He looked at her, those dark eyes of his soft in the low lights. Then he leaned over the bar. So close she could smell the woodsy scent that only he had. Count his thick eyelashes if she had the time.
Which she didn’t.
“She’s easy to read. Her wants and needs are written all over her face. Aside from the fact that she’s barely out of diapers I need more of a challenge.”
Faith didn’t know what to say to that, so she kept quiet.
“You okay?” he asked, studying her closely.
“Why is everyone asking me that?” The words shot out like bullets, and she took a moment, embarrassed. “I’m fine.” Cheeks burning, she glanced away. What the hell was wrong with her?
Samantha tapped her on the shoulder. “Let’s cash out.” Then nodded to Gus. “Why don’t you head upstairs and get Taco.”
Clearly confused, Gus frowned.
“You’re not driving home. Faith can drive your truck.”
“I’ll call a cab.”
“You’ll be waiting for at least an hour. Eddie’s apparently left his son in charge tonight and that kid is not the sharpest knife if you get my drift. Since you both have the same address, it makes sense.”
Samantha didn’t wait for either one to reply. She walked back inside, and with no choice in the matter, Faith followed suit. It didn’t take long for her to cash out, and she waspleasantly surprised to note she’d made nearly three hundred dollars in tips.
“You’ve got one-hundred-and-sixty-three dollars in cash. I’ll e-transfer the remainder tomorrow. What’s your email address? I noticed you didn’t fill that in on your employee sheet.” Samantha pushed her glasses back up her nose and leaned forward, studying the paper in her hand. “Actually, I don’t have your social security number either.” She looked at Faith over her glasses and frowned. “Do you know it?”
Rattled, Faith stumbled over her words. “No, I . . . I’m sorry. I don’t have it with me. Or at least I can’t find it. I’ll um, get it for you I promise.”
“And an email?”
“That too.”
Samantha held her gaze a beat longer than she should have, which made Faith anxious. Was she going to be fired?
“Okay.” Samantha put down the pen and paper. “I’ll get the rest of your tips to you in cash tomorrow, but I suggest you open an account at the bank in town as soon as you can if you don’t already have one we can use.”
Licking dry lips, Faith nodded and got to her feet. “Thank you. I’ll look into all of that as soon as I can.”
“Perfect. I’ll see you tomorrow at four. You’re scheduled for the dinner shift.” Samantha got up and led her out of the office. Gus stood just inside the restaurant, Taco on the floor beside him, happily gnawing on a bone. When the dog saw Faith, he leaped to his feet, tail wagging so fast it was a blur, and whining, he ran over to Faith and nudged at her legs with his wet nose.
His love for her was pure and perfect and unfiltered, and she sank her hands into his fur, bending over so she could kiss him. She probably needed him more than he needed her.
“My keys.”
Gus handed over a set, and with a small wave to Samantha, the two of them left. The sun had set, but there was a brilliant cast of red over the lake, and the warm night air was alive with the sounds of bullfrogs and crickets.
“Is that why they call it Fire Lake?” she asked as she climbed into the cab of Gus’s truck.
“I’d say that’s a good guess, but it’s not the real story.” Gus buckled up and glanced her way, his handsome face awash in shadows. “The real story isn’t pretty.”
“Are you going to tell it?” she asked lightly as she maneuvered his truck out of the lot.
“Not tonight.” He turned away, rested his head against the seatback, and closed his eyes.
The ride back to Lawson House was silent. Gus was either asleep or didn’t want to talk, and Faith was fine with that. Her own thoughts were dark. And out here, under a big sky blanketed with diamonds that sparkled, she’d never felt so alone. Not even after federal agents had stormed her family home and whisked her mother and stepfather, Michael, away under a dirty cloud of accusations. Or after her fiancé had dropped her like she had never mattered, or when her friends had stopped taking her calls. Or when a man named Jack, who’d lost everything because of her family, had assaulted Faith in the backyard of the family house, leaving her with a broken rib and bruises.
Not even then.
Faith pulled into Lawson House and cut the engine. “We’re here.”
