man like him. I wasn’t the kind of girl that was interested in a roughneck biker, and it ticked me off that I’d even given him a second look.
My chagrin worsened as I watched him stroll over to the counter and sit down next to Charlie. Damn. I didn’t want him anywhere close to my brother or sister. Before I could go over to Charlie and tell him to move, Louise came rushing out of the kitchen and headed straight for the mysterious stranger. She smiled and started talking to him like they were old friends. Being too curious for my own good, I stepped closer, pretending to check on my other customers as I eavesdropped on their conversation.
“I have the keys to your apartment in my office,” Louise told him. “You want a bite to eat while you’re here?”
“Yeah, that’d be good. Gus said you had one of the best burgers in town.” His voice was low and husky. I found myself wanting to hear him talk again, which only made me more annoyed with myself.
“One of the best? No, no darlin’. We are the best,” Louise corrected him. “The apartment is right upstairs. It’s the second door on the left. Gus made sure everything was ready for you. I put clean sheets on the bed this morning. I’ll be right back with your keys,” she told him before she headed to the back.
I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. He was going to be living next door! The guy hadn’t even spoken to me—and probably never would—but just the thought of him living next door made my frustration level hit an all-time high. I had no idea why I felt so intensely exasperated with his presence. All I knew was that my displeasure was clashing with my newfound raging libido.
When she placed the keys in his hand, he said, “Thanks, Louise. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem. And, darlin’, you can come by anytime for a bite to eat. It’s on the house.”
I quickly turned around, looking for anyone that was as surprised as I was by Louise’s offer, but no one even seemed to be paying attention. I glared at the man’s back, wanting more than ever to thump him right in the head just for being there. After staring at him for a few seconds longer, I decided that a bruising nipple-twist would be a better form of torture for the man who just invaded my thoughts and territory. I was smiling at the thought when Cyrus yelled, “Order up!”
I hurried over to the serving window, reaching quickly for the kids’ sandwiches before Cyrus had a chance to scream out again. I placed the plates on the counter in front of them. Without saying a word, they both began stuffing their mouths like they hadn’t eaten in days. I refilled their glasses of tea, then returned to check on Sam.
When I got back to his table, his plate was clean and his cup was empty. A huge smile spread across his face when he said, “Best meal I’ve had in a while.”
“Glad you liked it,” I answered.
He stood up to leave and softly said, “Mighty nice of you to feed an old fool like me. I owe you one.”
“Don’t give it a second thought. I was glad to do it.”
Once he’d gotten up and headed towards the back door, I picked up his receipt to see how much I owed for his lunch, then reached into my pocket for my tip money and placed it on the table. I thought back to the way Sam had smiled at me before he left and was amazed at how something so small could make me feel so good. I wanted to help him in some way, but I was still struggling to get my feet on the ground. I could only hope that someday I’d be able to do more.
I’d only been at the house for a couple of days when I’d gotten the call from Cotton. He’d given me free reign for weeks, but his patience was wearing thin and it was time for me to get to Memphis. After saying my goodbyes to my folks, I gathered up my shit and got on the road. I’d made it into Memphis well before dark, giving me plenty of time to get settled before my meeting with Gus the following morning. When Cotton called, he gave me an address to a diner