But spending time with her last night had been nice. More than nice. He appreciated the way she hadn’t hesitated to help him taste-test food she’d never tried before, and her gastronomical bravery in trying the anchovies—an ingredient most people either loved or loathed—was impressive. Best of all was her sigh when she tried the patatas bravas.That had been one of the sexiest things he’d ever seenandheard.
Muy caliente.
Then he’d gotten that text from his ex, and Anita’s mood had shifted, as if she had closed herself off, leaving him confused and disappointed. She had also seemed uncomfortable when he asked her for advice, so he’d cut that conversation short and ended the evening. He probably shouldn’t have brought up his ex with her, but he’d really wanted to know what she thought.
He stilled.Oh no.He’d completely forgotten to call Heather last night. His thoughts had been more on Anita and the past than on nipping things in the bud with Heather. He’d have to do that after his shift was over.
Bailey entered the kitchen and poked Anita in the shoulder. “What do you think of Tanner’s haircut?”
Anita turned, and their gazes met. She had the most beautiful amber-colored eyes, something he’d noticed both when they were in school together and last night too. Back then she’d been cute in an awkward way, and the braces she wore hadn’t helped. But when she had showed up at his party and smiled and revealed she’d had them taken off, he’d been a little knocked out. Kind of like he was now. Why hadn’t he noticed until last night how pretty she was? Had he been that distracted? Apparently so.
When she didn’t say anything, he remembered the hairnet he’d shoved on a few minutes ago. “I know, I know,” he said, “I look ridiculous.”
“No,” she said, still staring at him. “You look very handsome.”
Her compliment made him beam, and he wondered again why they didn’t spend more time together. They’d known each other most of their lives, and they had worked together for the past three years. She was single, as far as he knew.
And I’m single.Maybe Mabel was on to something.
“Uh, I mean, you look okay. The haircut, I mean. It’s okay.” Anita turned and kept her back to him, fussing with the white apron she wore over her pink uniform, even though the bow she’d tied at the back was already perfectly straight. “I’d better check on the customers.”
And just like that, the idea of suggesting they go out disappeared.
He continued chopping, his eyes immune to onion tears due to the thousands he’d diced and sliced over the years. What had he been thinking, considering asking Anita to hang out with him? She’d never let on that she was interested in doing anything with him.
Except for the kiss.
But that had been when they were kids, and peer pressure hadn’t given them much choice. It wasn’t like he had time to do anything other than work, anyway.
Man, he was tired. That had to be why he’d had that wayward thought. Working two jobs, picking up extra shifts, and taste-testing his grandmother’s recipes over the last week were all taking a toll. Then there was his worry about his mother working too hard. How ironic. He needed to follow his own advice and take a break.
I will... someday.
After the lunch rush was over and Fred, Mabel, and Baileyhad clocked out, Tanner glanced through the serving window and was surprised to see Jasper Mathis walk through the door. Normally he could set his watch by Jasper’s punctuality, since the man arrived every weekday afternoon precisely at four thirty, but for some reason today he was two hours early. Tanner nodded at him as he took his seat on the left side, facing the front door so he could watch who came in and out. The eighty-something-year-old man spent almost all his time in downtown Maple Falls, whether working at Price Hardware as a volunteer employee or hanging out at Sunshine to jaw with the customers. But the diner was dead right now. Maybe he had come in to kill some time before he ordered his early-bird special.
Tanner went back to work, placing unbaked rolls on a large tray.
“Tanner?”
He turned as Anita walked into the kitchen. Thesomethingthat had sparked the idea of asking her out had disappeared, thankfully. The last thing he wanted was for things to be awkward between them. “What’s up?”
“There’s someone who wants to see you,” she said, her brow furrowing.
He slid the tray into an empty slot in the rack next to the oven. “Who is it?”
“She said her name is Heather.”
He froze.
Anita moved closer to him, her frown deepening. “She also said she was your girlfriend.”
He almost muttered a curse under his breath, but he tried to watch his mouth around women, something his motherhad drilled into him almost since birth. “What’s she doing here?”
Anita shrugged. “Is she the one you were talking about last night?”
“Yeah.” He started to shove his hand through his hair, only to get his fingers tangled up in his hairnet. “I forgot to text her back last night. I was so tired I collapsed into bed.”
Anita’s expression was blank. “What do you want me to tell her?”
