before, came out the back and headed for the front door.
Wade said, “You got a ride this time?”
Toby opened the door and peered out. “Yeah, he’s here this time. Thanks.”
“Good night.” Wade climbed onto a bar stool and grinned at Ronisha. “You know what I’d really like right about now?”
“You’re scaring me.” She didn’t look scared at all.
“A cup of hot tea. Warm drinks are good for the vocal chords and mine need a little TLC right now.”
“Are you for real?”
“A nice cup of herbal tea, not too hot, just right. It’s the perfect thing for a night like this.”
“And here I thought tequila was more your speed.”
“I’m trying to clean up my act, remember?”
Daisy returned from the secondary dining room, making her way slowly to the bar. Wade watched her progress with undisguised interest.
Ronisha leaned over and said in low voice, “And if you happen to impress a certain blond, all the better, huh, cowboy?”
Wade winked and placed a finger over his lips. “Hey, Daisy, do you know if there’s any herbal tea around here anywhere?”
“Walmart. Maybe Kroger.” She climbed onto a stool, dumped her tips on the bar and began to straighten and count the bills. To Ronisha she said, “That last table is gone. Go ahead and turn off the sign.”
“You want me to stay or you got this?”
“I got this, go on.” Daisy looked up. “Hey, did Toby get a ride?”
“Yeah, and Alonzo just finished up in the back.” The other waitresses had left at midnight. “See you Monday.”
“Tuesday. I’m off Monday.”
Ronisha gathered her things. As she passed him on her way to the door she eyed Wade. “How about you, cowboy?”
“I think I’ll stay, make sure Daisy gets to her car safe and sound.”
Daisy said, “It’s one o’clock in the morning. This town has long since rolled up the sidewalks. Besides, she’ll lock the door on her way out and Alonzo locks the back door. You can go on home.”
Wade tried to think of an excuse to stay that didn’t sound sexist and came up empty. Ronisha saved him. She said, “There was that gas station that got held up late at night a few weeks ago. They never caught the guys.”
“Probably because they were passing through.” Daisy returned to her tips, getting a little aggressive with the wadded up bills.
Wade took the opportunity he’d been given. “I should stay. Just in case.”
“That’s settled, then. Good night.” Ronisha hurried out the door.
“I will deal with her later,” Daisy said. “Right now I’ll deal with you.” She turned to him wearing a flinty expression that reminded him of trips to the principal’s office.
“So no herbal tea, huh?” He tried to defuse that look with a grin.
It didn’t work. “We had a nice talk this afternoon.”
“We did. I enjoyed that.”
“But I wasn’t kidding about my rules. Don’t flirt with me, Wade. Don’t try to charm me or date me or have a fling with me. It’s a bad idea and it’s not going to happen.”
He liked the way she said his name, almost as much as he liked the fact that she didn’t say she wasn’t interested in him. “I’m only here for the summer.”
“Exactly.”
“I’m too old for you.”
She raised her hand in a vague gesture. “Not really, but if you want to use that as a reason, okay.”
He linked his hands and leaned just a little closer. “I like you.”
Her fingers twirled in a nervous dance on the bar. “I happen to be very likable.”
“I meant what I said this afternoon. I’m going to teach you about country music.”
Daisy threw up her hands. “Nope. Not interested. Besides, I’m taking the summer off from school. No lectures, no textbooks, no tests.”
“This’ll be a lot more fun than sitting in some classroom. Think of it as education by jukebox.”
“I need to finish closing.” Daisy slid off the barstool.
Wade caught her hand, holding it loosely in his. “One dance. That’s all I’m asking
Wade said, “You got a ride this time?”
Toby opened the door and peered out. “Yeah, he’s here this time. Thanks.”
“Good night.” Wade climbed onto a bar stool and grinned at Ronisha. “You know what I’d really like right about now?”
“You’re scaring me.” She didn’t look scared at all.
“A cup of hot tea. Warm drinks are good for the vocal chords and mine need a little TLC right now.”
“Are you for real?”
“A nice cup of herbal tea, not too hot, just right. It’s the perfect thing for a night like this.”
“And here I thought tequila was more your speed.”
“I’m trying to clean up my act, remember?”
Daisy returned from the secondary dining room, making her way slowly to the bar. Wade watched her progress with undisguised interest.
Ronisha leaned over and said in low voice, “And if you happen to impress a certain blond, all the better, huh, cowboy?”
Wade winked and placed a finger over his lips. “Hey, Daisy, do you know if there’s any herbal tea around here anywhere?”
“Walmart. Maybe Kroger.” She climbed onto a stool, dumped her tips on the bar and began to straighten and count the bills. To Ronisha she said, “That last table is gone. Go ahead and turn off the sign.”
“You want me to stay or you got this?”
“I got this, go on.” Daisy looked up. “Hey, did Toby get a ride?”
“Yeah, and Alonzo just finished up in the back.” The other waitresses had left at midnight. “See you Monday.”
“Tuesday. I’m off Monday.”
Ronisha gathered her things. As she passed him on her way to the door she eyed Wade. “How about you, cowboy?”
“I think I’ll stay, make sure Daisy gets to her car safe and sound.”
Daisy said, “It’s one o’clock in the morning. This town has long since rolled up the sidewalks. Besides, she’ll lock the door on her way out and Alonzo locks the back door. You can go on home.”
Wade tried to think of an excuse to stay that didn’t sound sexist and came up empty. Ronisha saved him. She said, “There was that gas station that got held up late at night a few weeks ago. They never caught the guys.”
“Probably because they were passing through.” Daisy returned to her tips, getting a little aggressive with the wadded up bills.
Wade took the opportunity he’d been given. “I should stay. Just in case.”
“That’s settled, then. Good night.” Ronisha hurried out the door.
“I will deal with her later,” Daisy said. “Right now I’ll deal with you.” She turned to him wearing a flinty expression that reminded him of trips to the principal’s office.
“So no herbal tea, huh?” He tried to defuse that look with a grin.
It didn’t work. “We had a nice talk this afternoon.”
“We did. I enjoyed that.”
“But I wasn’t kidding about my rules. Don’t flirt with me, Wade. Don’t try to charm me or date me or have a fling with me. It’s a bad idea and it’s not going to happen.”
He liked the way she said his name, almost as much as he liked the fact that she didn’t say she wasn’t interested in him. “I’m only here for the summer.”
“Exactly.”
“I’m too old for you.”
She raised her hand in a vague gesture. “Not really, but if you want to use that as a reason, okay.”
He linked his hands and leaned just a little closer. “I like you.”
Her fingers twirled in a nervous dance on the bar. “I happen to be very likable.”
“I meant what I said this afternoon. I’m going to teach you about country music.”
Daisy threw up her hands. “Nope. Not interested. Besides, I’m taking the summer off from school. No lectures, no textbooks, no tests.”
“This’ll be a lot more fun than sitting in some classroom. Think of it as education by jukebox.”
“I need to finish closing.” Daisy slid off the barstool.
Wade caught her hand, holding it loosely in his. “One dance. That’s all I’m asking
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