“Busy morning.” Nathan breezed in the back door. “I got a glimpse of the dining room through the windows. Looks like a pretty full house.”
“Sunday morning.” Brian flipped what he thought must have been the millionth pancake of the day. “People like a big breakfast on Sundays.”
“Me, too.” Nathan grinned at the grill. “Blueberry pancakes sound perfect.”
“Get in line. Goddamn it, what’s she doing out there, building the pyramids? You know computers?”
“I’m the proud owner of three. Why?”
“You’re now manning the cash register.” Brian jerked a thumb behind him. “Go over there and figure it out. I can’t keep stopping what I’m doing to fix it every time she fucks up a bill.”
“You want me to work the cash register?”
“You want to eat?”
“Why don’t I work the cash register?” Nathan decided, and walked over to study it.
Jo rushed in, her face pink and harassed, her arms loaded down with dishes. “She had to know. She had to know what it would be like today. I’m going to kill her if I live through this. What the hell are you doing here?” she shot at Nathan.
“Apparently I’ve been put on the payroll.” He eyed her as she dumped the dishes in the sink and grabbed the waiting orders. “You look real cute today, Jo Ellen.”
“Bite me,” she muttered and shouldered out the door.
“I imagine she’s been just that pleasant to the customers.”
“Don’t spoil my fantasy,” Nathan told him. “I like to believe she saves those ass kicks just for me.”
“Going to push her in the river again?”
“She slipped. And I’ve got something ... else in mind for me and Jo.”
Brian scrubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t want to hear about it. I don’t want that particular image in my head either.”
“I just figured you should know what direction I’m planning to take.” To illustrate, Nathan grabbed her when she swung back through the door. Hauling her against him, he kissed her scowling and surprised mouth.
“Are you crazy?” She shoved an elbow in his gut to free herself, then pushed orders and cash and credit cards into his hands. “Here, figure it out.” She darted over to snag a fresh pot of coffee and tossed scribbled orders on the counter. “Two specials, eggs, scrambled, side of bacon, whole wheat toast. One I don’t remember, but it’s written down there, and we’re running low on biscuits and cream. And if that monster kid at table three spills his juice one more time, I’m going to strangle him and his idiot parents.”
Nathan grinned as she stalked out again. “Bri, I think it could be love.”
“More likely insanity. Now keep your hands off my sister and ring up those orders or I’m not feeding you.”
***
AT ten-thirty, Jo staggered into her room and fell facedown on the bed. Everything hurt. Her back, her feet, her head, her shoulders. Nobody, she thought, nobody who hadn’t been there could possibly know how hard waitressing was. She’d hiked up mountains, waded through rivers, spent sweltering days in the desert—and would do so again for the right shot.
But she would slit her wrists with a smile on her face if she ever had to wait another table.
And she hated having to admit that Lexy not only wasn’t a lazy malingerer, but she made the job look easy.
Still, if it hadn’t been for Lexy, Jo wouldn’t have missed that glorious, watery, after-the-rain light that morning. She wouldn’t be gritty-eyed from three hours’ sleep. And her feet wouldn’t be screaming.
She set her teeth when she felt the mattress give under someone’s weight. “Get out, Lexy, or I might find the energy to kill you.”
“Don’t bother. She’s not here.”
She turned her head, narrowed her eyes at Nathan. “What are you doing here?”
“You keep asking me that.” He reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear and clear his view of her face. “Right now, I’m checking on you. Tough morning, huh?”
