“Always.” He wiped his mouth. “Did you talk with Aftyn today?”
Connie leaned her hip against the counter and perched her reading glasses on her head. “She stopped in earlier. Told me about her sister and her ex. I hope she finds them soon.”
“Me too.” He turned the glass slowly in his hands. “Must’ve cut deep, a betrayal like that.”
Connie shrugged. “She’d been in a couple weeks back looking for work. Polite enough, but she kept drifting mid-sentence, like her thoughts were somewhere else entirely. I need someone sharp. No room for mix-ups in here.”
Cole nodded, taking another bite. “A wrong order could ruin someone’s night.”
“I might not have chandeliers and white tablecloths,” Connie said, “but I want people to remember this place for the right reasons.”
Cole glanced toward the door as the bell jingled behind a departing customer. “So, Aftyn called it a day?”
“She’s upstairs. I told her she needed to get out, but she’s not going to wander a strange town alone at night.” Connie dried her hands on her apron. “She mentioned talking to Sam. She can’t do this by herself, Cole.”
“I agree.” He wiped his hands on a napkin. “I was thinking of heading to Dewey’s for a cold beer.”
Connie’s eyes lit up. “Ask her to go with you. She doesn’t have anyone here besides Deidra, Rissa, and Lanie, and they’re all tied up with their husbands on a Saturday night. You’ve been good to her. Invite her along.”
He smiled. “I’ll see if she’ll go.”
Connie patted his shoulder. “That’s all she needs. A friendly nudge.”
He finished the last fry, left a generous tip on the counter, and pushed through the front door. The evening air hit him, warm and scented with asphalt and distant honeysuckle. He crossed the dim parking lot under a lone streetlamp and climbed the metal stairs at the building’s rear, each step creaking under his weight.
At the landing he paused and removed his hat. Heat radiated off the brick. He knocked firmly.
He heard the latch click, and then Aftyn’s surprised face appeared in the doorway, framed by pale hallway light.
“Cole. What are you doing here?”
“Just had dinner downstairs.” He turned his hat in his hands. “Connie suggested I invite you to Dewey’s for a beer.”
“Dewey’s?” She cocked her head.
“Local cowboy bar. Live band every Friday and Saturday.”
Her brows lifted. “I haven’t been out in ages. I’d love to.” She stepped aside. “Come in, I’ll change.”
He wiped his boots on the welcome mat. The apartment smelled faintly of roses, a sofa facing the large window that looked out over Main Street below.
“Have a seat,” Aftyn called, disappearing down the hallway. “Just a few minutes.”
He sank onto the sofa, its cushion sagging under him. When she reappeared, he rose to his feet. Faded blue jeans, a sleeveless blouse the exact shade of her eyes, white canvas sneakers. A shy smile playing on her lips.
“I’m ready.”
“Under ten minutes. Impressive.”
She laughed, light and genuine. “I told you.”
He held the door open. “Let’s go.”
Outside, she locked up and Cole took her hand to guide her down the stairs, the metal railing slick with summer humidity. At the bottom he led her to his Silverado gleaming under the streetlamp and opened the passenger door.
She slid in. He closed it, circled around, and the engine rumbled to life, ready to carry them into the promise of the evening.
****
