“I wouldn’t throw you under the bus, Daddy,” Kristen said seriously.
“Thank you, sweetie.”
Katie smiled. “Are you thirsty? Can I get you something to drink?”
They ordered sweet teas all around, along with a basket of hush puppies. Kristen brought the drinks to the table and as she walked away, she felt Alex’s gaze on her. She fought the urge to peek over her shoulder, though she desperately wanted to.
For the next few minutes, she took orders and cleared plates from other tables, delivered a couple of meals, and finally returned with the basket of hush puppies.
“Be careful,” she said. “They’re still hot.”
“That’s when they’re the best,” Josh said, reaching into the basket. Kristen reached for one as well.
“We went butterfly hunting today,” she said.
“You did?”
“Yep. But we didn’t hurt them. We let them go.”
“That sounds like fun. Did you have a good time?”
“It was awesome!” Josh said. “I caught, like, a hundred of them! And then we went swimming.”
“What a great day,” Katie said sincerely. “No wonder your dad is tired.”
“I’m not tired,” both Josh and Kristen said, almost simultaneously.
“Maybe not,” Alex said, “but you’re both still going to bed early. Because your poor old dad needs to go to sleep.”
Katie shook her head. “Don’t be so hard on yourself,” she said. “You’re not poor.”
It took him a moment to realize she was teasing, and he laughed. It was loud enough for the people at the next table to notice, though he didn’t seem to care.
“I come in here to relax and enjoy my dinner, and I end up getting picked on by the waitress.”
“It’s a tough life.”
“You’re telling me. Next thing I know, you’ll be telling me that I might want to order from the kids’ menu, seeing as how I’m gaining weight.”
“Well, I wasn’t going to say anything,” she said with a pointed glance at his midsection. He laughed again, and when he looked at her she saw an appreciative gleam in his eye, reminding her that he found her attractive.
“I think we’re ready to order now,” he said.
“What can I get you?”
Alex ordered for them and Katie jotted it down. She held his gaze for a moment before leaving the table and dropping the order off in the kitchen. As she continued to work the tables in her station—as quickly as people left, they were replaced—she found excuses to swing by Alex’s table. She refilled their waters and their teas, she removed the basket when they were done with the hush puppies, and she brought Josh a new fork after his had dropped on the floor. She chatted easily with Alex and the kids, enjoying every moment, and eventually brought them their dinners.
Later, when they were through, she cleared the table and dropped off the check. By then, the sun was getting lower and Kristen had begun to yawn, and if anything, the restaurant had gotten busier. She had time for only a quick good-bye as the kids scrambled down the stairs, but when Alex hesitated, she had the sense that he was about to ask her out. She wasn’t sure how she was going to handle it, but before he could get the words out, one of her customers spilled a beer. The customer stood quickly from the table, bumping it, and two more glasses toppled over. Alex stepped back, the moment broken, knowing she had to go.
“See you soon,” he said, waving as he trailed after his kids.
The following day, Katie pushed open the door to the store only half an hour after opening.
“You’re here early,” Alex said, surprised.
“I was up early and just thought I’d get my shopping out of the way.”
“Did it ever slow down last night?”
“Finally. But a couple of people have been out this week. One went to her sister’s wedding, and another called in sick. It’s been crazy.”
“I could tell. But the food was great, even if the service was a little slow.”
When she fixed him with an irate expression, he laughed. “Just getting you back for teasing me last night.” He shook his head. “Calling me old. I’ll have you know my hair went gray before I was thirty.”
“You’re very sensitive about that,” she noted with a teasing tone. “But trust me. It looks good on you. It lends a certain air of respectability.”
“Is that good or bad?”
She smiled without giving an answer before reaching for a basket. As she did, she heard him clear his throat. “Are you working as much