room with Colleen and Becky.
A few words with Mike, and she already felt better. What was it about him? For one thing, he was consistently calm and unruffled. In spite of his bright green eyes and his short, almost military-style auburn hair that indicated some fighting Irish in his blood, she’d never seen him lose his temper.
Hold it back, maybe, but never lose it.
Maybe it was because he was happy with his life. He’d found his calling. Mike and food. They went together like love and red roses.
And what went together with her? She’d learned she wasn’t meant to be a dedicated doctor. She’d always thought it was what she wanted to do with her life until she actually began to study medicine. First she’d had that calm, “I’ll start to enjoy it later,” feeling. Next came doubt, then disinterest. She’d had to force herself to retain her rigorous study habits, her intense focus on being at the top of the class. But at last, she’d been overwhelmed by boredom.
That was when she knew she could never be the kind of doctor a patient deserved.
Sooner or later, she’d figure out what she did want to do. In the meantime, she’d work at the diner and throw the best party—the benefit dinner—Serenity Valley had ever seen.
For now, it was enough.
A FTER A LLIE walked away, Mike groaned. Breakfast . He’d asked her to meet him for breakfast. Had he lost his mind? The entire time she’d been talking to him, he’d been thinking big-bad-wolf thoughts that surprised him even more than they might surprise her. In his current state of uncertainty about how to treat an adult, attractive, no, desirable Allie, he should have suggested they discuss the benefit menu by phone, e-mail and fax.
Anything but in person.
Maybe the upcoming trip to New York would help. He’d be gone for a couple of days, and the change might do him good. Deliberately pushing thoughts of Allie out of his mind, he considered which dinner specials Barney and Maury could handle while he was in New York. Then he went back to worrying about the lawyer.
Twenty-four hours ago everything was fine. Allie was happy in med school, or so he’d thought, instead of running around the diner in a starched white shirt and black trousers that weren’t too tight, but they weren’t loose, either. Nobody was bugging him to franchise the diner and coming to New York to discuss it. Maury wasn’t cutting football practice to learn how to make Moroccan chicken. Lawyers weren’t calling and then not being around to explain why they’d called.
He wished it would all just go away.
At a little after ten, he locked up and wearily climbedthe stairs to his apartment over the diner. It was such a relief not to be pretending anymore that life was just hunky-dory. He poured a glass of wine, hoping it would make him sleepy, and collapsed on the sofa.
His eyelids drooped. He stifled a yawn. Just as he was dropping off to sleep, he heard the phone in the diner ring. He didn’t even try to make it downstairs to catch it before the fourth ring. He needed his rest.
He needed to be alert—and cautious—when he saw Allie in the morning.
Chapter Three
When Allie breezed into the diner, she brought with her the hint of autumn in the air, the scent of wood smoke and apples. She was wearing black slacks that skimmed her slender hips and a sparkling white shirt.
“You’re wearing your uniform?” Mike asked her.
“In case you needed extra help,” she said as she came up to him, all smiles, her eyes glowing. “I wanted to be dressed appropriately.”
“Thanks, but we can’t have you working around the clock.” Mike couldn’t help smiling back. Even though he knew it was selfish, knew that Allie should be a hundred and fifty miles away in school, he was glad she was here temporarily and working for him. “What if I started to depend on you? Because when you decide what you want to do with your life, I insist that you desert me.”
“Don’t worry.” Her
A few words with Mike, and she already felt better. What was it about him? For one thing, he was consistently calm and unruffled. In spite of his bright green eyes and his short, almost military-style auburn hair that indicated some fighting Irish in his blood, she’d never seen him lose his temper.
Hold it back, maybe, but never lose it.
Maybe it was because he was happy with his life. He’d found his calling. Mike and food. They went together like love and red roses.
And what went together with her? She’d learned she wasn’t meant to be a dedicated doctor. She’d always thought it was what she wanted to do with her life until she actually began to study medicine. First she’d had that calm, “I’ll start to enjoy it later,” feeling. Next came doubt, then disinterest. She’d had to force herself to retain her rigorous study habits, her intense focus on being at the top of the class. But at last, she’d been overwhelmed by boredom.
That was when she knew she could never be the kind of doctor a patient deserved.
Sooner or later, she’d figure out what she did want to do. In the meantime, she’d work at the diner and throw the best party—the benefit dinner—Serenity Valley had ever seen.
For now, it was enough.
A FTER A LLIE walked away, Mike groaned. Breakfast . He’d asked her to meet him for breakfast. Had he lost his mind? The entire time she’d been talking to him, he’d been thinking big-bad-wolf thoughts that surprised him even more than they might surprise her. In his current state of uncertainty about how to treat an adult, attractive, no, desirable Allie, he should have suggested they discuss the benefit menu by phone, e-mail and fax.
Anything but in person.
Maybe the upcoming trip to New York would help. He’d be gone for a couple of days, and the change might do him good. Deliberately pushing thoughts of Allie out of his mind, he considered which dinner specials Barney and Maury could handle while he was in New York. Then he went back to worrying about the lawyer.
Twenty-four hours ago everything was fine. Allie was happy in med school, or so he’d thought, instead of running around the diner in a starched white shirt and black trousers that weren’t too tight, but they weren’t loose, either. Nobody was bugging him to franchise the diner and coming to New York to discuss it. Maury wasn’t cutting football practice to learn how to make Moroccan chicken. Lawyers weren’t calling and then not being around to explain why they’d called.
He wished it would all just go away.
At a little after ten, he locked up and wearily climbedthe stairs to his apartment over the diner. It was such a relief not to be pretending anymore that life was just hunky-dory. He poured a glass of wine, hoping it would make him sleepy, and collapsed on the sofa.
His eyelids drooped. He stifled a yawn. Just as he was dropping off to sleep, he heard the phone in the diner ring. He didn’t even try to make it downstairs to catch it before the fourth ring. He needed his rest.
He needed to be alert—and cautious—when he saw Allie in the morning.
Chapter Three
When Allie breezed into the diner, she brought with her the hint of autumn in the air, the scent of wood smoke and apples. She was wearing black slacks that skimmed her slender hips and a sparkling white shirt.
“You’re wearing your uniform?” Mike asked her.
“In case you needed extra help,” she said as she came up to him, all smiles, her eyes glowing. “I wanted to be dressed appropriately.”
“Thanks, but we can’t have you working around the clock.” Mike couldn’t help smiling back. Even though he knew it was selfish, knew that Allie should be a hundred and fifty miles away in school, he was glad she was here temporarily and working for him. “What if I started to depend on you? Because when you decide what you want to do with your life, I insist that you desert me.”
“Don’t worry.” Her
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