Chapter One
Missy
I move the sticky plates to my round serving tray, loading it efficiently as the jukebox in the corner plays an old country song about a man walking a line for his true love. I hum along to it under my breath. Around me, the last few regulars are yawning and splitting their bills.
Hurrying to the kitchen, I add the plates to the sink and glance at the baby monitor.
Ernie, the cook, sees where my attention is and gives me a wink. “Still sleeping like a baby. Here, take a bite.” He nudges a plate with a monster burger already prepared the way I like it. Thanks to him, I never have to worry about packing lunch or dinner.
I was down on my luck and down to my last dollar when I stopped at Ernie’s Diner here in Courage County.
Ernie and Lorna, the owners of the best burger joint in three counties, gave me a job on the spot. They didn’t ask for references or what a single mom with a baby was doing out so late.
They helped me get a little rental property at the edge of town. It seems like something is finally going right for me, but I learned a long time ago not to trust anything good.
I manage three bites before I start unloading the industrial dishwasher. The day has been crazy. Now it’s evening, and I’m realizing how hungry I am.
“Missy, dear, can you get table fourteen for me?” Lorna comes bustling in the back with a stack of her own dishes. She sets them down and gives her husband a peck on the cheek. They must have married a long time ago. They’re so fluid in their movements, so quick to slide around each other like their time in the kitchen is a carefully choreographed dance.
I nod and take another bite of my greasy burger before grabbing the pitcher of sweet tea. The locals here are obsessed with Lorna’s tea. I’ve met most of them over the last three weeks. Everyone seems kind and friendly. If I were going to stay forever, Courage County is the kind of place I’d pick. But I’m not likely to be here forever.
Shelley made sure of that. I feel a rush of anger toward her even though I know it’s irrational. She’s dead, and I don’t think she meant to leave me with the mess she made.
I bustle out of the kitchen and toward table fourteen. It’s a booth, tucked next to the big, picturesque window. I’m so focused on my mission that I don’t notice the puddle of water on the checkerboard tile until it’s too late.
Before I can slow, my feet are sliding out from underneath me. My secondhand soles have no traction on the wet floor. Sweet tea slops over the top of the pitcher and covers my arm in sticky liquid. I tighten my grip and brace to fall backward.
But strong hands wrap around my waist. The impact I’ve braced for never happens. I clutch a fistful of flannel in my hand and look into the eyes of a cowboy with a chocolate brown gaze.
There’s something deep and soulful about his gaze. With his hands on my hips and our bodies so close, I can feel his heat. I’ve never felt so safe or so peaceful. For a second, I feel like I’ve found home.
His jaw is covered in a thick, bushy beard I want to touch. I want to know if it’s soft like I’m thinking it is. His full, thick lips with the perfect Cupid’s bow curve into a smile, revealing one crooked tooth. “Hi, beautiful.”
Heat rushes to my face, and I repeat the word. “Hi.”
“Are you OK? You almost took a tumble.” There’s something about the gentle tenor of his voice. I listen to soft meditations at night when I have trouble sleeping, and I’d love to have a recording of his voice whispering that the day is over and I’m safe now.
“Good. I’m good,” I manage in a shaky voice as my fingers tighten around his shirt like my body doesn’t want to let him go. I want to pull that Stetson off his head and run my fingers through his hair.
“That’s real good, honey,” he murmurs.
The soft rumble of approval and the unexpected pet name warms me all over. He’s looking at me like no one else has before. Like I’m precious. Like I matter. Before I can say anything, the bell above the door rings as the last of the regulars leave.
The diner is empty other than the two of us and Ernie and Lorna. That’s right. Ernie and Lorna are here. My bosses who expect me to serve the customers, not moon over them.
I squeak out, “I’ll get that cleaned up, then take your order.”
Without bothering to seat him, I turn and leave the lobby. I grab the mop and bucket from the utility closet. The entire time I’m cleaning, I can feel his gaze on me. My skin is hot and flushed, my body humming with attraction.
When I’m done mopping up the water and the sweet tea I spilled, I hurry back to his table. Lorna and Ernie are still cleaning up the kitchen. This is our last customer of the day, and I’m sure they’re eager to get him out of here.
I don’t let myself look at him again. I keep my gaze on my pad, my pen poised above it. “What do you want?”
“You.”
I look at him then, suppressing a smile. “What do you want to eat?”
He smirks.
I sigh loudly, doing my best to discourage his flirting. I can’t afford the distraction of a man right now, not even this good-looking cowboy. “I’ll put you down for the special.”
“Go on a date with me.” He’s phrased it like a command, but his tone is gentle.
I start to say something, but the fluorescents glint off something metallic on his flannel button-up. The realization that it’s a badge sends ice water down my spine. I try to keep my expression neutral. “I’ll have your order out in a moment.”
I leave the table without a backward glance. The entire time I tell myself it’s not a big deal. I work at the local restaurant. It was only a matter of time before I ended up waiting on someone in law enforcement.
By the time I return with his burger and fries, I’ve managed to calm my racing heart. My hands are still clammy, but he can’t see that.
Setting the food down, I give my brightest smile. “Is there anything else I can get you?”
He nods to the booth across from him. “If you won’t go out with me, will you join me? Sit for a few minutes. I’m a lonely cowboy.”
I cross my arms. If my life weren’t so chaotic, I could see myself sitting with him. I could even see myself going on that date. “I’m not falling for that line. You’re too pretty to be lonely.”
He rubs his chest, near his badge. “You’ve wounded me.”
I chuckle. “You’ll survive.”
While he eats his meal, I finish cleaning the lobby. I wipe all the tables and refill saltshakers. The old jukebox continues to hum country songs as crooners from bygone eras sing of lost loves and Kentucky rain.
Only when the streetlamps are flickering to life does the handsome cowboy get up to pay his tab at the register. Lorna has emerged from the kitchen with her hair looking decidedly messy and her cheeks flushed.
She gives our final customer of the day a maternal smile. “It’s good to see you back again. You don’t be a stranger now, Griffin.”
He sends a pointed glance my way. “Oh, I don’t plan to be.”
Ernie leaves the kitchen. He’s stripped off his grease-splattered apron, and he’s wearing a T-shirt with an ugly Hawaiian print on it. He has the baby monitor in one hand and places it next to the cash register. “Lorna told me what the cat dragged in. I could barely believe her. Come here now.”
He grabs Griffin in a fatherly hug, thumping him on the back. “Missed you, boy.”
“I’ll be around,” he promises as he steps away. He tips his Stetson toward me. “See you soon, Missy.”
I watch him go for a moment before I shake my head. It’s crazy to be paying him any attention.
“He’s single,” Lorna says, and Ernie nods. I can already see the gears spinning in her mind. I suspect she’s planning a wedding, as if life is that easy. Meet a hot cowboy and marry him within a few weeks. That’s too much of a fairytale.
“I have my hands full,” I say firmly. I don’t know which of us I’m reminding. But it’s not smart to spend my time thinking about things I can’t have.
“Of course,” Lorna agrees a little quickly. “The lobby looks in order so you can leave early. We’ll close it out.”
I pull off my apron that’s sticky from the earlier tea spill. “Awesome. I can’t wait to get home and have a hot shower.”
Inside the back office, I glance at Daisy. She’s sleeping soundly in the portable crib that Ernie added to the room. He and Lorna have been amazing bosses. They never complain about her or make me feel like we’re a burden. One day, I’d like to be in a position where I can pay their kindness forward.
As soon as I clock out, I put Daisy in her carrier with her blue blanket. It’s the one Shelley knit for her. Back then, I thought we were closer than friends. I thought we were sisters.
I wave one more time at Lorna who is reconciling the cash from the register. At least, she’s trying to. I’m pretty sure Ernie kissing her neck isn’t helping the situation.
The moment I step into the night, the August humidity surrounds me like a thick, wet blanket. Beside my beat-up junker is a new, gleaming truck. The kind with the nice tires that cost hundreds of dollars. Something moves beside the truck, and I instinctively tighten my hold on the car seat and take a step back.
“Sorry,” a voice calls out in the darkness. I recognize that gritty tone even though we just met earlier tonight. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
My body relaxes instantly when I realize it’s Griffin. It was obvious from the way Ernie and Lorna were doting on him that he’s close to them. He’s been out here for a long time, but I don’t comment on that.
“Don’t worry about it,” I tell him as I open the back door to my car and settle Daisy inside with a few quick and efficient clicks. Being on the run means I’ve spent countless hours practicing how to get her into the car quickly. I have it down to less than thirty seconds now.
I move to the front and climb into the driver’s seat. Like in the lobby, I’m aware of his presence the entire time. I think again of how his hands felt against my hips, the way he was so strong. The look of heat that flared in his gaze.
Turning the key, I pray the air conditioning starts tonight. But it’s the wrong prayer to mutter because the engine won’t start. I try twice before I put my head against the steering wheel.
Daisy stirs in the backseat, letting out a soft cry. It’s almost time for her next bottle, and she’s already getting fussy. Before I can decide what to do, there’s a gentle rap on my window.
I yelp and turn to see Griffin standing there. So much for being situationally aware.
Grasping the handle, I roll it down. Yeah, my car is that old. My budget didn’t stretch far enough to get me anything made within the last twenty years.
He leans down, his face so close to my own. He gives me a sympathetic look. “Do you and the little one want a lift?”
