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That was probably true.
They clearly weren’t rolling in it.
Even being closed a few days while she was in a hospital bed was likely hurting their bottom line.
Still, her ass was supposed to be resting, not waiting fucking tables.
“Where you going?” Dante asked as I turned and started walking away. I didn’t answer, but this was my brother. He knew me too well. “Say hi to Savannah for me,” he called as I climbed in my car.
It was insane of me to be as angry as I was as I drove across town. Not at her, of course. At the situation. And at the fucking assholes who put her in it in the first place.
I guess, to an extent, myself included.
Because I was acutely aware of the fact that none of this would have happened if I hadn’t walked my ass through the doors of The Brunch Bar.
It comforted me to know the women had been in and out all day, though that also meant that Savannah was likely working a lot harder than she should have been with two barely-healed holes in her.
I was still riding high on that anger when I yanked open the door. And, yeah, maybe the words out of my mouth weren’t the kindest or gentlest I could have chosen.
“What?” she asked, brows pinching in her too-pale face.
She was seated on a stool behind the counter, looking completely spent, her body arched toward one side, trying to ease the ache in her stomach from overdoing it.
“Sweetheart, you can’t be working yet,” I said, keeping my voice soft as I moved to stand in front of her.
“I’m not proud to admit this, but we honestly couldn’t afford to be closed another day,” she admitted, giving me a bit of a defeated smile. “I thought I could rally a little better than I have,” she added. “But it’s been so busy. I don’t know if the locals got word of the shooting, and want to show their support or what, but this is the first time I’ve been able to sit for longer than five minutes since we opened. Which is great…”
She let the end of that trail off.
“But you’re exhausted and hurting,” I concluded.
“Something like that,” she agreed.
“Did you take your meds?”
“I was worried they might make me tired or sloppy.”
“Do you have them on you?” I asked, walking around toward the end of the counter, flipping up the divider, and going behind.
“Yes. What are you doing?”
“Helping. Take your meds.”
“Um, do you know how to wait tables? I mean, it’s not exactly rocket science in a small place, but the computer system is a little complicated.”
“Well, you can park your pretty ass at the computer, and I can do the legwork part,” I suggested. “Deal?” When she hesitated, I stepped closer, snagging her chin with my thumb and forefinger, and forcing her face up. “It’s okay to accept help when it’s offered. Or to ask for it when it’s not,” I added.
To that, her lips curved up slightly.
“I believe that, I do. It’s just…” she said, waving outward.
“That it’s only ever been you and your mom, so it’s not easy to admit you two can’t do it all by yourselves,” I supplied for her.
“Yes,” she agreed, and I only realized I’d released her chin to frame the side of her face when she turned her head to rest her cheek against my palm for a second. “But, for the record, you have already done way, way too much,” she told me as she reached under the desk for her bag, then popped open her pill bottle to shake one into her hand.
“Good girl,” I said when she tossed it back with what looked like a cold coffee. “So how are you feeling?” I asked as I went to the sink to wash my hands. “Did you finally get some sleep?”
“Yes, thank goodness,” she said. “I felt like I could take on the world this morning. But, well, it kind of feels like the whole world has been in here today,” she said with a tinkling little laugh.
