After she delivered desserts to a sweet older couple who she’d seated by the window, Taryn caught her arm when she made it back to the bar.
“Take your break, sweetheart.”
“Thanks, I’ll wait a bit.Those guys are demanding – I don’t want Carly to have to face them.”
“I said, take your break.”Taryn’s wink softened her words.“Carly can cover your other tables.I’ll deal with those guys.”
That made Savannah smile.“Well, in that case …”
Taryn chuckled.“Carly’s training, and I love that you didn’t want her to have to face them, but she needs to learn.So, I’ll use this as a teaching moment.She can shadow me and see how we deal with guys like that in here.”
“Now I don’t want to take my break because I want to stick around to see.”
“As if you need lessons – you can handle them just as well as I can.Probably better if we’re honest.You won’t let them give you any crap, but they’ll still want to come back after you finish with them.Me?”She chuckled.“I doubt we’ll see them again after I’m done with them.But wherever they dine next, they’ll think a bit more before they go giving the staff any crap.Now go sit down in the back, and get something to eat.”
As Savannah left the dining room, Taryn’s husband, Dalton, gave her a knowing smile.“You okay?”he asked.
“I’m fine.I was handling them.”
She liked Dalton; he was like Taryn – he seemed intimidating, but he was fair.He looked out for the staff, and he liked to laugh, even if he did look scary at first.
He nodded.“She knows that, but she didn’t think you should have to.”He cracked a smile.“And I’m glad she took over – if she gets to give those assholes some crap, she’s less likely to give me any.”
Savannah laughed.She hadn’t known how to take him at first, but she’d learned that while his and Taryn’s relationship might look adversarial from the outside, they loved each other to pieces, and sparring for them was like flirting for anyone else.
“In that case, I’m glad it worked out,” she told him.
“Yeah, but don’t let me hold you up – take your break.”
She went to her locker in the break room and took her phone out.Back when she was working at the diner, she never checked her phone during a shift – because no one called her.
It wasn’t all that long ago, but so much had changed in the last year.Of course, she’d always been close with Harvey.But Sadie coming home had set a whole chain of events in motion.Sadie had met Dom – which meant Savannah had met Jake.Josh had moved back here.And even though Savannah had moved away for a few months, it felt like when she came home, she had family around.
Add to that, moving into the apartment and sharing with Tiff had given her life a whole new dimension – and she loved it.
She loved seeing messages from Sadie, asking if she wanted to have lunch on Sunday.Tiffany, telling her that she was going to bed early and not to think she was out or sick when she got home and saw no sign of her – she was just pooped after a busy week in the salon and wanted to be well rested for tomorrow night.
She’d answer Sadie tomorrow, and she’d see Tiff in the morning.She smiled when she saw a message from Josh.
Josh:Just checking in.Feels weird that we haven’t talked since you started seeing Jake.Wanted to let you know that I’m still here for you.Not that you need me – he’s a good guy.But you still have your friend, too.
Savannah:Aw, thanks Josh.Miss you too.Are you going tomorrow night?If you are, I’ll see you then.If not, let’s go for coffee or something one day next week.
She didn’t expect a reply, but he came right back.
Josh:Let’s do both?
Savannah:Deal.See you tomorrow night.
She put her phone back in her bag but then took it out again when it beeped.Her heart sank when she saw the name on the display – it wasn’t Josh.
Rick:I’m back in town.I’ll see you soon.
She blew out a big sigh.She’d known that it was coming, even though she’d hoped that he might just leave her alone.Maybe she could talk to Colt – he was one of the sheriff’s deputies.Maybe he could have a word – warn Rick.But then, Rick wasn’t doing anything illegal.Or maybe he was – the kind of threats he’d made the last time she’d seen him should be illegal if they weren’t.
She put the phone back, closed her locker, and sank down into one of the chairs.She still had a little while before she had to go back out there.No way was she going to let him throw her off her game.
Chapter Eleven
