she felt dead on her feet. Because of the New Year’s Celebration the night before, bedtime hadn’t come for her until after three. Her parents had bailed right after the fireworks for their annual anniversary trip, leaving her to open the diner at seven.
She stayed at her spot behind the counter as she watched sleepy looking people trickle into the diner. It would be another half an hour before she started serving breakfast, but already the crowd was better than she’d expected after last night.
The New Year’s Celebration had been a huge success. Despite the freezing temperatures, the estimated turnout for the fireworks was well over five hundred people. In a town with a population of less than four hundred, it was impressive.
Vendors had sold everything from handmade scarves and hats to cocoa mix in pretty jars to homemade candles. Hartsville’s Volunteer Fire Department had served the food for the event. The volunteers struggled to keep up with orders of hot chocolate, coffee, cinnamon rolls, and potato soup until the fireworks began at midnight.
Thinking about it, she reminded herself she needed to send a note to Wade, the fire department’s chief, thanking him for volunteering to set off the fireworks. She would also need to thank the other volunteers who had helped Wade. She decided to stop by their meeting Tuesday night with a couple of pies. The firemen had a weakness for her apple pie.
She would also need to send cards to each of the vendors who had rented a booth and each of the volunteers who had helped set up the booths. She would need to visit the high school’s FFA Club to thank them for handling the event’s parking. The local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops would need to be thanked for cleaning up the park after the celebration. She could probably get away with brownies for the little monsters.
She would have to visit the police department, as well. Despite the usual New Year’s Eve madness, Chief Whitley had managed to keep two officers at the park throughout the night. Of course, Dean had been one of them. That was just her luck.
Payten wanted to throw something at Bridgett. Something big. Ever since their conversation about him, she hadn’t been able to stop noticing him. On mornings he was at the diner, she found herself sitting at the round table amongst him and the crowd on her breaks instead of doing something useful in the kitchen. She had even gone out of her way several days ago to sit beside him by directing Ms. Clarke to a different seat.
And, Lord knows, she’ll have something to say about that. Nosy old biddy.
Yesterday, Dean caught her rolling her eyes over some tidbit of gossip shared at the table. He’d winked at her. She could have sworn she felt her stomach hit the floor.
She rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of that thought. One wink from an attractive man was not enough to catch her attention, she told herself. After all, she wasn’t some inexperienced ninny. She knew how good-looking men spent their weekends. Hell, she was best friends with Kalvin the Manwhore.
She told herself that twenty-two-year-old women did not have crushes. It wasn’t rational. She was not going to turn into a simpering idiot just because he winked at her.
She sighed. If that were true, you wouldn’t be standing here watching for him to come in.
“I need more coffee, Patty.”
Payten glared at the old man calling to her. Fletcher Morris was the bane of her existence.
A little dramatic? She thought about it. Probably, but I’m tired and dramatic is allowed.
At the very least, Fletcher was a pain in the ass, one she was in no mood to deal with. She had not had enough sleep to cope with his demands.
She glanced around the diner. The round table was full, and every booth had people sitting in it. She wanted to cry. She wanted to crawl under the counter and take a nap.
“Patty!”
“Got it,” someone announced.
Dean stepped up behind Fletcher, coffee pot in hand. He clapped a
She stayed at her spot behind the counter as she watched sleepy looking people trickle into the diner. It would be another half an hour before she started serving breakfast, but already the crowd was better than she’d expected after last night.
The New Year’s Celebration had been a huge success. Despite the freezing temperatures, the estimated turnout for the fireworks was well over five hundred people. In a town with a population of less than four hundred, it was impressive.
Vendors had sold everything from handmade scarves and hats to cocoa mix in pretty jars to homemade candles. Hartsville’s Volunteer Fire Department had served the food for the event. The volunteers struggled to keep up with orders of hot chocolate, coffee, cinnamon rolls, and potato soup until the fireworks began at midnight.
Thinking about it, she reminded herself she needed to send a note to Wade, the fire department’s chief, thanking him for volunteering to set off the fireworks. She would also need to thank the other volunteers who had helped Wade. She decided to stop by their meeting Tuesday night with a couple of pies. The firemen had a weakness for her apple pie.
She would also need to send cards to each of the vendors who had rented a booth and each of the volunteers who had helped set up the booths. She would need to visit the high school’s FFA Club to thank them for handling the event’s parking. The local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops would need to be thanked for cleaning up the park after the celebration. She could probably get away with brownies for the little monsters.
She would have to visit the police department, as well. Despite the usual New Year’s Eve madness, Chief Whitley had managed to keep two officers at the park throughout the night. Of course, Dean had been one of them. That was just her luck.
Payten wanted to throw something at Bridgett. Something big. Ever since their conversation about him, she hadn’t been able to stop noticing him. On mornings he was at the diner, she found herself sitting at the round table amongst him and the crowd on her breaks instead of doing something useful in the kitchen. She had even gone out of her way several days ago to sit beside him by directing Ms. Clarke to a different seat.
And, Lord knows, she’ll have something to say about that. Nosy old biddy.
Yesterday, Dean caught her rolling her eyes over some tidbit of gossip shared at the table. He’d winked at her. She could have sworn she felt her stomach hit the floor.
She rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of that thought. One wink from an attractive man was not enough to catch her attention, she told herself. After all, she wasn’t some inexperienced ninny. She knew how good-looking men spent their weekends. Hell, she was best friends with Kalvin the Manwhore.
She told herself that twenty-two-year-old women did not have crushes. It wasn’t rational. She was not going to turn into a simpering idiot just because he winked at her.
She sighed. If that were true, you wouldn’t be standing here watching for him to come in.
“I need more coffee, Patty.”
Payten glared at the old man calling to her. Fletcher Morris was the bane of her existence.
A little dramatic? She thought about it. Probably, but I’m tired and dramatic is allowed.
At the very least, Fletcher was a pain in the ass, one she was in no mood to deal with. She had not had enough sleep to cope with his demands.
She glanced around the diner. The round table was full, and every booth had people sitting in it. She wanted to cry. She wanted to crawl under the counter and take a nap.
“Patty!”
“Got it,” someone announced.
Dean stepped up behind Fletcher, coffee pot in hand. He clapped a
Similar Books
God's Kingdom
Howard Frank Mosher
Knights Magi (Book 4)
Terry Mancour
True
Gwendolyn Grace
Grounded
R. K. Lilley
Playing at Forever
Michelle Brewer
Dragon Dance
John Christopher
All Hallows' Moon
S.M. Reine
Demon Hunting In a Dive Bar
Lexi George
Fearless (Broken Love Book 5)
B.B. Reid
The Wicked Within
Kelly Keaton