“Apparently not for us. I had no idea we’d be this busy.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm.
“Oh, you know this town. We had to get the latest gossip.” Edith batted her eyelashes at him. He laughed. That woman was the furthest thing from innocent.
“You heard about Mom?”
Edith’s concern rocked him. “How’s she doing?”
Luke chugged his soda and poured himself a second one. “She’s okay for now. But she has to stay off the leg for a while so I’m filling in for a bit.”
“She broke her leg?”
He shook his head. “Just the ankle.”
“Oh my, that’s possibly worse.” Edith tutted. “Are you staying with her?”
“Sure am. And Aaron’s still around sometimes.” Not that he was much help.
“Well, if she gets lonesome, you tell her to call me or one of the other ladies. We can come keep her company.”
“That’s very sweet of you, I’ll pass the message along.” He saluted her with his glass and headed back to the kitchen. To be honest, he was worried that once she started feeling better, it would be much harder to keep Mom immobile. Deb Graham had always been on the go, working hard her whole adult life. It would be difficult for her to sit still for three whole months.
Shorty arrived for the lunch rush, which gave Luke time to call Katya in early. He didn’t want Maggie to have to work a full dining room by herself again that afternoon.
With the four of them, the work was doable. But the number of tickets above his head had him rushing. Luke didn’t notice the swinging door opening again, or whether someone was coming or going. Just as he dropped the battered chicken tenders into the deep fryer, a body came around the bend and bumped into him.
The chicken hit the oil with a splash, and he heard Maggie cry out. Spinning on his heels, Luke realized she’d been the one to bump into him, and the hot oil hitherarm.
“Maggie! I didn’t see you there.”
“It’s alright,” she hissed.
“No, it’s not. Are you okay?” He grabbed her upper arm and she winced.
“Most of it’s on the floor,” she said with a slight grimace.
How could he be so careless? “Shorty, take over for me for a bit.” Luke pulled on Maggie’s arm even as she reached for a rag to mop up the oil from the floor.
“We need to treat this, fast.”
“I don’t want someone to slip.”
“I got it, Maggie.” Shorty answered her. “Go with Luke, honey.”
Luke steered her towards the employee bathroom in the back hallway. When it was just Luke in that bathroom, it was a tight fit. With both Maggie’s curves and his wide shoulders, it became downright claustrophobic.
He flipped the sink on and cool water drenched his hand as he checked the temperature. While applying the water as her skin started to blister, Luke’s first aid training ran through his head. All he had to do now was apply a burn cream and a bandage. Luke debated calling Aaron to cover the rest of Maggie’s shift, wondering how bad his little brother would fight him on it. He quickly decided it wouldn’t be worth the hassle.
Luke looked down at the arm in the sink. The smell of oil clung to her t-shirt, to his apron, and overpowered the tiny powder room. His stomach clenched. The minimal hair on her arms had offered no protection. Looking up at her face, he realized her eyes had scrunched closed on a wince and he immediately lightened his grip.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Why wassheapologizing? He’d hurther. “It’s not your fault, Maggie. I should have been more aware of my surroundings.”
She shook her head, her eyes still closed. For the first time, he could look his fill without her running to the dining room. His gaze fell to her mouth, the fullness of her soft pink lips. He was so busy wondering what they’d taste like, it took him longer than he’d admit to realize they were quivering, and pale. His free hand reached for her cheek but didn’t dare make contact. He clocked her rapid, shallow breaths, the way her freckles stood out against her pale ashen skin, all pointing to a serious burn. God, how could he have been so stupid?
“You’re shaking.”
Green eyes snapped open and stared at him.
