Page 98 of Peaks and Promises

I’d learned the names of quite a few of the regulars, and they greeted me like an old friend whenever they came in. There was an occasional bit of tension between the waitstaff and the cooks—especially in the middle of a rush—but that happened in any restaurant. In general, my coworkers and I got along well.

And no crappy boss without a soul. That was a definite improvement.

I grabbed a carafe of fresh coffee for a round of refills. It was my first time working the counter, and I was enjoying it. Visitors to town usually sat in the booths or tables, with the locals congregating at the counter, and they tended to be pleasantly chatty.

“Can I warm up your coffee?” I asked Mason. He was a local—worked for the fire department. Nice looking, probably in his thirties.

With a friendly smile, he slid his mug closer. “Thanks.”

“Of course. Can I get you anything else?”

“Just keep the coffee coming.”

“Rough night?”

He shook his head slowly. “My wife talked me into a puppy. Not getting a lot of sleep these days.”

“Aw, puppies are so cute though.”

“Yeah, she’s lucky she’s cute.” He grinned and took a sip. “It’ll be worth it once she doesn’t have to go out at night.”

“Remind me, what’s your wife’s name again?”

“Libby. She’s an animal lover. Even works over at Happy Paws.”

“That’s so sweet. Take your time. And let me know if you need anything else.”

I moved down the line, refilling coffee for those who wanted it. My customer at the end was ready to pay, so I took care of that and wished him a good day. Two ladies sitting in the middle got up and left, and I cleared all the places before checking on my last customer’s order.

It was ready, so I brought it out right as two locals—Stan Albert and Russell Haven—seated themselves at the newly vacated stools. They wore matching Squirrel Protection Squad T-shirts.

“Morning.” I greeted them both with a smile. There were menus at each seat already, but they didn’t grab them. They probably knew the menu better than I did. “Coffee?”

“Yes, please,” Stan said, and Russell nodded.

I got the carafe and poured them each a cup. “Do you know what you’d like, or do you need a minute?”

“I’ll have bacon and eggs,” Stan said. “Over-medium, white toast.”

“Got it. How about you, Russell?” I assumed he was related to Reese, but I didn’t know the precise connection. I’d learned there were a lot of Havens in Tilikum.

“Same for me,” he said. “Do you have any of that blackberry jam?”

“We sure do.”

He smiled. “Bring extra, if you don’t mind.”

“You got it.”

I put in their orders and started a fresh pot of coffee, then ducked into the back to peek at my phone. I liked to check every so often to make sure I didn’t have any messages, particularly about Nate. I didn’t.

Reese had taken him to work on one of his dad and brother’s rentals again. Like usual, Reese had been up when I’d emerged from the bedroom that morning. He was always awake before me, even when I was up early. Seeing him sitting at the table with his coffee had produced a noticeable flutter in my stomach, but I’d managed to pretend I wasn’t still reeling from his kiss.

He’d seemed normal. Distant, but that was typical. And fine for when we were in private. Even if it was a little disappointing.

But what did I want? A good-morning kiss? No.

Okay, maybe I did. But what I wanted and what was good for me were two different things.