“A booth would be great.”
The girl brings us to a fairly quiet part of the diner, and as soon as I have Aurora settled with some toys, I try to look over the menu, but it’s overwhelming with the number of options.
“Hi there, sweetie.” A waitress wearing an orangesmock over a white golf shirt and tan pants greets me. “Well, my goodness. I don’t think I’ve ever seen prettier eyes than these.” She bends slightly to look at Aurora. “Hi there, angel.”
I set down the menu. “Aurora, can you say hi?” I ask.
She smacks her hands together and says, “Maaaaa-ma maaaa-ma.”
“We just learned that word,” I tell the waitress, whose name tag reads Val.
“Well, that is the most important word of them all, isn’t it?” Val turns to me and grins. She smooths down thick white hair that’s cut to just below her chin and pulls out a little notebook. “Are we having food, sweetheart? Anything to drink?”
I didn’t really bother looking, so I ask Val for some recommendations. I end up getting my favorite—the burger with sweet potato fries and a soda.
Val takes my order, and while Aurora busies herself with a toy, I get to work. It turns out to be a lot harder to get anything done in a restaurant with a six-month-old than I imagined.
When Tank comes back two hours later, I have little to show for the time out of my room. I was able to look up my old law firm, the one I worked at before, and I looked up some résumé samples online.
Val quickly comes back to greet Tank.
“Well, hello there, Savage,” she says. “Is this your family?”
I look from Tank to Val. “This isn’t Savage,” I say,but Tank and I are talking over each other, and I don’t know if she hears me.
“Nah,” Tank says. “These are just some friends. I’m the designated driver. That baby formula is powerful stuff. I can’t let her get behind the wheel after a bottle or two.”
Val laughs so hard and so sincerely, I think it actually heals me a little bit. I laugh, too, while Tank assures Val he doesn’t need anything, and he’ll see her next time.
She brings the check and I pay it, but I notice that Tank pulls out his wallet and adds some cash to the pile I leave on the table while I’m wiping Aurora’s hands clean with a napkin.
“I left enough,” I say quietly. “Savage gave me money.”
He nods but then shrugs. “She’s our regular waitress. Savage always tips her extra, so I figured he’d want me to.”
Of course he does. Savage is a generous tipper. Probably nice to old ladies. Rescuer of women and children. But he’s also a biker, maybe a criminal, and most definitely a mystery.
I shut down my curiosity and gather up my daughter and bag. I have no business thinking about him, let alone feeling anything for him. Not affection and sure as heck not curiosity either.
Tank grabs the car seat with Aurora in it while I pick up the diaper bag. And all of a sudden, for a moment, everything around me goes white. Panic settles in. Ireach for Tank’s arm, but then I stop myself and duck my head, bracing for a blow.
I almost grab my daughter back from him. But I can’t. He’ll get angry. He’ll stop me. He’ll take her away.
I clutch the top of the booth, snagging my palm in a smear of sticky syrup. I can’t stop the racing thoughts, the instinctive panic that has me at war with myself.
He’s not taking her.
He’s not leaving with her.
He’s only trying to help.
He’s not Anthony.
I reassure myself with deep breaths, my nails digging into the side of the booth, until my heart rate calms. Tank takes about ten steps and looks back to where I’m still standing at the booth.
“You good?” he asks, lowering his brows and cocking his head. “You look pale.”
Val, the waitress, comes up to us and starts clearing the table. She notes the large tip in cash and clucks her tongue. “Y’all shouldn’t do that. You’re too generous.”
