The Trouble with Cowboys, page 15
“I think I want a brownie,” she said, licking her lips.
Lainey laughed. “You have good taste. I’ll give you this if you promise to tell me all about school.” She took the dome off the brownie display and used the tongs to place one on a plate. “Shhh, don’t tell your mom, but I picked the biggest one.”
Sadie slapped her hands across her mouth and tried to hide her very loud giggle. “Sure, Auntie Lainey, but first let me take a bite.”
Lainey tried not to laugh as Sadie managed to cram half the brownie in her little mouth. She quickly handed her a glass of water when it appeared she was having trouble swallowing. Hope patted her on the back. “Small bites, sweetie.”
Sadie nodded, swallowing. “First grade is all right.”
Lainey tried not to laugh at Sadie’s word choice. “Only ‘all right’?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes I don’t have anyone to play with at recess.”
“That happens. Don’t be afraid to just walk up to someone and ask them to play. Some kids are just shy. You might think they aren’t going to be a friend now, but as they get more comfortable at school, who knows, you might become best friends,” Lainey said, hoping she was giving good advice.
Sadie nodded like she agreed.
“Your paintings really look great. They transform the whole place,” Hope said, wandering around the diner.
Sadie nodded. “My favorite is the barn.”
Lainey smiled at her. “Mine, too.”
They all glanced over as the chimes on the front door interrupted them. Dean walked in, handsome in a checked button-down shirt and dark jeans. “Hi, ladies,” he said.
“Hi, Dr. Stanton!” Sadie said, clearly excited to see him and oblivious to her mother’s change of demeanor.
Dean broke out into a big grin. “Please tell me you saved me a brownie.”
She shook her head. “I ate them all!”
They all laughed, but Hope’s smile seemed a little forced. Dean and Hope had never seen eye to eye, but when her husband had gotten sick, she knew Hope had blamed him for his death. In a lot of ways, she felt that Hope had misjudged Dean. Dean was a great doctor, but also a very nice person. As much as she loved her friend, she knew she was wrong.
“Well, we should probably get going,” Hope said, walking back over to the counter.
“Mommy, I want to stay and color,” Sadie said. She cleverly dumped the cup of crayons Lainey had placed in front of her.
Hope sighed and offered another one of those tight smiles. “Sure, just a few minutes, then.”
Lainey turned to Dean, who also had an odd expression on his face. “What can I get you?”
“Just a coffee and brownie. To go, please.”
“You got it,” she said, quickly getting his order together. “Busy day?” she asked, anything to break the tension in the space. Really, she hoped other customers would walk through the door to end this painful situation.
“Uh, yes, but not too busy to notice this place seems a little different.” The shock in Dean’s voice made her almost knock over the coffee she’d just poured him. He was slowly turning on the swivel barstool, obviously taking in the paintings.
She rubbed her sweaty hands on the front of her apron. “Yeah, I figured I’d…change things up a bit in here,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant.
“Auntie Lainey is an artist,” Sadie said, filling in the missing pieces.
“I can see that. These are amazing, Lainey,” he said, his eyes filled with sincerity.
“Thank you,” she said, trying again to take the compliment professionally. She slid the coffee across the counter.
“Thanks. I really needed a little afternoon pick-me-up,” he said with a grin, placing a five dollar bill on the counter.
“Mommy says sugar is really bad for us,” Sadie said while coloring a picture of Elsa. “She said it’s fake energy.”
Dean glanced over at Hope. “Well, I’m sure a little sugar here and there won’t kill anyone.”
“Mommy also says that sugar can cause all sorts of problems, from diabetes to cancer to—”
“Sadie, why don’t you finish up your coloring? I’m sure Dr. Stanton knows all the bad things sugar does. He can just prescribe pharmaceuticals to fix the problem.”
Lainey coughed while keeping her eyes on Dean. His jaw was clenching and unclenching, and his green eyes glittered. This was definitely not their first conversation about such things. But she didn’t think Hope was being fair to Dean. It wasn’t his fault that her husband had died. Dean had done everything. But she knew Hope still couldn’t think about it rationally. Maybe she’d never get over it, over the loss, over the fear. Her life hadn’t gone as she’d planned, and there were so many days that she had so much on her plate, running her practice and being a single parent.
“Thanks, Lainey. I’m going to go enjoy my brownie and coffee. Oh, can you pass the sugar for the coffee?” he asked, his voice as smooth as maple syrup. Lainey had to stifle her smile because she knew that he never added anything to his coffee; he always drank it black.
Hope had turned her back to the entire conversation and was pretending to study one of Lainey’s paintings.
“That’s lots of sugar!” Sadie giggled.
Dean smiled and placed the plastic lid on the paper cup. “It sure is. You enjoy that brownie. Goodbye, ladies.”
Lainey watched him leave and tried not to smile as he took a sip of his coffee outside and spit it out. Poor Dean.
A family walked through, and another couple, and then pretty soon Lainey was busy handing out menus as Hope and Sadie waved goodbye.
She managed the tables efficiently, and Betty performed as usual in the kitchen. As seven o’clock neared, though, she started having those butterflies in her stomach at the thought of seeing Ty again tonight when she drove Martin’s dinner over. She’d managed to avoid him the whole week. It had been too busy to leave by five, which meant he’d definitely be in from working the ranch. A slight shiver stole through her.
She also kinda liked seeing Tyler when he was all sweaty and tired at the end of the day, as insane as that sounded. He put in long hours at the ranch, and she knew he was working himself to the bone, trying to prove to his father that he could save the place. She hoped he was right. But no matter how tired he was, how drawn his handsome face was, he always smiled at her. That was the reason for the butterflies in her stomach. That smile. The light in his blue eyes as he looked at her. From the first day she met him, she thought he was the most handsome cowboy in Wishing River. When she’d been a teenager, she’d always made sure she waited on his table. He’d been polite and friendly. He’d had no idea that she’d been secretly planning their wedding.
“Oh dear, oh dear,” Betty said, coming out of the kitchen.
“What is it? Everything okay?” she asked, concerned by the deep frown on Betty’s face.
“My husband might have the flu. Lainey, do you mind if I leave?”
“Of course not. You go,” she said, ushering Betty back into the kitchen and helping her with her coat and purse. “Don’t worry about me. The dinner crowd is gone.”
“Oh, but I know you were going to Martin’s ranch tonight,” Betty said, pausing at the back door.
She waved her hand. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll just give the nurse a call and tell her to get something from the canteen. No one will starve over there,” she said, opening the door that led to the back parking lot and gesturing for Betty to leave. “Go take care of your husband.”
Betty nodded finally and then plodded off. Lainey locked the back door and dialed the nurse’s number, then left a message.
She sighed and took in the messy kitchen before her. There would be no seeing Tyler tonight. It was probably for the best.
She quickly cleaned the space, hoping the more she did now, the less she’d have to do later, especially if she only had one or two customers. Maybe she could actually have an early night. She could use that time to research some local galleries like Tyler had suggested…or maybe she’d try painting again. She had come up with a new subject idea, and she hoped that if she was right, it might be just the inspiration she needed to get back on track with her art.
Today hadn’t been a total bust; most people seemed as though they liked her artwork. She knew they weren’t just going to go flying off the shelves, but no one dismissed them. She’d even heard people talking about the familiar sights she’d captured. Then again, there had been the more…amusing comments that she’d shrugged off. All in all, Hope had been right—today was the hardest. Tomorrow, she knew she wouldn’t be as apprehensive about her paintings on the wall.
There wasn’t another customer for the next half hour and she used that time to clean the kitchen. She was straightening out a painting when a group of cowboys walked in. Great. So much for an early night.
“Hi, gentlemen, have a seat anywhere you like,” she said, waiting with a stack of menus.
She bristled as one of the guys checked her out, his gaze wandering up and down her body slowly. She hated being made to feel uncomfortable, especially in her own diner. She chose to ignore it, to stand a little straighter with her head held high, and handed out the menus. Thankfully, the rest of the men were polite enough.
“I’ll give you a few minutes to read over the menu,” she said, walking back to the bar.
“I don’t suppose you’re on the menu,” the creepy one said with a smug smile.
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes or tell him to leave. Instead, she ignored his comment and walked back into the kitchen. She gave them a few minutes while she made sure everything was prepped.
She came back out and almost stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Tyler sitting at the table with the other cowboys.
…
Ty barely had time to register Lainey had her artwork displayed around the diner before his rodeo buddies waved him over to their table. His chest tightened at how big a deal this must be for her. Her art transformed the diner. He would definitely be bringing this up with her later.
But for now, he sat down and stared across the table at his old buddies. It wasn’t like they were his best friends or anything, but they had gotten him through some rough times. When they messaged him earlier and said they were passing through town, he’d agreed to meet up. Tilly’s wouldn’t have been his place of choice, considering.
He’d been trying to stay away from Lainey, and he sensed she was doing the same, since she was never around when he finished his day at the ranch.
“So, how is it being back on your old man’s ranch?” Luke asked.
Ty shrugged and glanced in the direction of the kitchen. Lainey hadn’t spotted him yet. He knew she was the only one working tonight because she’d left a voicemail for Michelle. “It’s all right. I wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms, but I wasn’t expecting to be anyway.”
“Least you got a place to call home,” Rick said. Out of the three friends, he and Rick had never been that close. Sure, Rick had had it rough growing up, but he’d never trusted the guy. He had a jaded view of the world and people, and Ty knew enough about life to know that those kinds of people were the ones to drag you down.
“You guys order yet?” Ty asked, staring down at the menu, suddenly uncomfortable around them. They reminded him of the person he used to be when he left town eight years ago. He didn’t like that guy anymore. He’d grown up, maybe, while they were still living that carefree life. As much as he knew he wasn’t a marrying man, the idea of never having anyone to come home to didn’t exactly seem right, either.
“Not yet,” Cain said. He had always been closest to Cain. He was a guy who had come from nothing, but he had principles. He worked hard, kept to himself, and stayed out of trouble.
“No. A hot blonde with a great rack will be back in a sec to take our order,” Rick said.
Blood thundered in his ears, and he narrowed his eyes. “Don’t talk about her like that.”
“Relax,” Rick drawled. “She’s a sweet surprise.”
Tyler wondered at what point in this conversation it would be socially acceptable to plant his fist in Rick’s stupid jaw. While he was contemplating that, Lainey walked out with her notepad and pen. When she made eye contact with him, relief flickered across her gaze, though he was pretty sure she’d deny it if he asked her later. The more he thought about this scenario, though, the more he didn’t like it. Here she was at night, alone, in her diner. Who knows what kind of asswipes could come through here? Sure, Wishing River was a safe place, but all it took was one person. He was going to have to talk to her about this. Later. Right now, he needed to make sure his old acquaintances behaved.
“Hi. So what can I get you guys?” she said, turning from him.
Everyone placed their orders, and he kept his gaze trained on Rick as he did the same. When she closed her notepad and walked back to the kitchen, he breathed a sigh of relief.
But he didn’t like the idea of her serving him in front of these guys, and his stomach was in knots anyway. He wanted them to leave. He wanted nothing to do with his old life. The sooner they left town, the better. “So how long are you here for?” he asked, trying not to appear like he wanted all of them gone. Really, he had nothing against Cain, but his friend wasn’t here by himself. He didn’t want this part of his life mingling with Lainey. It didn’t feel right.
“Just passing through,” Luke said, leaning back in his chair.
“We knew you lived around here, so we figured we’d stop by. I think I actually missed your sorry-ass face,” Cain said with a grin.
Ty smiled for the first time since seeing them. “Yeah. I could say the same. But I won’t.”
“Well, I wouldn’t mind staying long enough to sample whatever the blonde is offering,” Rick said with a disgusting grin.
Everything inside Tyler stilled before blood came rushing through, thundering so powerfully that his ears pulsed. Those words were too damn close to words he’d heard from another man he loathed, whom he had no respect for. He refused to think about him now, though. “She’s not offering you anything,” he said, his voice coming out in an angry rasp, every muscle in his body coiled so tightly he felt like he was going to snap.
Rick smirked and leaned forward. “I know women. Trust me. Hot blonde, alone in a diner, tight jeans, big boobs in that tight shirt. She’s advertising.”
And he was done. He leaned forward to get closer to Rick. “Say another word and even your mama won’t recognize what’s left of you.”
Rick scowled at him. “What the hell is your problem, man? Oh…I get it. You’re already fucking her.”
“I told you to shut your mouth, asshole. Leave. Now,” he said, rage making it almost impossible to think straight. He stood up and braced his hands on the table. He hated his type. He hated his sick sense of entitlement. He’d heard this before, knew what it meant. Not while he was around.
“Enough,” Luke said, holding a hand up in front of Rick. Rick shrugged him off and stood abruptly, kicking his chair back so roughly that it jostled the shelf behind him, and one of Lainey’s paintings hit the floor. Shit.
Everyone was standing now. Cain shoved an arm in front of Tyler before he could take a swing at Rick, and Luke grabbed the back of Rick’s shirt to yank him away from Tyler.
“Is everything okay?” Lainey said, rushing out of the kitchen and over to them.
Tyler’s stomach twisted as Lainey stood there, assessing the situation. “Leave your money and tip on the table and get the hell out,” he said to Rick.
“We didn’t eat anything,” Rick bit back.
Ty crossed his arms over his chest and stared at him. “Leave the money on the table.”
“I knew from that first day you were a pussy,” Rick said, throwing a twenty on the table and getting right up into his face. Luke was holding onto him, showing at least a little common sense.
“Get out of my town,” Tyler said, barely holding on to his anger.
Luke hustled Rick out as Cain walked over and gave Tyler a light punch on the shoulder. “Sorry, man,” he said, placing his own twenty on the table. He turned to Lainey. “Sorry for the trouble, Miss,” he said.
“See you later,” Tyler said to Cain.
Cain flicked his chin in his direction and walked out. The door shut, and Tyler slowly turned to face Lainey, whose face was beet red with her hands in tight fists by her sides. He searched for something to say. “Hi, Lainey, how’s your day going?”
“Hi, Lainey, how’s your day going? That’s what you have to say to me, hi? You started a fight in my restaurant and you say hi?” She marched over to the mess and let out a small cry as she bent down.
He raised his hands in innocence. “Hey, we didn’t fight.”
“Close enough, Tyler. If that one guy hadn’t stepped in and held the other back, I can only imagine what more would be damaged.” She put her hands on her waist and jutted her chin forward. She was not happy.
He leaned down beside her, and his stomach dropped as he recognized the now-damaged canvas. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean… Dammit. I’m sorry,” he repeated, wincing as she picked up the canvas. He hadn’t meant for any of this to happen. He hated Rick. He hated everything he’d said. He would have hated him or any guy who spoke about any woman like that. But it was worse because it was Lainey. Lainey. He hated…the memories this had brought up about a man he’d wanted to know at one time. And that man had shattered his illusions and had inadvertently shown him what a contrast he was to the father who raised him.
Lainey paused and stared up at him, a question in her brown eyes. Up close, he could see that her eyes had little gold flecks in them. He’d missed her, and the last thing he wanted was to hurt her.
“You know, first you tell me to hang this stuff up out here, and then you damage it the first day!” she huffed.
This was bad. “It was an accident. Uh, were there any bites? Interested customers?”
She was nodding and smirking at the same time, which didn’t bode too well for him. “Oh yeah, you remember old Pete Pickler?”
