons. Kitchens had knives, and I noted a fire extinguisher on the wall.

I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to calm down. I didn’t need to be so vigilant. I wasn’t doing security, and I didn’t live the kind of life where the roar of motorcycle engines meant I needed to be ready for anything.

Not anymore.

The front door opened and two men in leather chaps and vests displaying their club’s colors sauntered in.

Cocky gazes swept over the booths. One took a last drag from his cigarette, blowing the smoke toward the ceiling before flicking the butt through the door just as it closed.

Avoiding eye contact, I pretended to be occupied with my coffee. Not that they were there for me. I didn’t know them, and they had no idea who I was—or who I used to be. But their presence was still unnerving.

I wasn’t the only one who seemed bothered.

The other customers shifted uncomfortably in their seats as the two motorcycle club members slid onto stools at the counter.

One of the waitresses poured them cups of coffee, her nerves evident in the way she averted her eyes and the slight tremble of her hand on the carafe.

They both had the worn, creased look of hard living. Bristly beards, scruffy hair, deeply tanned skin, rough hands.

They looked dangerous.

Very likely, they were.

What were they doing there? There weren’t any motorcycle clubs around the small town in central Arizona. I wouldn’t have lived there if there were.

As soon as Summer emerged from the kitchen with my breakfast, the men’s eyes snapped to her. Her spine straightened and she turned her back on them, as if she were trying to ignore them.

I wondered if they’d been in before and caused trouble for the waitstaff. Seemed likely.

She slid my plate onto the table and darted a glance over her shoulder. “Can I get you anything else?”

“Are you okay?”

She blinked in surprise at my question. “What? Yeah, fine.”

My eyes flicked to the men. They watched her like hawks. Had she gotten herself into some kind of mess with a motorcycle club?

If she had, it wasn’t my problem. But I wasn’t about to leave her on her own with those two there.

“You sure?”

She licked her lips and nodded, but it wasn’t convincing. “They’re not at one of my tables, so…”

“Do you know them?”

“No.”

She was lying. The slight lift of her chin, like she was subconsciously nodding, gave her away.

But it wasn’t my business, so I didn’t push. I’d just take my time with my breakfast and make sure they didn’t hang around.

She hesitated another moment, as if reluctant to leave my table. I had the strangest urge to grab her hand and pull her into the booth next to me. Put an arm around her and cast a hard glare at the assholes at the counter.

That was probably a bad idea. A younger me would have done it. But unlike that younger Reese Haven, I wasn’t itching for a fight.

With a quick exhale, she went back to the kitchen. I kept an eye on the assholes while I started my breakfast. The air was thick with tension and a few customers got up and left. The counter waitress asked if they wanted to order anything, but they said no. Just coffee.

Summer emerged from the kitchen with two plates of food for one of her other tables. One of the assholes at the counter leaned into the aisle, watching her ass as she walked.

My jaw hitched.

Don’t do it, Reese. Do not start something.

They were probably armed. I wasn’t.

Bad idea.

She set the plates in front of her customers and walked back down the aisle toward the entrance to the kitchen, her eyes on the floor. One asshole hopped off the stool and adjusted his vest. As soon as she got close, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

I surged to my feet, ready to put my fist through the guy’s face.

But the front door opened, and two uniformed cops walked in.

The guy dropped Summer’s wrist, and she tucked her arm against her chest, darting behind the counter.

With my heart racing, I sat and picked up my fork. Nothing to see here. Just a guy having breakfast.

The cops glanced around the restaurant and noted the guys at the counter, but didn’t make a move toward them. It seemed clear that wasn’t why they’d come in—they just wanted breakfast. Probably coming off a night shift.

The hostess seated them at a booth near the front. The assholes shared a look, then headed out the door. A moment later, the roar of their bikes filled the diner. The cops glanced out the window and watched until they disappeared into the distance.

They hadn’t paid for their coffee. I doubted the waitress cared.

Summer glanced at me and gave me a grateful smile. I didn’t know why she was looking at me like that. I hadn’t done anything. Those cops had walked in at the right moment, chasing them off.

Or the wrong moment. I kinda still wanted to break their jaws. Especially the one who’d touched Summer.

Asshole.

I ate slowly and, once I finished, lingered over another cup of shitty coffee. Summer wasn’t my responsibility, but I couldn’t quite make myself leave until I was sure they weren’t coming back.

Eventually, I got up and paid at the front. I didn’t see Summer. She must have been in the kitchen. It was just as well. I didn’t need to get myself wrapped up in her issues.

But I already knew I was going back the next day. Just to make sure she was all right.