to love.
And had she just thought of him as
Hunter’s
grandfather rather than Will’s? That was a first. Although Hunter hadn’t been far from her thoughts all morning as she relived the night before over and over again. What he’d said to her, how he’d said it, the way he’d looked at her and the tenderness he’d shown her … It had all been so … unexpected.
Despite the usual morning chaos in the diner, exacerbated by Brett and Nina’s news, she kept expecting him to walk through the door and realized she was watching for him, hoping to see him again sooner rather than later. He’d missed his usual seven-fifteen muffin run, which had her wondering if he’d skipped breakfast altogether.
“Are you all right, honey?” Mr. Stillman asked kindly—and quietly.
Megan realized she’d been standing by their table holding the coffeepot for at least a minute if not two. “I’m sorry to space out on you, and yes, I’m fine.”
“Must’ve come as a surprise to you to hear your sister and her husband are moving overseas.”
“It did.”
“You’ll miss her.”
“Very much.”
“Lots of people in this town care about you. I hope you know that.”
“I do, thank you.” He was such a dear, sweet man, and she would miss seeing him every day.
“My son’s a lawyer in St. J,” Percy said. “Looking for a new office manager. I can put in a word for you if you’re interested.”
“That’d be great. Thanks.” The thought of driving all the way to St. Johnsbury in winter weather made her feel ill, but she was in no position to turn down any job opportunities. She wrote down her phone number on a slip from her order pad and handed it to Percy. “Have him give me a call if he’d like to.”
“I’ll do that.”
She thought about her conversation with Elmer and Percy as she counted her tips after the lunch rush had come and gone with no sign of Hunter. Maybe he’d had a change of heart after last night. Maybe spending time with her one on one had shown him there was nothing all that special about her and he’d moved on. Surely a successful, self-assured man who looked like him could have any woman he wanted.
The thought made her sag into the booth she’d chosen in the far back corner, away from where Brett and Nina were having lunch and whispering with excitement about their big adventure. Butch had gone home after lunch but would be back in a couple of hours to cook dinner. Megan was done for the day. Two other waitresses took alternating days on the dinner shift.
They had a routine they followed, a routine that would be interrupted when the diner ceased to be the center of their existence. What would she do without this place to come to every day? That thought made her feel panicky. It wasn’t the money that worried her. Their parents’ life insurance had ensured that she and Nina were quite comfortable, so technically she wouldn’t have to work right away. The diner had been about much more than earning a living to both of them for as long as Nina and her husband had owned it.
Now it was about to disappear from her life almost as suddenly as her parents had. If she stayed here any longer, she was going to cry again, and she wouldn’t do that to Nina or Brett. She refused to rain on their exciting parade. Collecting the cash from the tabletop, she shoved the rolled bills into her purse and headed for the door.
“I’ll see you at home.”
“Are you okay?” Nina asked, tuned into her as always.
“Yep. Just got a couple of things to do, and now’s as good a time as any.” In truth, she had nothing to do, and after the diner closed, she’d have days full of nothing to do until she figured out her next move. Thinking of the empty, pointless days ahead brought back the panicked feeling as she pushed through the door and nearly smashed into Hunter, who was on his way in.
He reached out to grab her, keeping them both from tumbling down the stairs. “Whoa. What’s the rush?” Hunter
And had she just thought of him as
Hunter’s
grandfather rather than Will’s? That was a first. Although Hunter hadn’t been far from her thoughts all morning as she relived the night before over and over again. What he’d said to her, how he’d said it, the way he’d looked at her and the tenderness he’d shown her … It had all been so … unexpected.
Despite the usual morning chaos in the diner, exacerbated by Brett and Nina’s news, she kept expecting him to walk through the door and realized she was watching for him, hoping to see him again sooner rather than later. He’d missed his usual seven-fifteen muffin run, which had her wondering if he’d skipped breakfast altogether.
“Are you all right, honey?” Mr. Stillman asked kindly—and quietly.
Megan realized she’d been standing by their table holding the coffeepot for at least a minute if not two. “I’m sorry to space out on you, and yes, I’m fine.”
“Must’ve come as a surprise to you to hear your sister and her husband are moving overseas.”
“It did.”
“You’ll miss her.”
“Very much.”
“Lots of people in this town care about you. I hope you know that.”
“I do, thank you.” He was such a dear, sweet man, and she would miss seeing him every day.
“My son’s a lawyer in St. J,” Percy said. “Looking for a new office manager. I can put in a word for you if you’re interested.”
“That’d be great. Thanks.” The thought of driving all the way to St. Johnsbury in winter weather made her feel ill, but she was in no position to turn down any job opportunities. She wrote down her phone number on a slip from her order pad and handed it to Percy. “Have him give me a call if he’d like to.”
“I’ll do that.”
She thought about her conversation with Elmer and Percy as she counted her tips after the lunch rush had come and gone with no sign of Hunter. Maybe he’d had a change of heart after last night. Maybe spending time with her one on one had shown him there was nothing all that special about her and he’d moved on. Surely a successful, self-assured man who looked like him could have any woman he wanted.
The thought made her sag into the booth she’d chosen in the far back corner, away from where Brett and Nina were having lunch and whispering with excitement about their big adventure. Butch had gone home after lunch but would be back in a couple of hours to cook dinner. Megan was done for the day. Two other waitresses took alternating days on the dinner shift.
They had a routine they followed, a routine that would be interrupted when the diner ceased to be the center of their existence. What would she do without this place to come to every day? That thought made her feel panicky. It wasn’t the money that worried her. Their parents’ life insurance had ensured that she and Nina were quite comfortable, so technically she wouldn’t have to work right away. The diner had been about much more than earning a living to both of them for as long as Nina and her husband had owned it.
Now it was about to disappear from her life almost as suddenly as her parents had. If she stayed here any longer, she was going to cry again, and she wouldn’t do that to Nina or Brett. She refused to rain on their exciting parade. Collecting the cash from the tabletop, she shoved the rolled bills into her purse and headed for the door.
“I’ll see you at home.”
“Are you okay?” Nina asked, tuned into her as always.
“Yep. Just got a couple of things to do, and now’s as good a time as any.” In truth, she had nothing to do, and after the diner closed, she’d have days full of nothing to do until she figured out her next move. Thinking of the empty, pointless days ahead brought back the panicked feeling as she pushed through the door and nearly smashed into Hunter, who was on his way in.
He reached out to grab her, keeping them both from tumbling down the stairs. “Whoa. What’s the rush?” Hunter
Similar Books
