minutes before she leaves, but I’ll take them. I’ll take whatever I can get at this point, which is completely unlike me. It just proves she’s wormed her way under my skin. Her and Lizzie.
I slip down the hallway and head for the dining room. Mallory is over at a table, talking to a group of women. Her smile lights up her face, and I find myself smiling too. “Look at you, all in love,” Gigi coos, as she moves beside me at the servers’ station.
“You’re crazy,” I grumble, shoving my hands into my pockets, my eyes automatically seeking her out.
Gigi makes a tsking sound. “We’ll see,” she singsongs, ripping off a receipt and heading to her final table of the afternoon.
“Hey,” Mallory says, stepping up beside me and tapping on the touchscreen.
“Have a good shift?” I ask, leaning against the wall to watch her work.
“Yeah, not too bad,” she replies. I want to run my fingers through the soft curls in her ponytail.
“Did you get to take a break today?” I ask, casually, though it’s anything but. The truth is I called Jasper last night on my way home and chewed his ass. He didn’t realize the servers weren’t all taking advantage of the burger and fries for their break deal. He told me he’d make sure she ate, and if there wasn’t much time, he’d send her home with food before she left. Of course, he teased the hell out of me for even being concerned in the first place. He knows me well. I’ve never been one to fret over the staff or making sure they ate a decent meal while at work, but Mallory’s different. As much as I’ve tried to deny it or fight it, I’ve come to accept the fact that she is. Period. I still don’t know what that means really, but there’s no running from these crazy feelings she conjures up, namely the need to protect and take care of her.
She glances at me out of the corner of her eye. “I did,” she states, her eyes narrowing a little. “I take it you had something to do with their insistence I sit and eat.”
I just shrug my shoulders. “All servers get a free burger or sandwich.” That’s all I say.
“Mmhmm,” she says, fighting a smile, as she steps around me and heads back to her table.
When she collects the check and the customers leave, she starts to clean up the table. Gigi is in the kitchen and Marla off on the other side of the restaurant with her own customer. “Why don’t you and Lizzie come in tonight?”
She looks up, her eyes widening. “You want me to bring my three-year-old to a bar?”
“Well, not the bar, per se. You can sit in the restaurant or even one of the pub tables in the back over there,” I tell her, pointing to the grouping of tables on my side of the business. “We allow kids with adults over there up until a certain time.”
She seems to be considering the offer. “I don’t know.”
“Come on, Mal. I can make Lizzie a kiddie cocktail.”
“I don’t let her have soda, Walker.”
“Fine. I’ll mix up the best chocolate milk she’s ever had,” I insist. I don’t know why I’m pushing so damn hard for this. The only thing I can think of is I want to see them, and with our work schedules not jiving well, I’m limited on when I can do it.
She sighs and cocks her head to the side. “She won’t eat one of those big burgers.”
“Of course not, but you know she likes the fries. She ate half of mine last night. Besides, there’s a kiddie menu. She can have a grilled cheese.”
Mallory finishes collecting the dirty dishes and slips the tip from the table into her apron. “We’ll see.”
“We’ll see?” I parrot.
“Yes, Walker, we’ll see. I need to hit the laundromat, and depending on how many are there, sometimes it takes a little longer.”
“Afterward. Come by. Please.”
Those emerald eyes gaze up at me, and I can tell I’ve got her. “Fine.”
I’m already grinning. “Great. Come sit over at a pub table so I can take care of you,” I tell her, turning and heading to the large doorway leading to my bar, with a little extra spring in my step.
Fifteen minutes later, I watch as Mallory heads for the back door, ready to head home for the day. Before she disappears, she turns and finds me watching her. I throw her