Page 42 of Healer’s Betrayal

That exasperates her; I can tell. She finally sighs. “I have to get to work.” She turns away without another word.

I watch her go a moment. “Have a good shift,” I call out behind her. I know she hears me because she nods and waves over her shoulder.

Chapter 17

Kayla

I finish the last sip of my iced latte as I step inside the café, mourning that it’s empty. It was really good. I don’t have to ask Noah how he enjoyed his; he finished it on the way over. “Where do you want to sit?” I ask him as we wave at a few regulars. He picks a table, and I bring him over a cup of ice water. “Let me know if you need any help.” I leave him and head into the kitchen. “Hey, Butch,” I call out. He lifts a hand in greeting, but I don’t leave. “I need to talk to you when you get a chance.” He walks over to me a few minutes later, and I jump right in, knowing he has to get right back to the line. “You know those guys you banned?” He nods because there are so few people that he actually bans from the restaurant. “I need you to unban them.” He stares at me, and I hurry to explain. “I’ve gotten to know them, and they’re really nice guys. They’re definitely not,” I pause and lower my voice. “Part of my past. They don’t deserve to be banned.” He stares at me for a long, uncomfortable minute.

Then he nods. “Okay. You can tell them they’re unbanned.”

I release the breath I was holding. “Thank you.” I glance at the clock and see that I have about three minutes before I technically have to clock in, just enough time to do what I need to do. I rush through the restaurant and out the front door. Knowing I don’t have much time, I start to jog. I can see Jackson’s on the phone, and he’s not looking my way. As if he can sense me, he suddenly turns and pins his eyes on me. He says something into the phone and then hangs up.

“What’s wrong?” he demands, striding towards me.

I laugh; I can’t help it. “Not everything in life is bad,” I tell him. “I just came to tell you that Butch unbanned you guys.” He blinks, like he doesn’t get what I’m saying. “You and Ransom can start eating here again, if you want. You won’t be kicked out.”

He looks over at the café and then back at me. “Did you do that?”

I nod. “I told him you guys were nice guys.” I frown exaggeratively at him. “Don’t make a liar out of me.”

His eyes meet mine, and I see the seriousness reflected there. “I’m not nice.”

“Yes, you are. I gotta go, or I’m going to clock in late. I can’t afford to lose this job. See you, Jackson.” I start back towards the café.

“See you, Kayla.” The low rumble of his voice follows me across the parking lot, and I can’t help the smile that crosses my lips. Once I'm inside, I wave at Noah and then quickly clock in, breathing a sigh of relief when I see I’m on time. The morning turns into afternoon quickly, and the time disappears. Jackson and Ransom appear just after noon, and I can’t help my smile when I see them. “Hey,” I call out as I grab two menus and walk over to them. “Table or booth?”

“Booth,” Jackson says. Then he looks over my shoulder. “Can we sit with Noah?”

I can’t help my smile. “Sure. I’ll move you all to a bigger booth.” I walk over to Noah. “Hey, these strangers want to eat with you. Want to join them?” Noah smiles, and it tugs at my heart. He packs up his bag and follows me as I lead them all to a bigger booth. “All right. What can I get you all to drink?”

“Coke for me,” Ransom says.

I look at Jackson next. Big mistake. I get lost in his eyes for just a second before I force myself to look away. “Water,” he says in that gritty voice of his.

“Got it.”

I pocket my notebook and am just about to turn away when Jackson adds, “And a Sprite.” I pull back out my notepad and write it down and then check in with the table next to them.

I’m just about to head to the kitchen when one of the guys a few tables away calls out, “Hey.” I look behind me and realize belatedly he’s talking to me. I make my way warily to their table. “Where’s my burger?” he asks.

“I’ll go check and see if your order’s up yet,” I tell him calmly.

“It’s been twenty minutes,” he argues.

“I’ll go check on it.” I turn and walk away before he can make an even bigger deal. I head right into the kitchen. “Do we have that burger for table twelve? He’s making an issue out of it.” I normally don’t rush the kitchen, but in cases like this, I have to.

“Plating it now,” Butch says. He slides it forward a moment later. “And the second plate.”

I pick up both plates and make my way out to the problem table. “All right. Here you go. A bacon double cheeseburger with fries and meatloaf and mashed potatoes.”

“This ain’t my order,” the guy that called me over in the first place says.

I look down at his burger and fries. “It looks right to me.”

“Do those look like onion rings to you?”

I stare down at his plate a moment and then back at him. “You ordered fries.” I know he did; there’s not a doubt in my mind.