1 Death on Eat Street by J.J. Cook Page A

and Delia. I hoped I’d made enough money to pay them both something by the end of the day.
    “I heard you were down here.”
    I looked up and shaded my eyes with my hand. “Tommy Lee! What do you mean you heard?”
    He sat across from me. “I heard it on the radio. I came over to see how you were doing.”
    I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around what he was saying. “You mean the radio station was telling people where to find us?”
    “They were telling people you and that other food truck were giving out free samples.” He frowned. “Zoe, we need to talk.”
    I was so excited that they’d called my name on the radio. The possibilities from that were amazing. I could give out free samples every day. Biscuits were cheap and easy to make. Of course, I could try other things. A biscuit bowl could be lightly filled with a pie filling and cut into four pieces. That could work, too.
    “Zoe?” Tommy Lee was snapping his fingers in front of my face.
    “Oh. Sorry. What were you saying?”
    “I asked you to marry me. You didn’t answer. I think we should at least get engaged. We don’t have to get married right away. Weddings take time to plan anyway. I know you want a big, showy wedding where your mother and father can invite all of their friends. My parents do, too.”
    “I’m sorry, Tommy Lee.” I put my hand on his. “I can’t get married, or engaged, right now. I don’t think you really want to marry me anyway. You just feel obligated.”
    “What are you talking about? We’ve been together for a long time.”
    “Most of that time wasn’t me. It was the girl my parents wanted me to be. You, too, I guess. I’m not that girl anymore. I don’t think you want to marry a woman who owns a ratty old diner and drives a food truck.”
    “Zoe, that’s
now
.” He smiled very tenderly. I could feel his old pull on my heartstrings. “When we get married, you won’t need a career or a business. I make enough money that my wife doesn’t have to do anything—except attend charitable functions and support me in my work.”
    “I think you have the wrong person.” I wanted to say he should ask Betty to marry him, but that sounded like sour grapes, and I really didn’t feel that way. “I wish you all the best, Tommy Lee. I don’t think we’re right for each other anymore.”
    The shock written on his handsome face was terrible. I felt so bad for him, despite everything. I even started to take it back so his feelings wouldn’t be hurt.
    “Customers coming,” Ollie called out.
    “Gotta go.” I smiled at Tommy Lee. “You’ll see this is for the best. I wouldn’t be good at what you expect from a wife. Come over to the window and I’ll give you a free biscuit bowl.”
    He sat at the café table for a long time, staring at me. Ollie and I waited on a few customers who’d heard good things about our food from their coworkers in the building.
    Finally, when everyone was gone, Tommy Lee came up to the window. He stared at Ollie instead of me.
    “Is it
him
?” He pointed to Ollie. “Are you in love with this man?”
    I was surprised and embarrassed. “No. I’m not in love with Ollie. He’s working with me.”
    Tommy Lee made an ugly snorting noise. “Is that what you want from a man, Zoe? Somebody who will put on an apron and work in this sweatshop with you?”
    Ollie had that mean look on his face that had scared off our early morning thief.
    “You’re embarrassing both of us,” I whispered. “You should go now.”
    “Yeah? Who’s gonna make me go?
Him?
” He really noticed Ollie for the first time. That closer study made him gulp hard and step back from the window.
    Ollie lunged at him. It was fake, of course
    Tommy Lee almost tripped over a chair as he tried to get away. I felt bad for him again.
    I put my hand on Ollie’s big arm. “No need to threaten him. He’s only upset and disappointed.”
    He nodded and walked to the front of the food truck to sit down by Crème Brûlée.
    “Go home,