wait on him when he sat at the counter. That way he was on one side and I was on the other side.
“Morning, Sarge,” I said, angling myself to face him so he couldn’t brush against my ass.
“Ivy.” He grinned up at me from his seat and rested a hand on one of my hips. “Looking gorgeous as always.”
“What can I get you to start?” I asked, moving away. “Coffee?”
His unwanted hand on my body made me want to scream inside. I disliked being touched by men, and the fact that he was a cop made it ten times worse.
“Did I hear you’re dating one of the Lockhart boys?” He grabbed and squeezed my hip and furrowed his brow, trying to look disappointed. Instead he looked pathetic.
“No, I’m not,” I said with disdain in my voice. “Coffee?”
I felt the looks of other customers on us. My tolerance had reached its limit. I turned away and Tom’s hand fell away from my hip.
“I’ll come back and check on you in a bit,” I called over my shoulder.
I went to the pass through in the kitchen to look for my orders and Margie slid in next to me.
“You don’t have to let that pervert get touchy-feely, you know. I’ve told you that. I could tell you were about to deck him.”
“I would’ve enjoyed that,” I said, smiling as I remembered Reed’s offer to teach me how to box.
“Go take a break outside,” Margie said. “I’ve got your tables.”
“I’m fine.”
“Go on.” She made a shooing motion with her hand. “Get some fresh air.”
She knew if I took a break in the kitchen I’d wash dishes or prep for Gene. I found those things relaxing, but Margie always insisted that breaks be work free.
I nodded and headed for the front door. The brisk winter air felt good on my sweaty skin. I was in constant motion at work. It made the time pass quickly and kept me in decent shape. But it also made me feel like a sweaty mess by the end of the work day. My clothes always smelled like greasy diner food, which meant I did, too.
There was a bench around the corner, so I took my apron off and sat down. I wanted to clear away thoughts of Tom and how gross his looks and touches made me feel. With one deep cleansing breath after another, I reminded myself that I wasn’t the one who should feel bad.
“Hey, Ivy. How are you?”
I looked up from the bench to see Reed standing several feet away. He wore a dark tailored suit with a bright red tie and a long wool coat. Everything about him was the opposite of a greasy diner waitress.
“I’m good. How about you?”
“Mind if I sit down with you? I’m on my way to the courthouse but I have a little time to spare.”
Lovely was the county seat, even though it wasn’t the largest town in the county. The old courthouse just off the town square was one of the most beautiful buildings around. Reed could walk there from his nearby office.
“Sure,” I said, scooting over.
“Would you like my coat?” he asked. “It’s cold out here.”
“I’m good. I get hot running around all the time.”
Reed nodded and sat down at the other end of the bench. I glanced at the empty space between us. He wasn’t like Tom Marsh, who treated women like playthings.
“How was your weekend?” he asked.
“Nice. I made those snowflakes, you know, where you fold up white paper and cut it with scissors and then unfold it?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think I ever made those.”
“What? I love those things. And when I’d unfold them, Noah would ooh and ahh. So I ended up making like twenty of them and hanging them from our ceiling on strings.”
Reed smiled. “Sounds like fun.”
“Well, for mommies and toddlers it is,” I said, shrugging.
“I would’ve loved to be there.” His warm gaze reminded me of dancing with him at the barn dance. He glanced at his wristwatch and sighed deeply. “I have to get to court, but . . . I wanted to ask you . . . can I take you out this weekend?”
“Out?” I clutched my syrup-stained apron in my hands. “Do
“Morning, Sarge,” I said, angling myself to face him so he couldn’t brush against my ass.
“Ivy.” He grinned up at me from his seat and rested a hand on one of my hips. “Looking gorgeous as always.”
“What can I get you to start?” I asked, moving away. “Coffee?”
His unwanted hand on my body made me want to scream inside. I disliked being touched by men, and the fact that he was a cop made it ten times worse.
“Did I hear you’re dating one of the Lockhart boys?” He grabbed and squeezed my hip and furrowed his brow, trying to look disappointed. Instead he looked pathetic.
“No, I’m not,” I said with disdain in my voice. “Coffee?”
I felt the looks of other customers on us. My tolerance had reached its limit. I turned away and Tom’s hand fell away from my hip.
“I’ll come back and check on you in a bit,” I called over my shoulder.
I went to the pass through in the kitchen to look for my orders and Margie slid in next to me.
“You don’t have to let that pervert get touchy-feely, you know. I’ve told you that. I could tell you were about to deck him.”
“I would’ve enjoyed that,” I said, smiling as I remembered Reed’s offer to teach me how to box.
“Go take a break outside,” Margie said. “I’ve got your tables.”
“I’m fine.”
“Go on.” She made a shooing motion with her hand. “Get some fresh air.”
She knew if I took a break in the kitchen I’d wash dishes or prep for Gene. I found those things relaxing, but Margie always insisted that breaks be work free.
I nodded and headed for the front door. The brisk winter air felt good on my sweaty skin. I was in constant motion at work. It made the time pass quickly and kept me in decent shape. But it also made me feel like a sweaty mess by the end of the work day. My clothes always smelled like greasy diner food, which meant I did, too.
There was a bench around the corner, so I took my apron off and sat down. I wanted to clear away thoughts of Tom and how gross his looks and touches made me feel. With one deep cleansing breath after another, I reminded myself that I wasn’t the one who should feel bad.
“Hey, Ivy. How are you?”
I looked up from the bench to see Reed standing several feet away. He wore a dark tailored suit with a bright red tie and a long wool coat. Everything about him was the opposite of a greasy diner waitress.
“I’m good. How about you?”
“Mind if I sit down with you? I’m on my way to the courthouse but I have a little time to spare.”
Lovely was the county seat, even though it wasn’t the largest town in the county. The old courthouse just off the town square was one of the most beautiful buildings around. Reed could walk there from his nearby office.
“Sure,” I said, scooting over.
“Would you like my coat?” he asked. “It’s cold out here.”
“I’m good. I get hot running around all the time.”
Reed nodded and sat down at the other end of the bench. I glanced at the empty space between us. He wasn’t like Tom Marsh, who treated women like playthings.
“How was your weekend?” he asked.
“Nice. I made those snowflakes, you know, where you fold up white paper and cut it with scissors and then unfold it?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think I ever made those.”
“What? I love those things. And when I’d unfold them, Noah would ooh and ahh. So I ended up making like twenty of them and hanging them from our ceiling on strings.”
Reed smiled. “Sounds like fun.”
“Well, for mommies and toddlers it is,” I said, shrugging.
“I would’ve loved to be there.” His warm gaze reminded me of dancing with him at the barn dance. He glanced at his wristwatch and sighed deeply. “I have to get to court, but . . . I wanted to ask you . . . can I take you out this weekend?”
“Out?” I clutched my syrup-stained apron in my hands. “Do
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