"Just making myself useful," Rico told him and gave him an ironic look before he handed them menus.
He didn't think he would be seeing Mitch and Sammy until he went over to the house after lunch. It was a nice surprise, but he was kicking himself for being so glad to see them.
"Rico," Sammy said as she frowned up at him. "We had to leave the kitties home alone. Do you think they're sad?"
"They're not alone. They're together," Mitch pointed out reasonably. "We took the kittens to the vet in Ashbury this morning. They had enough adventures today."
Sammy wasn't convinced though. She still looked up at Rico, waiting to hear what he had to say about it.
"They won't be sad if you bring them a present," Rico told her.
Grandma was still lurking around, and she had an idea. "You can make a fishing pole and hang something from a string and drive those little suckers crazy."
Sammy didn't quite get the idea of a fishing pole for cats, but Mitch did. "We can make something like that. The kittens will like it."
Rico watched the smile he gave Sammy and how his eyes brightened. Watching that man so closely was a bad habit, but Rico couldn't resist those little glimpses into Mitch's heart.
He took their order and thought that it was too bad Lara was gone and she couldn't test him out right here and now, confirm Mitch was straight and cure Rico of these hopeful urges that kept sneaking up on him. Or maybe it wasn't too bad. With her feisty, redheaded charms and her impressive curves, she might turn Mitch's head, and then Rico would spend all his time seething with jealousy.
When Rico came back with their order, Grandma was questioning Sammy. "How do you like that house, Sammy?"
"It's nice and big. But Daddy said he has to take away the flowers," Sammy said.
"What flowers?" Grandma asked while Rico frowned at Mitch for whatever he was going to do to some poor flowers.
"The wallpaper. She fell in love with the rose wallpaper in that little sitting room," Mitch told them.
"Is that pretty wallpaper in good shape?" Grandmother asked.
"It's intact and that room is well shaded, so it's not faded," Mitch said.
"Then leave it up," Grandma decided on the spot. "We'll keep it."
That made Sammy smile, but Mitch was obviously surprised that Grandma would indulge her like that.
He still looked confused as Rico put their lunch in front of them, so he told Mitch, "That's Grandma for you. Don't try to understand her. That way lies madness."
Grandma looked at him sideways and shook her head at him. Mitch gave him a small smile, which stirred Rico's heart. As he lingered by their table, Rico had to stop liking every little thing about the man.
"Are you gonna come to the house, Rico?" Sammy wanted to know.
"I'm coming by a little later today," Rico told her and she looked happy. "OK then, enjoy your lunch guys." He was about to go seat some tourists who had just walked in, when his grandmother stopped him.
"Let Sam take care of them. You can finish out your shift, and then just head back with Mitch when he's ready to go," she told him.
"I guess you have things covered here," Rico said.
Later, as he took the bill to Mitch, he told him the plan. "That way I can catch a ride with you guys. So don't leave without me," he said to Sammy.
"I was going to pick up a few things at the hardware store first then head back," Mitch said.
"I'll go with you. Maybe I'll grab myself a tool belt and one for Sammy," Rico told him, but Sammy didn't look eager for a tool belt of her own.
At Beatty's Hardware, Rico stuck with Sammy and she tried on some nuts and washers as rings, putting on as many as she could fit on her tiny fingers.
"Take a picture of this," Rico told Mitch, and he did.
"Better put those back where they belong," Mitch said to both him and Sammy.
