all. She’d
gone to the casino and her former manager was still there, and glad
to see her. She’d been rehired on the spot and been given her
uniform, skin-tight black briefs and a snug red T-shirt. A Hooters
girl would look dressed for church in comparison.
Now she had to walk away from this place she
loved to go to that place that was loud and ugly and smelled sour.
She would not cry.
Quinn looked up from the paperwork he was
doing at one end of the bar. “So, talk.”
“Not here.” She looked down the bar at Leo
Erickson and Delia Smart, the postmistress.
Quinn followed her gaze, huffed out a breath,
and inclined his head toward his office. She was shaking as she led
the way into the tiny room. She sucked in a deep breath when he
closed the door behind her.
“I have to quit,” she said without
preamble.
She’d never seen Quinn look surprised before,
so she could only interpret his sudden stillness as that. “Why the
hell, Beth? You’re my best waitress.”
“I—need more money. It’s nothing personal,
but with the hospital bills and—I got a job at the casino.”
He made a sound of disgust. “I’ll give you a
raise. And with Maddox playing here, I thought you were doing
pretty good.”
She gripped the back of the chair across from
his desk, aware it revealed her anxiety but not caring. “You can’t
afford to give me the raise I need, and Maddox won’t be here
forever. I’m sorry, Quinn. I know you’ve done a lot for me.”
He scowled. “Apparently not enough. What
about Jonathan? Jonas is his baby, too. Is he giving Linda any
support?” He took her silence for the answer it was. “I’ll talk to
his parents.”
Her pride hadn’t allowed her to give Jonathan
a thought, not in the months before Jonas was born, or in the
months after. “Quinn, you don’t need to get involved.”
“I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for
me. You’re my best waitress, this is my busiest time, and I can’t
afford to lose you.”
She shook her head. “Whatever Jonathan can
pitch in still won’t help. And his family is struggling, too.”
“Doesn’t matter. His baby, his
responsibility. More his than yours.” He walked behind the desk to
pick up the phone.
Beth put her hand on it to stop him. He
raised his gaze to hers, eyebrows arched.
“You’re right,” she said. “You’re right, and
I’ll talk to his parents.” It wasn’t his place, and to send him
begging on her behalf turned her stomach more than begging on her
own. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I need this casino job.
I’d keep both if I didn’t have to babysit Jonas.”
Oh, she shouldn’t have said that, because his
gaze sharpened.
“I may know someone who could help you out
with babysitting.”
She shook her head. “I don’t need another
expense.”
“I said she could help you, not that she’d
charge you. Let me talk to her.”
And then she’d be working two waitressing
jobs. Her feet ached just thinking about it, but the money…
“Thanks, but for now, I have to work there. I can work here until
Thursday, but after that…I’m sorry, Quinn. I know I owe you
more.”
Tears tightened her throat, so she pivoted
and fled, right into the arms of Maddox Bradley.
Maddox grasped Beth’s arms as she dipped her
head, and bent to look into her face. Her stubborn chin was set,
her nose pinched, and—hell, she was about to cry. He looked past
her to Quinn, whose own jaw was tight.
“What did you say to her?” he demanded.
Quinn’s eyes widened. “I—nothing!” He flung
his hands in her direction. “Talk to her. I sure as hell
can’t.”
Maddox glanced about and saw people starting
to notice them. He didn’t want an audience right now and was pretty
sure she didn’t either. So he dragged her across the narrow hall
and into the ladies’ room. She snapped her head up then and glared
at him.
“Are you crazy?”
“You want to tell me what’s going on?”
She wouldn’t meet his gaze.
gone to the casino and her former manager was still there, and glad
to see her. She’d been rehired on the spot and been given her
uniform, skin-tight black briefs and a snug red T-shirt. A Hooters
girl would look dressed for church in comparison.
Now she had to walk away from this place she
loved to go to that place that was loud and ugly and smelled sour.
She would not cry.
Quinn looked up from the paperwork he was
doing at one end of the bar. “So, talk.”
“Not here.” She looked down the bar at Leo
Erickson and Delia Smart, the postmistress.
Quinn followed her gaze, huffed out a breath,
and inclined his head toward his office. She was shaking as she led
the way into the tiny room. She sucked in a deep breath when he
closed the door behind her.
“I have to quit,” she said without
preamble.
She’d never seen Quinn look surprised before,
so she could only interpret his sudden stillness as that. “Why the
hell, Beth? You’re my best waitress.”
“I—need more money. It’s nothing personal,
but with the hospital bills and—I got a job at the casino.”
He made a sound of disgust. “I’ll give you a
raise. And with Maddox playing here, I thought you were doing
pretty good.”
She gripped the back of the chair across from
his desk, aware it revealed her anxiety but not caring. “You can’t
afford to give me the raise I need, and Maddox won’t be here
forever. I’m sorry, Quinn. I know you’ve done a lot for me.”
He scowled. “Apparently not enough. What
about Jonathan? Jonas is his baby, too. Is he giving Linda any
support?” He took her silence for the answer it was. “I’ll talk to
his parents.”
Her pride hadn’t allowed her to give Jonathan
a thought, not in the months before Jonas was born, or in the
months after. “Quinn, you don’t need to get involved.”
“I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for
me. You’re my best waitress, this is my busiest time, and I can’t
afford to lose you.”
She shook her head. “Whatever Jonathan can
pitch in still won’t help. And his family is struggling, too.”
“Doesn’t matter. His baby, his
responsibility. More his than yours.” He walked behind the desk to
pick up the phone.
Beth put her hand on it to stop him. He
raised his gaze to hers, eyebrows arched.
“You’re right,” she said. “You’re right, and
I’ll talk to his parents.” It wasn’t his place, and to send him
begging on her behalf turned her stomach more than begging on her
own. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I need this casino job.
I’d keep both if I didn’t have to babysit Jonas.”
Oh, she shouldn’t have said that, because his
gaze sharpened.
“I may know someone who could help you out
with babysitting.”
She shook her head. “I don’t need another
expense.”
“I said she could help you, not that she’d
charge you. Let me talk to her.”
And then she’d be working two waitressing
jobs. Her feet ached just thinking about it, but the money…
“Thanks, but for now, I have to work there. I can work here until
Thursday, but after that…I’m sorry, Quinn. I know I owe you
more.”
Tears tightened her throat, so she pivoted
and fled, right into the arms of Maddox Bradley.
Maddox grasped Beth’s arms as she dipped her
head, and bent to look into her face. Her stubborn chin was set,
her nose pinched, and—hell, she was about to cry. He looked past
her to Quinn, whose own jaw was tight.
“What did you say to her?” he demanded.
Quinn’s eyes widened. “I—nothing!” He flung
his hands in her direction. “Talk to her. I sure as hell
can’t.”
Maddox glanced about and saw people starting
to notice them. He didn’t want an audience right now and was pretty
sure she didn’t either. So he dragged her across the narrow hall
and into the ladies’ room. She snapped her head up then and glared
at him.
“Are you crazy?”
“You want to tell me what’s going on?”
She wouldn’t meet his gaze.
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