Chiming bells greeted us as we stepped inside Ranger’s Grill.
“Take a seat wherever you’d like, kids!” Susannah, the owner of Ranger’s, called to us as she passed by with a tray of food for a group sitting in one of the booths.
“Thanks, Susannah, good to see you!” Hayden replied as we headed toward one of the corner booths in the back. Keenan was going to meet us, but he usually ran late, so we beat him by a long shot.
I slid into the inside part of the booth facing the door, and Hayden slid in next to me. It was stupid, because we were friends, but butterflies took flight in my stomach anyway because this was the type of thing couples did. Or at least they did in the movies.
Shortly after we sat down, Susannah came to take our orders. “Afternoon, kids. What are we drinking today?”
“Can I get a cherry Coke?” I asked, adding at the last minute, “And a water.”
She nodded, jotting it down on her notepad. “And for you, darling?”
“I’ll do a regular Coke and a water, too, please.”
“Got it. I’ll be right back with those.” She flitted around the corner, leaving us alone.
Coming to Ranger’s Grill had become a sort of tradition between the three of us. Every Friday after school, we’d come here, and in the summer we were here even more frequently. Ranger’s had the best burgers and fries, though, so who could blame us? It could get expensive, but with all the rodeo money I was making, it was worth it.
The clunk of boots against the tile floor announced his arrival before Keenan’s voice called out, “Wassup!” He high fived a few of the people sitting at the tables near the front of the restaurant before sliding into our booth.
I had to laugh at his dramatic entrance. “Hey, Kee.”
“Sues just took our drink orders, so figure out what you want to eat fast,” Hayden teased.
Normally it took three to five business days for Keenan to make up his mind, even though he always landed on the same thing every time. But he’d get upset with us if we ordered for him, even though I was pretty sure we knew him better than he knew himself.
“Hold your horses, Hazey.” Keenan held up a hand as he picked up his menu, perusing the options.
“You kids know what you’re eating today?” Like clockwork, Susannah emerged with our drinks. She’d even put a maraschino cherry in mine, exactly how I liked it.
“He’s going to need a minute.” Hayden gestured to Keenan. “But we’re ready, right, Sierra?”
I nodded, and Susannah focused her attention on me first.
I didn’t even need to open my menu. “I’ll do the aloha burger without tomato or onion.”
The aloha was a quarter-pound beef patty with lettuce, Swiss cheese, pickles, pineapple, and sweet chili sauce.
“What do you want for your side, darling?”
“Regular fries, please.”
“You got it. And for you?” Susannah asked Hayden after writing down my order.
“Let’s do the mushroom Swiss burger today. With everything on it, and french fries on the side, please.”
Keenan was still scouring his menu when Susannah looked at him.
“You ready, Keenan? Or do you need a little more time?”
“He probably needs more time,” I teased, sticking out my tongue. “Or, you know, Sues, you can just put him down for chicken strips like normal.”
Keenan rolled his eyes. “Ah, shut it, Skippy. I’ll do a Mountain Dew and a bacon cheeseburger today, Sues, please. Tater tots for the side.”
Both mine and Hayden’s eyes widened with surprise. Even Susannah seemed to be taken off guard. Normally, Keenan ordered the chicken strips basket with french fries. Religiously, in fact. He hardly ever strayed away from what he liked.
“Switching it up today, Keenan, I see.” Hayden pursed his lips while nodding. “Respect.”
