Chapter 2
Cristie rolled out of bed later than usual and stumbled to the bathroom for a quick shower.
Twenty-five minutes later she was hurrying down the stairs and toward the front door.
She didn’t even bother with her car, instead just entering the key code on the side gate between her house and the restaurant and going on foot.
She did pause long enough to make sure the gate closed behind her securely, then rushed across the parking lot, weaving through the cars already parked near the store.
She darted through the back door and kissed Constance’s cheek as she went by the register.
“Morning, Mrs. Constance. I am so late!” she said without stopping on her way to the trays of food beneath the heat lamps on the far side of the store.
“Good morning, mija. Did you oversleep?”
“Yes! I woke up about three this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep no matter what I did.
It was so frustrating. I went to sleep late thinking I didn’t have to get up until seven this morning, but then I…
” Cristie paused and looked from one to the other empty trays that usually held breakfast sandwiches. “They’re all sold already?” she asked.
“They are! We’ve been non-stop this morning. But there should be another batch coming any minute. Richie’s new kitchen helper is on it,” Constance said.
“New helper? I didn’t know he hired anybody new,” Cristie said, taking her Stanley coffee cup out of her shoulder bag to fill with coffee while she waited for the fresh sandwiches to be delivered.
“It was kind of unexpected, but he seems to know his way around a kitchen. Richie ended up just handing the whole breakfast thing for the store over to him once he saw how well he was doing. Because of him, Richie’s ahead of schedule and opened the restaurant early for the breakfast rush today.”
“Really? Well, that’s good,” Cristie said.
“Sure is. I hope this guy stays around.”
“Guy? I don’t know why I was thinking a girl, but either way, I’m glad he’s got someone that doesn’t mind early mornings and can help him out before dawn,” Cristie said as she added half-and-half to her coffee and at least four teaspoons of sugar.
“Me, too, mija.”
The sound of someone’s footsteps moving toward them from the back of the store registered in the back of Cristie’s mind as she sipped her coffee, decided it was still too bitter, and added more sugar.
“You’re fast!” Constance said.
“Gotta please the people,” Remi said with a smile, as he carried a huge aluminum tray laden with twenty-four more breakfast sandwiches.
He walked past the register, his focus falling on a female standing with her back to him as she sipped what he assumed was coffee.
His steps faltered and he stopped in his tracks as he realized he was looking at Cristie.
Cristie, having heard a familiar voice behind her turned with her cup in hand, searching for the owner of the voice that made her stomach drop to her toes.
She zoned in on Remi at once. Her mouth opened slightly in surprise and her eyes widened before she managed to recover her control.
“Remi?” she asked, the irritation seeping through her voice despite her attempt to hide it.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
“Morning, Cristie. I’m helping Richie get breakfast under control. I’m handling the store’s needs while he’s taking care of the orders for the restaurant.”
“Yeah, okay, but why are you in my family’s restaurant and store?” she pressed, her voice getting tighter and higher as she grew more aggravated with his presence.
“Richie said he could use the help this morning, so I’m helping. You know how my mom can cook, so I’m no stranger to a kitchen.”
“You know that’s not….” she snapped, but stopped before she got any further, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before breathing it out in slow measured seconds. When she had to take another breath in, she finally opened her eyes and met Remi’s gaze. “Why are you in Missouri?”
“Because you are.”
“That is absolutely no reason to be here; and you know it!”
Remi smiled at her softly. “It’s every reason to be here, and while you might not like it, you do know it.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to put these sandwiches under the heat lamps for the customers.
” He stepped up next to her and very quickly and efficiently put all the sausage and bacon croissants on the left, and all the sausage and bacon bagels on the right.
When he was done, he stepped back and offered her another smile.
“Sorry for surprising you. I decided at the last minute to drive up. This, though,” he said, looking around the store and holding out one hand to indicate everything around himself, “was completely unexpected. Richie asked if I could cook, and here I am. I have to get back, though, Richie’s cooking by himself and only one of the waitresses is here at the moment. ” He turned and walked away from her.
“But…”
He paused and looked back at her. “It’s real good to see you, Cristie. Have a good day.” He waved at Mrs. Constance as he walked past her, and set off down the hallway toward the back of the store.
Cristie stood where she was, stunned.
“Such a nice boy,” Constance said.
Cristie looked at her like she’d lost her mind then ran toward the hallway. “Remi!” she called out.
Remi had just pushed the door open, but turned and looked at her.
“You can’t be here! This is our territory and you have to request permission to be here if you’re doing more than just passing though.”
“You’re right. That’s why I called your dad yesterday and requested sanctuary.
But when I got here it was three in the morning and I didn’t want to wake anybody so I slept in my car.
That’s how Richie found me this morning and invited me to help out.
I was already up and had no plans yet, so figured I may as well.
See you later,” Remi said. He flashed her a smile and a wink, then stepped through the door and allowed it to close behind him.
Cristie’s mouth was hanging fully open and her left eye was twitching as she tried to get her bearings.
“That’s interesting. He just said he got here at three and you said you woke up at three. I wonder if there’s some kind of connection,” Mrs. Constance said thoughtfully.
“There is not a connection, it’s a coincidence!” Cristie said through clenched teeth right before she stalked down the hall and across the walkway to the restaurant.
She yanked the doors opened as she strode through them, so angry she was seething.
The only thing that made her even make an effort to get her emotions under control was seeing the smiles and the friendly calls of ‘good morning’ from some of the regulars once she was inside the restaurant.
She forced a cold smile as she hurried past on her way to the kitchen.
She shoved her way through the double swinging doors and stalked over to where Remi was manning the flat grill top.
He looked up as she came to a stop beside him. “Hi, there,” he said good naturedly.
“Do not ‘hi there’ me. You know you’re not supposed to be here. You need to go. Now,” Cristie said.
He seemed genuinely puzzled. “No, I’m pretty sure it’s okay to be here. Uncle Riley said to come on, so I came on.”
“You’re lying,” Cristie said, her voice low and deceptively calm all of a sudden.
He smiled at her, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes.
He stepped to the left exactly two steps, because that was all he needed to be directly in front of her, and he looked down at her.
“There are a lot of things you can accuse me of, Cristie. You know that better than most. But the one thing I have never, ever done, is tell a lie. I don’t lie. I have permission to be here.”
“There is no reason for you to be here!” she snapped at him, her voice rising in volume drastically.
“Isn’t there, though?” Remi asked.
“No!” she shouted.
“The way I see it, there’s no other place for me to be.
” He lowered his voice and leaned his head closer to hers.
“My mate is here,” he practically whispered, before bringing his voice up to normal conversation levels, “and there are miles and miles between us — figuratively, of course, since I’m actually here now. So this is the only place I belong.”
“You obviously did not think this through. I told you there was no chance for us.”
“Not really. If I remember correctly, what you did is you got in your car and drove all the way to Louisiana to pull my head out of my ass. You and only you knew the buttons to push to make me wake up and take a cold, hard look at myself. And you stayed with my parents while you were there, even waiting until I showed up as proof that you’d been successful in getting your point across.
You said ‘I wish you well,’ and went on your way. ”
Cristie’s eyes had shifted from their beautiful brown to the gold of her Panther as she glared at him. “You renounced me,” she said accusingly, through clenched teeth.
“No, I didn’t.”
“You did!” she yelled.
Remi shook his head. “I did not. I was floundering. I crawled in a hole and pulled the hole in after me. I cut everyone off. I never once said the words, I renounce you. Not one single time.”
“I told you I was leaving and you had a limited time. You never came to see me.”
“Exactly. Hole. Pulled it in after I crawled in it.”
“That was your chance. It’s no longer an option.”
“I disagree.”
“Why would you doubt my boundaries?!”
“Because you came and pulled me out of that hole.”
“Your head out of your ass,” she corrected.
“Same thing. Anyway, you came to pull me out of the hole I’d dug after I didn’t come see you when you said you were leaving. You made another trip especially to save me.”
“So?!” she demanded, both hands coming up in question, one holding her Stanley cup full of coffee.
“So, no one does that for someone they’ve completely written off. You still care, or you wouldn’t have bothered.”