Kissing Trouble (16 page)

The waitress practically ran through the doors and disappeared from sight.

Fury writhed through Julie. She would have upended the table had it not been bolted into the ground. She had never tasted that level of absolutely abhorrence before in her life and it only infuriated her further. And it had nothing to do with Mason, or the people still watching them. It was the fact that Rick was a small, quiet figure staring at the table and Wendy looked on the verge of tears. It was the red stain in Dustin’s cheeks as he glowered hotly through the window. This wasn’t fair to them. They had done nothing wrong. They were being punished for something Mason had done years ago, when he had been a stupid kid.

“Stay here.”

Slapping both hands on the table, Julie hefted herself out of her seat and marched to the counter. She slammed her palm down rapidly and repeatedly on the bell next to the register. She kept ringing it even when she felt all the eyes in the restaurant on her. She kept ringing until the back door swung open and a frazzled man burst out, looking bemused and annoyed. His brown eyes blinked behind round glasses as he took Julie in. The thick mustache over his thin lip twitched.

He was a reedy man, tall and lanky with a receding hairline that was combed to one side of his round head. He wore a blue striped dress shirt with black slacks and a blue tie. He was clearly not a waiter, or the cook, which suited Julie perfectly.

“I hope you’re the manager,” she stated at once, ceasing her dinging.

The man pushed his glasses high up his nose and moved up behind the counter. “I am. Is there a problem?”

Julie laughed bitterly. “Is there a problem?” she repeated loudly. “Yes, I would say there is a problem. We,” she gestured to their table, “just arrived and your waitress refused to wait on us. Is that how you run your business?”

The man’s mouth gaped a little. “I’m sure there’s been some misunderstanding.”

Julie planted her palms on the counter and leaned in. She dropped her voice. “I don’t think so. But I do think you need to hire yourself a new waitress. Yours just cost you a paying costumer, and probably a whole lot more, because you can bet that I am going to report this on every blog, every tourist website, and even the Better Business Bureau. Her behavior was appalling.”

It was the confusion and horror on the man’s face that made her wonder if he were new to the town, because when he looked in the direction of her table and his expression changed to anger, it wasn’t aimed at Mason.

He turned and marched to the swinging doors and poked his head through.

“Carrie!” He barked into the back. He pulled his head back and returned to the counter, still looking angry, but also apologetic as he met Julie’s gaze. “I am so terribly sorry,” he said. “I will most definitely get to the bottom of this.”

Julie didn’t accept his apology. She waited until the kitchen doors opened and Carrie emerged, looking pale, but determined. The manager rounded on her.

“What is the meaning of this?” he hissed in a low whisper, not that it mattered because the entire restaurant was practically out of their seats in anticipation of what would come next.

Carrie shot Julie a dirty glare before lowering her head and her voice to murmur something to the manager Julie couldn’t hear, but had a feeling it involved Mason, because Carrie waved a hand in the direction of the table.

“Nobody wants him here,” was the little Julie overheard.

The manager seemed about as impressed with her explanation as Julie was. “That is not your decision to make,” the manager retorted, struggling to keep his voice low. “This is my establishment and a paying costumer is a paying costumer.” He squared his thin shoulders. “Pack up your things.”

Carrie’s jaw seemed to become unhinged, hanging nearly to her collarbone with shock. “What? You’re firing me?”

“I will not have you running out my costumers!” the manager shot back. “Wait for me in my office. We will finish this conversation there.”

Like a broken toy, Carrie’s mouth opened and closed without a single sound. Then her gray eyes shot to Julie and her shock melted into fury. Her mouth snapped open and Julie braced herself for the avalanche of insults, instead, Carrie was speared by a warning glower by the manager and her mouth shut once again. She pivoted on her heels and stormed back into the kitchen.

The manager turned to Julie. “Please accept my most sincere apologies. I assure you that I will deal with this matter immediately. In the meantime, please stay. Your meals are on the house.”

Tempting. Julie almost said yes. Then her gaze went to the table, to each face watching her and she shook her head.

“No, we won’t be eating here.”

She stalked back to the booth and motioned Wendy out. She took the girl’s hand, grabbed her purse and left the restaurant with her head high and her back straight.

“Are we still going to eat?” Wendy asked as they walked down the sidewalk. “My stomach is rumbling.”

Once there was a good block between them and the restaurant, Julie stopped and turned to the group. She peered down into Wendy’s pleading eyes.

“Yeah, we’re going to eat.” She put on a bright smile. “Do you think your stomach can wait a little longer?”

Wendy narrowed her eyes. “Depends. What are we going to get?”

Julie shrugged. “Your somach will just have to trust me. But first, we need to get to the car.”

“Are we going home?” Rick asked.

Julie shook her head. “Nope. We’re going for a drive.” As the kids perked at the new idea, Julie found herself caught in Mason’s brilliant gaze. His expression was masked behind a quiet deliberation. “You okay with that?” she asked.

His bottom lip disappeared between his teeth. His eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you sure you still want me around?”

The question was simple, but it was the well cloaked undertone behind it that made her pause. Thankfully, Wendy saved her from having to answer.

“I do!” She grabbed Mason’s hand with her free one. “I still love you.”

Mason smiled, but his eyes remained fixed on Julie. “Love you too, brat.” Finally, he lowered his gaze to the girl, but not before he had sent Julie’s heart racing in her chest. “And I am hungry.” He focused on Julie once more. “What’s the plan, Captain?”

She didn’t have one, but she smiled with all the confidence she could muster and got everyone back in the car. Then she just drove and kept driving until they passed the town sign thanking them for visiting Salmon Cove and hoping they returned soon.

Not if I can help it,
Julie thought to herself.

She took the group to the next town over, not quite as picturesque a place, but no one glowered at them and that made all the difference. Even the kids seemed relieved when she parked the car outside a steakhouse and no one stopped to stare and point. They shoved each other in their mad haste to reach the doors first. It was good to see the smiles on their faces again.

The hostess at the front smiled widely at them without a shred of prejudice and ushered them to a booth in the corner. The kids darted after her, yelling about who got the window seat. Julie let them go and started to follow when her wrist was caught in a gentle restraint. Mason, watching the children scamper away, waited until they were out of sight before pinning her to the spot. His chest came up against her side. His lips caressed the curve of her ear. The thumb on her wrist lightly traced the soft skin over her pulse. She wondered if he could feel its erratic patter.

“You’re amazing,” he whispered into her ear. “You know that?”

Julie started to shake her head when his free hand slid over her waist and settled along the curve, just above her hip. The heat of his fingers burned her through the thin material of her top and her insides felt like she’d missed a step going down a set of stairs. The sensation was intensified when tapered fingers unfurled from her wrist and lifted to take her chin. Her face was tipped to his, brought dangerously close to his mouth and forced to watch his lips as they moved with speech.

“Promise me we’ll finish our talk,” he was saying when she struggled past the loud hum between her ears. “Please,” he whispered. “We only have three days and I need to know...” He sucked in a breath and held it. His eyes explored the hills and valleys of her face like the thing he most desperately needed was hidden somewhere in their lines. “Please promise me.”

His plea whispered feather light across her mouth, her chin and fanned across her cheeks. The skin everywhere it touched tingled. Her lashes fluttered, threatening to close. 

“Promise.”

She expected him to pull away now that she had given him her word that they would talk, but he continued to hold her, continued to stroke the skin of her jaw with the tips of his fingers, gliding closer to the point of her chin until he was skimming delicately over her bottom lip. He seemed fascinated by her mouth and she was fascinated by the way his eyes had darkened and his every intake of air seemed ragged and unsteady. But most of all, by the rapid patter of his heart against the palm she had flattened unknowingly to his chest. She never in a million years imagined she could ever have that sort of effect on him. She didn’t want to pull away.

“Sorry! Excuse me.” The hostess, having dropped the children off at the table had returned and was offering them a small, apologetic smile. “Your table is ready.”

Flustered and starving for all the things Mason had promised with a single skim of his fingers, Julie pulled from the warm cocoon of Mason’s arms. Her heart was still going a mile a minute and her knees were shaking too hard to support her weight, but she followed the hostess to where the children sat coloring happily on the paper placemats. Dustin was flipping through his iPod for a new song, but he glanced up when Mason and Julie took a seat, Julie next to Wendy and Mason next to Rick and Dustin.

“I’m getting the twenty pounder,” he declared. “Ribs and a steak as big as my head.”

Julie laughed and winced when it came out breathless and weak. “Let’s stick to something a little smaller.”

“But I can totally eat that,” Dustin insisted. “Besides, if I do, I get my meal for free!”

“If you eat it in an hour,” Mason said, eyeing the little sign pinned to the table, announcing the specials, including the King Platter which was free only if you finished all of it in an hour. “You think you can eat all that in an hour, squirt?”

“Damn right I could!”

“Language!” Julie scolded. “Dustin, the thing is eighty bucks.”

Mason and Dustin stared each other down over Rick’s bent head.

“All right.” Mason pushed his menu aside. “We’ll make it two. You win and you get to stay up late and watch
The Walking Dead
marathon.”

Dustin’s eyes practically popped out of his skull. “Shut up! Seriously?”

Mason put up on hand and pressed the other to his chest. “Scouts honor. But if I win...” His grin was slow and wicked. “You have to drop the attitude for the rest of the month.”

“Deal!” Dustin shouted without a second of hesitation.

“Don’t tell him that,” Julie pleaded. “He’ll make himself sick. Besides, if he wins, his mom will kill me for letting him watch that show.”

Mason smirked. “Hear that? She doesn’t think you can do it.”

“Mason!”

Dustin straightened his shoulders. “It’s so on.”

The two bumped fists around the back of Rick’s bent head.

Julie rolled her eyes, but didn’t stop the pair when they made their order. Wendy and Rick both chose burgers and fries, and Julie got a steak with a side of potatoes and steamed vegetables.

They laughed and ate as they watched Mason and Dustin scarf down their enormous platters. Mason didn’t seem to be in any rush and actually took the time to cut his meat into neat cubs, while Dustin jumped in with his hands, gnawing and ripping at his meat with his teeth.

In the end, Mason won. Dustin got through half of his steak before calling it quits and sagging against his seat. He looked on the verge of throwing up, which Rick thought was amusing as he kept jabbing Dustin in the gut with his finger.

They paid their bill and headed back to the car, but rather than head back to Salmon Cove, Julie found the local mall and pulled in.

“Who wants to do some of that shopping?”

Grinning, she pocketed the keys and led the kids inside.

They didn’t stay long. Dustin bought his game, Rick got a motor boat for the lake and Wendy bought a pretty new dress and a pair of slippers. Hers was the longest to shop for.

“I didn’t think we would ever leave that place,” Mason muttered as they drove back.

In the back, Dustin had his head back, eyes closed as something loud and angry shrieked through his headphones. Wendy had her head against the car window as Rick slumped against her, both out cold. The sun had set behind them and the road was dark.

“Yeah, but at least they had fun.” She took one hand off the wheel to yawn behind it. “Sorry. I’m exhausted. I haven’t been sleeping very well.”

“Do you want me to drive?”

The thought was tempting. She would have given anything to pass off the wheel, recline her seat and shut her eyes for the next forty minutes, but she wasn’t ready to let go ... of the wheel.

“I’m okay.”

They drove for another mile in silence. Julie yawned again and the gesture sent a tremor through her that shook her arms. The car swerved ever so slightly over the yellow line. She righted it quickly, but Mason noticed.

“Okay, that’s it. Pull over, lady,” he ordered. 

She didn’t argue this time. She turned the wheel and rolled to a gentle halt on the side of the road. Mason shoved his way out, left the passenger’s side door wide open and started around the hood towards her side. Julie was reaching for the handle when the door was jerked open. He offered her his hand.

“Come on,” he urged coaxingly.

With a reluctant sigh, she accepted his outstretched fingers and eased out of her seat. She was barely able to keep her eyes open when he pulled her to him. His grip was gentle as he rested his hands lightly on her waist, steadying her. His body was warm and cradled hers in such a way that it made her want to rest her head on his shoulder and close her eyes.