“Oh yeah. Nothing basic on the menu at all. Eddie’s mama’s recipe.”
Basic, a term this age group used these days to refer to bad. The opposite was extra. Or at least that’s what Ava’s neighbor, a sixteen-year-old girl, had told her.
“So there is an Eddie, huh?” Dev asked.
“For sure, but he’s like the furthest thing from fat as possible.” He laughed and looked at Ava, his pen poised over an order pad.
“I’ll have the meatloaf and can you add four to-go orders of it, too?” Ava said. “There’s a group camped under the bridge, and I want to give them a hot meal.”
“Wow, lady. That’s lit.” He scribbled on the order pad and then looked at Dev. “And what do you want?”
“Burger and fries. Medium on the burger.” Dev closed his menu. “Oh, and a chocolate shake.”
“Hang tight. Be out in a minute.” He spun, his rubber-soled athletic shoes squeaking on the tile.
“I agree with the waiter.” Devan smiled at Ava. “Your generosity is lit! I probably should’ve checked the weather forecast before suggesting we walk over here.”
“Maybe Micha will be free soon, and he can pick us up.”
Dev got his phone out and laid it on the table.
“You know a watched phone doesn’t ring,” she said.
“Then I won’t watch it.” He chuckled. “Tell me more about your cabin property.”
She’d be glad to talk about happy memories for once. “It’s a small place. Two bedrooms. One bathroom. But I have to warn you. I don’t have any utilities turned on and that includes water. Means we have to use an old outhouse that my cousin built before the cabin.”
He frowned. “Will be a bear in this rain if it carries down the state. Better than an open-air latrine, though.”
“Agreed.”
“Let me check on the weather down there.” He picked up his phone, and it rang in his hand.
“One of our SAT phones. Likely Micha.” He tapped the screen and answered. “You’re on speaker, but we’re in a restaurant, so keep it down.”
“We’re good to go.” Micha’s voice came through clearly, though it sounded as if he was keeping it down as Dev asked.
Still, her heart soared simply at hearing his voice and her pulse joined in over the fact that they hadn’t been arrested.
“Where are we headed?” Micha asked.
“Fat Eddie’s Diner,” Dev said. “Google it for the address.”
“Hang on.”
Silence filled the phone, and she took a long sip of her coffee to keep her hands occupied.
“Okay, got it,” Micha said. “About an hour from us. Hang tight. We’re on our way.”
The call ended and she let out a breath of relief. She would soon be reunited with Micha.
“Now about that weather.” Dev tapped his screen and frowned. “Our waiter was right. This storm stretches nearly down to California. Actually gets worse the farther south you go.”
“Then it’ll be an even longer drive.”
“Looks like it.” He set his phone down. “And there are flash flood watches for a lot of the counties which could be problematic.”
She didn’t want to go out in the cold rain, but it would only be a trip from the warm restaurant to Micha’s SUV. Not like the people living under the bridge. She might be on the run, but God had blessed her in so many ways. She had a cabin to run to. Money to spend. And most importantly, this group of fine men committed to keeping her alive, no matter the cost.
