“Can I get y’all anything else?” Brenda walked over, her trusty order pad in hand.
“Everything was amazing.” Donna wiped her napkin across her lips and set it on the table next to her plate. “I don’t suppose you’d share that meat loaf recipe with me, would you?”
“Well, there isn’t really a set recipe, but I’ll have Roger jot down the basics for ya.” She slid her pencil from over her ear, totaled up their bill, and ripped the page from the pad. “No rush. Stay as long as you like.” She set the paper on the table. “I’ll get that recipe for you.”
“Thank you so much.” Donna started to reach for the check.
Hawk beat her to it. “This one’s on me.”
“Thank you, Hawk.” She smiled and pulled her hand back.
“You don’t have to do that.” Charlotte twisted to grab the strap of her bag from where it hung on the back of her chair and looped it over her head.
“But I want to.” Hawk stood and pulled out her chair, then her mom’s.
“I’m going to check in with Lucas.” Calliope pulled her phone from her back pocket and walked over to stand facing the door.
The woman was ever-vigilant.
“I’d like to use the ladies’ room before driving back, if that’s possible,” Donna said.
“I wouldn’t mind using it, too.” Charlotte looked to Hawk for an answer.
He got Calliope’s attention, pointed toward the bathrooms, and she nodded.
“Let me check it out first.” Hawk and Remy led them back to the hallway where the bathrooms were located.
He pushed open the door and walked into the small ladies’ restroom. There was one enclosed stall and what looked like a new cabinet with an undermount sink. In the corner, a small table held a bud vase containing two faded silk roses and a basket of potpourri made of wood shavings and dried flowers that had lost their scent long ago.
He checked the stall to ensure it was empty and verified that the small window was locked securely.
“Okay, it’s all clear.” He opened the door. “Remy and I will be right out here.”
“Thanks,” Charlotte said.
He stepped out of the small space, and he and his partner stood with their back to the door.
Calliope strolled up to him, tucking her phone in her pocket. “Lucas is on his way to Donna’s place.”
“It’ll be good for you to have the backup.” It was safer to work as a team, but that option wasn’t always available.
“Um … I … can I talk to you for a sec?” Calliope tugged on her bottom lip.
“What’s up?” His friend had more self-confidence and hutzpah in her small frame than most grown men he knew, so her hesitancy was unusual.
“If I tell you, you have to swear on that talisman you wear around your neck that you won’t tell anyone.”
Holy shit, this was serious.
“Of course, I won’t tell anyone,” he said.
Calliope was very well aware of the importance of the bronze Blackfeet Nation medallion he wore. It had once belonged to his great-grandfather and was given to Hawk after he died.
“Lately, Lucas has been talking a lot about getting married.” Her chin dropped, and she reached down to thump Remy’s side.
“That’s great.” Hawk couldn’t think of two people that were more suited to each other. “Isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it’s super great.” Calliope looked away, then up at him with concern. “But … you know, he was married before and really loved his wife. What if I’m not—”
