down here? The poor kid doesn’t even get paid!
I’m in a mind to find Dean and give him an earful, but when he lumbers into the kitchen, I lose my nerve.
He’s not scowling anymore though, so my shoulders relax a touch… until he points at me.
I tense, gripping the counter behind me.
“You’re locking up tonight.”
“Why?”
“I’ve got myself a date.” He wiggles his eyebrows, and I wish for the millionth time that my mother had never married this jackass. We were fine without him, but Mama convinced herself that I needed a father figure in my life. With Grandpa gone and Gramma’s mental health in rapid decline, she latched on to the first guy to show her any kindness. Dean seemed sweet at first; I’ll give her that. It wasn’t until Mama finally passed away that he showed his true colors. But I’d seen through his shiny veneer before that, anyway. After Jackson was born, he developed a serious case of the grumpies. Mama used to laugh it off, but his growl was loud and terrifying. And then Mama got sick. And he just got worse and worse. I guess he probably loved her a little, and maybe his sadness showed up as anger. One thing I do know for sure: he’s never loved me.
He clicks his fingers, jerking me back into the moment. “Wipe that look off your face. I’m not allowed to be happy? You just expecting me to mourn your mama for the rest of eternity?”
I will be! Why can’t you too?
I’m smart enough not to say it, but figure I better explain my frown. It’s the perfect opening to tell him to stop treating his own son like a slave.
“I’m not annoyed about that,” I mutter.
“Oh really? And what’s got your panties in a twist tonight?”
I glare at him, hating how much he riles me. He’s such a freaking jerk!
“Jackson was down here washing dishes.” I point at the sink behind me.
“That boy needs to earn his keep.”
“That boy is ten, and he’s got school. You don’t even pay him when you order him down here. You need to let him be a kid.”
You selfish moron! You’re nothin’ but a jerk-face bully!
Dean pulls his shoulders back and points at me. I glance at his beefy hand, grateful I managed to stop myself from saying out loud everything I wanted to. I tense for his reaction. There’s always one, but not usually in front of people.
For the first time in my life, I’m actually grateful for Mateo as he rounds the corner and waves his chubby fingers at me.
“I’m out!” He brushes past us and pushes open the kitchen door.
“What about my last two orders?” I call to him.
He jerks to a stop and points at them, sitting under the lights. How had I not noticed those? I got distracted with Jackson. Dammit. How long have they been sitting there?
“Ever heard of the words ‘order up’?” I snap.
“Whatever, Annie.” He rolls his eyes, the door banging shut behind him. I scan the kitchen. As per usual, he’s left it in a state. Awesome. I so love staying extra late to clean up other people’s messes.
Muttering under my breath, I grab the plate of fries and onion rings, brushing past Dean, whose nostrils are still flaring. I don’t care. He’s about to leave and get some. Hopefully whichever woman is stupid enough to do that for him will at least wipe that scowl off his face for a few days.
I wander out to Table Thirteen. “Here you go, officers.” I want to explain that the useless chef never told me the orders were ready and I wish I could fire him, but instead I give up my wages for the night and murmur, “These are on the house. Sorry it took so long.”
Tucker gives me a kind smile of thanks while Wesley ignores me, chowing down on the fries like they’re his first meal of the day. They’re obviously taking a late-night break before heading back to the station. I’m grateful there’s one nice cop in town. Thanks to Chief Keyes, most everybody hates me, but not Tucker Thwaites. He’s a good human being, and I’m grateful for it.
Scanning the restaurant, I notice Nadine clearing her last table and wander over to her.
“You about done?” I follow her into the kitchen.
“Yep.” She unloads her tray by the kitchen sink, then wipes the back of her hand across her forehead. “I would stay and help you lock up, but Rhett’s