“Sorry. Didn’t mean to embarrass you.” His smile said otherwise. A jailer at the sheriff’s office, he was known about town as a notorious flirt and loved to tease.
“Of course not, Bill.”
He grinned and sipped his coffee. “You and Max going to the parade tonight?”
In the way of small towns, everyone quickly accepted them as a couple, so she wasn’t surprised by his question. “Can’t miss the Christmas Parade.” She returned the pot to the burner. “He and Maddie will be here about five-thirty.”
“Well.” That good-ole-boy smile had charmed many a lady. “I tried. Guess I’ll just be all alone tonight.”
“Yeah. Right.” She removed his empty plate and placed it in the bus tub. “We both know that’s a crock.”
A full-hearted, throaty laugh echoed around the room. “You wound me, Sky.” He finished his coffee and placed some bills on the counter. “Gotta get back to work. Keep the change. Merry Christmas.”
Before she could argue about the amount of change, he was gone.
The bell above the door announced another customer, and Sky turned to see Cooper Delaney, the local sheriff, headed toward her. “Afternoon, Sky,” he drawled as he passed her a large, brown envelope. “Doc asked me to drop this by for you.” He touched the brim of his dark Stetson hat. “Said to ask that you give her a call once you’ve had a chance to look it over.”
She took the package and smiled. “Thanks, Sheriff.”
He glanced around the half-empty room. “I hope you decide to take Doc up on the offer, Sky. She could really use someone like you.”
Unsure how to respond, she simply nodded and stuck to business. “Can I get you anything?”
“Large coffee to go, please. Time for rounds.”
Coffee in hand, he headed out as Cade Jackson walked in.
She suppressed a groan as she took the envelope to the back and placed it with her stuff. She’d look at it later when she got home.
Cade occupied his usual spot at the counter when she returned. “Need a menu, Cade?”
“You mean you don’t know what I want by now?”
His lewd wink had her clenching one fist for control. “Do you need a menu?” she repeated.
His lips thinned, and he sighed. “Give me the chicken fried steak dinner and coffee. Please.”
She turned the order in and placed his drink in front of him, all in silence.
“Aw come on, Skylar,” he grumbled, “how much longer are you gonna give me the cold shoulder?”
Until you get the message and leave me alone.
“I said I was sorry.”
She was saved from answering when Ruby came out from the kitchen with a pie in each hand. “Sky? Can you put these in the pie case, please?”
“Hey, Ruby?” called a man from the back booth, “Is one of those a pecan pie?”
“It is for a fact, Jerry.”
He got up and came to the counter. “Can I buy the whole thing? My Julie loves it.”
“Of course. I’ll box it up for you.”
Cade, thank goodness, busied himself chatting with other customers.
The bell above the door signaled another customer, and Sky turned to see who entered. A young man, maybe late teens, wearing a leather jacket and dark toboggan, glanced around as though looking for someone. It was the third time he’d been in today. The two previous times, he had simply looked around and left.
“Afternoon,” she called, “Just sit wherever you like.”
He scanned the room, then slumped into a booth near the back facing the door.
Sky didn’t recognize him as a local, though something about him looked familiar. She carried the requisite water and menu and smiled. “What can I get for you to drink?”
He didn’t take his eyes off the front door. “Just coffee.”
“Anything to go with it?”
“I said just coffee,” he snapped.
His eyes darted to her then back to the door as the tops of his ears turned bright red. “Please,” he added, his tone apologetic.
“You need cream with it?”
He took a deep breath as though calming himself. “Yes, please.”
He didn’t look up when she placed his drink on the table. Again, something about him looked familiar, and she hesitated. “Can I get you anything else?”
