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“Lord willing, I’ll be here,” she chuckled, patting my back before hobbling away.
I finished Hunter’s drink with a generous helping of whipped cream and caramel syrup (just the way I liked it) and served the trio. Brandon and Talon tore into their food quickly, but Hunter just stared at me with a twinkle in his eye.
“I love watching you work,” he said in a way that was flattering but also a little creepy. “How long have you been here?”
I tipped my head back and forth as I thought. “Oh, I guess a little over four years now.”
He shook his head and whispered, “All that time, you were so close.”
I pretended not to hear him. I should have walked away and minded my own business, but I was drawn to keep talking to the handsome man, so I asked, “Do you live nearby?” I had never seen him in this place; I surely would have remembered.
“Not too far from here. I live near Locust Falls.”
“That area is beautiful,” I smiled. “Well, what I’ve seen of it anyway. I like to hike in the forest, but most of it is cordoned off from the public.” As soon as I said it, I felt like an idiot. He lived there, so he was bound to know that.
Hunter leaned in and whispered, “I can get you past the blockades.”
I smirked and crossed my arms. “Trying to get me arrested?”
“Not at all. I own the land. Well, my friends and I do.” He motioned toward Brandon and Talon, who nodded.
“Really?” I asked excitedly. “Oh, I’ve always wanted to see the falls. I bet they’re stunning.”
“They are,” Hunter answered with a wide grin. “And I would love to show them to you.”
“That would be-” I bit my cheek to keep myself from agreeing to his invitation. As much as I hated to decline, I knew I had to. “I don’t think it would be a good idea.”
Hunter placed his hand on his chest and rubbed as if trying to clear away pain. Talon quickly placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder while he asked, “Why not?”
Instead of actually answering the question, I took the easy way out with, “I need to go check on my other customers.”
My steps were slow and heavy as I trekked around the dining room, refilling coffee mugs and clearing away trash. When I returned to the counter, I noticed that Talon and Brandon’s food was devoured, but Hunter hadn’t taken his first bite. He kept a hand on his chest, and his golden eyes were full of despair.
“Have I done something wrong?” he asked sincerely. “I apologize if I’ve upset you. Is it because of your nose? Because I swear that I would never hurt you on purpose.”
“No, no, I know that was an accident,” I waved him off. “Besides, it was my fault; I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings.”
“Well then, if you don’t want to go to the falls, I will take you anywhere else you’d like,” Hunter added hopefully. “Dinner, dancing, drinks…you name it.”
My heart pounded in my chest as it screamed at me to accept, but my brain screamed louder to shut it down. “My work keeps me pretty busy.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth. I was hoping that Hunter would acknowledge that I was trying to let him down easily, but he didn’t give up.
“My schedule is wide open,” he offered. “Any time that works for you will work for me.”
I sighed and my heart broke as I repeated, “I just really don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“But…why?”
Before I could answer, the bell above the door jingled again and a cry of, “Daddy!” pierced the air. I looked over in time to see my son Brady barrelling toward me with his arms open. He crashed into me with such force that he nearly knocked me over, and hugged my thigh tightly.
“Hey there, buddy,” I replied, hugging him back with one arm. I looked confusedly at Hope, his babysitter, who leaned against the opposite side of the countertop. She was supposed to be watching him in the apartment until my shift ended in a couple of hours. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m really sorry,” she began, “But I’m not feeling well. My stomach is really upset and I threw up a few minutes ago.” She looked around the dining room before asking, “Is Josie here? I thought she could keep an eye on him for a little while.”
“No, she went home already.”
“Oh.” Hope rubbed the back of her hand over her sweaty forehead. “Well, I can take him back upstairs. Maybe he’ll let me lie down for a while if I turn on a movie.”
“No, it’s okay; you go on home,” I told her. She didn’t look like she felt well at all, so I wanted her to get some rest, and I also didn’t want Brady to catch anything. “I’ll call tomorrow and check on you.”
