Page 25 of Waitress at the Shadow Ridge Inn
“I see Rose’s plan worked.” Shannon smirked, coming up beside me.
“It did,” I agreed.
“Don’t even try to sneak out of here early,” she warned. “Rose told us to keep an eye on you.”
Well, there went that idea. I was going to have to get extra crafty.
“Who is the tall, stunning Cher look-alike with Lou?” I asked, changing the subject.
“That’s his wife, Kim.”
My jaw dropped. “You’re kidding! I didn’t know he was married.”
Shannon laughed. “Oh, yeah. They’ve been married for ten years at least. Their relationship is, shall we say, unique.”
Before I could ask what she meant, she said, “Uh-oh, it looks like Mike and CJ are plotting something. I’d better get over there and put a stop to it. Remember what I said.” She put two fingers up to her eyes, then turned them around to face me in anI’m watching yougesture before moving away.
I went back to people-watching. I didn’t need a name to know the guy next to Max was a Ziegler. I hadn’t seen him before, but he had the same chestnut hair and hazel eyes as his brothers and was just as attractive. I’d learned there were five sons, ranging in age from seventeen to thirty. I guessed I was looking at the youngest.
I wondered if the others would show. Or rather, if one Ziegler brother in particular would be here.
As always, my pulse sped up at the thought of Steve. I knew he wasn’t here yet—I’d been discreetly scanning from the moment I arrived.Was he staying away because he knew I might be here?
I ignored the pang of disappointment and told myself it was for the best.
I told myself that it didn’t matter, because I hadn’t changed into my best ass-hugging jeans on the off chance that I might see him. Nor had I selected the hooded, dark lilac three-quarter-length-sleeved top that people said brought out the violet in my blue-violet eyes because of him. And I definitely hadn’t taken an extra minute to release my dark hair from its working ponytail and spritz it with curl-enhancing gel.
I’d done those things purely for me, because doing them with him in mind would have been wrong. It would have sent mixed signals and contradicted mydon’t want to start something I can’t finishphilosophy.
“Looking mighty fine there, darlin’,” Lou said, ambling up to me.
“Why, thank you, Lou. You clean up pretty good yourself,” I replied honestly.
Like me, Lou had chosen to wear his hair free. It was as long as mine, if not longer, and thick. With his black T-shirt and plaid flannel, he reminded me of a hillbilly version of Jason Momoa.
“Kinda makes you want some, doesn’t it?” he said with a wink.
“And … you ruined it,” I said lightly. “What does your wife think of your shameless flirting?”
His eyes glittered wickedly. “We have what you’d call an open relationship.”
“Oh.Ohhh,” I said, drawing the word out as realization dawned. I now understood what Shannon had meant when she called Lou’s marriage unique.
“But just so you know, she thinks you’re cute too.”
I was pretty sure Lou was implying that his wife would be down with a three-way, and I didn’t know how to respond to that.
I went with, “Thanks, I think, but no thanks. I’m flattered though. Really.”
He laughed at my obvious discomfort and looked over my shoulder. “I’m telling you, man, it’s like I have aget out of jailfree card and I can’t get arrested.”
I turned around and looked into beautiful hazel eyes, and my heart rate went from normal human to racehorse between one blink and the next. In the lights of the barn, they looked more green than brown tonight.
“Hi,” he said in that soft, quiet way he had. It calmed and excited me at the same time.
“Hi,” I echoed.
He looked amazing. The dark brown thermal he wore clung to sculpted pecs beneath the open red-and-brown flannel, and as usual, he had the sleeves pushed back to his elbows, treating me to another free peep show of arm porn.
