shift."
Matt stared at her. "You aren't going to anyone's house for the holiday? You're working here all weekend?"
"Yep." She re-filled his cup even though it was only half-empty. She wasn't comfortable with the way he was watching her. Yes, it was pathetic to work the whole weekend and not have any place to go, but him knowing she had nowhere and nothing better to do made her feel like a loser.
"How about you?"
"I'm heading to my parents' for the weekend."
A loud Ukrainian holiday. She knew Matt's family and they used any occasion to assemble and serve copious amounts of food. She'd been to a few of their get-togethers and they were always loud and fun. Longing to be part of something so big and wonderful filled Lauren.
"Too bad you're working, you could've--"
The bell chimed over the door just in time. Otherwise she suspected Matt would've finished the thought with the idea of her going with him and there was no way in hell she'd ever do that. Matt had come back into her life and she'd been forced to face him. She'd accepted the verbal lashing she'd deserved and now they were working their way back to a friendship. She doubted his parents would be as willing to let the past go. Besides, they likely didn't want her anywhere near their son after what she'd done to him.
Cougar Denton walked to the counter and took the stool next to Matt's. He plunked his red beret on the counter next to Matt's ranger hat.
"Morning, Officer," then he extended a hand peppered with age spots. "I'm Jack Denton. Folks around here call me Cougar."
"Cougar knows everyone and everything that happens around here. I keep telling him he should work for you guys. In fact," she added with a mischievous grin, "he has quite a few stories you'd be interested in."
"Is that so?" Matt asked.
Smiling to herself, Lauren poured Cougar a coffee and slid a double-iced cinnamon bun under his chin. With everyone settled, Lauren slipped into the office.
Betty was working on the books.
"Need my help out there?" she asked, punching in more numbers into her adding machine.
"No, it's pretty quiet. Can I get you a coffee?"
Betty ripped the tape out of the machine, compared numbers to what was on screen. Satisfied, she stapled the tape to a pile of receipts then spun her chair from the computer. "Sounds good."
When she had the mug cradled in one hand, Betty studied Lauren. "Something's on your mind."
Lauren shuffled her feet. "I was hoping to ease into it a little slower."
"Ah," Betty nodded sagely. "You're about to hit me up for a raise."
"How did you know?"
"I've owned this café more than twenty years, you're not the first person to come in here blushing, asking to talk to me."
Lauren blew out her bangs. "Oh."
"Just because I know what you want doesn't mean you won't get it, Lauren. Did you have a number in mind?"
"Sort of. My house needs some long-overdue fixing and I could use the money for the extra expenses."
Ever since Matt had fixed her tap, Lauren had looked around her house, realized there were many other things needing fixing.
"I've seen your house, Lauren, and it's needed repairs for many years before you bought it. I've wondered how you could live there."
"I never really cared before but lately..." Lauren shrugged. "Lately I've realized how bad it really is."
Betty grinned over her coffee cup. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the handsome new man that's been coming in here, would it?"
There was no way to lie under such a direct gaze.
"Maybe."
"Well, it's about time!"
"What?" Lauren gasped.
Betty set down her mug. "Lauren, you know I like you, but from the moment you came looking for work, it was like watching a robot. You said the right things, did the right things, but there was no feeling behind any of it." Reaching over, she took Lauren's hand. "I stayed out of it, because I figured you had a reason, but I have to tell you, I am loving the spark in your eyes these last few days. It's good to finally meet you,
Matt stared at her. "You aren't going to anyone's house for the holiday? You're working here all weekend?"
"Yep." She re-filled his cup even though it was only half-empty. She wasn't comfortable with the way he was watching her. Yes, it was pathetic to work the whole weekend and not have any place to go, but him knowing she had nowhere and nothing better to do made her feel like a loser.
"How about you?"
"I'm heading to my parents' for the weekend."
A loud Ukrainian holiday. She knew Matt's family and they used any occasion to assemble and serve copious amounts of food. She'd been to a few of their get-togethers and they were always loud and fun. Longing to be part of something so big and wonderful filled Lauren.
"Too bad you're working, you could've--"
The bell chimed over the door just in time. Otherwise she suspected Matt would've finished the thought with the idea of her going with him and there was no way in hell she'd ever do that. Matt had come back into her life and she'd been forced to face him. She'd accepted the verbal lashing she'd deserved and now they were working their way back to a friendship. She doubted his parents would be as willing to let the past go. Besides, they likely didn't want her anywhere near their son after what she'd done to him.
Cougar Denton walked to the counter and took the stool next to Matt's. He plunked his red beret on the counter next to Matt's ranger hat.
"Morning, Officer," then he extended a hand peppered with age spots. "I'm Jack Denton. Folks around here call me Cougar."
"Cougar knows everyone and everything that happens around here. I keep telling him he should work for you guys. In fact," she added with a mischievous grin, "he has quite a few stories you'd be interested in."
"Is that so?" Matt asked.
Smiling to herself, Lauren poured Cougar a coffee and slid a double-iced cinnamon bun under his chin. With everyone settled, Lauren slipped into the office.
Betty was working on the books.
"Need my help out there?" she asked, punching in more numbers into her adding machine.
"No, it's pretty quiet. Can I get you a coffee?"
Betty ripped the tape out of the machine, compared numbers to what was on screen. Satisfied, she stapled the tape to a pile of receipts then spun her chair from the computer. "Sounds good."
When she had the mug cradled in one hand, Betty studied Lauren. "Something's on your mind."
Lauren shuffled her feet. "I was hoping to ease into it a little slower."
"Ah," Betty nodded sagely. "You're about to hit me up for a raise."
"How did you know?"
"I've owned this café more than twenty years, you're not the first person to come in here blushing, asking to talk to me."
Lauren blew out her bangs. "Oh."
"Just because I know what you want doesn't mean you won't get it, Lauren. Did you have a number in mind?"
"Sort of. My house needs some long-overdue fixing and I could use the money for the extra expenses."
Ever since Matt had fixed her tap, Lauren had looked around her house, realized there were many other things needing fixing.
"I've seen your house, Lauren, and it's needed repairs for many years before you bought it. I've wondered how you could live there."
"I never really cared before but lately..." Lauren shrugged. "Lately I've realized how bad it really is."
Betty grinned over her coffee cup. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the handsome new man that's been coming in here, would it?"
There was no way to lie under such a direct gaze.
"Maybe."
"Well, it's about time!"
"What?" Lauren gasped.
Betty set down her mug. "Lauren, you know I like you, but from the moment you came looking for work, it was like watching a robot. You said the right things, did the right things, but there was no feeling behind any of it." Reaching over, she took Lauren's hand. "I stayed out of it, because I figured you had a reason, but I have to tell you, I am loving the spark in your eyes these last few days. It's good to finally meet you,
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