Romance: Luther's Property (22 page)

When I got up the next morning it was sunny and some of the
snow had started to melt.
 
I pulled out
my black skirt and my red shirt, then walked into the bathroom and looked at my
face in the mirror.
 
I wondered if maybe
wearing a little mascara would liven up my eyes, so I tried some and then even
applied a little lip-gloss.
 
I pulled my
hair up in a bun and then walked out of the bathroom and toward the door.

“Good morning, Alyssa.”
 
My neighbor, Ginger, waved as I got inside the truck.
 
I waved back and then started the ignition
and made my way to Avalanche.
 
When I got
there, it was packed as usual.
 
Tim
greeted me when I entered.

“Hi, Alyssa.
 
How was
your first day?”
 
He looked at me with a
genuinely interested expression, and I felt a pang of guilt over the fact that
I’d have to lie.
 

“It was just great.
 
I
love everyone who works here and the customers tip really well.”
 
I smiled and then looked around at the
crowd.
 
My fatigue was already creeping
in and my nausea was rearing its ugly head, as well.
 
I hoped that as I got further along in my
pregnancy some of these awful symptoms would subside, but I didn’t know what to
expect.
 

“Well I’m glad that everything went well.
 
Tonight we’ll probably be extra busy since
Bozeman College is hosting their annual fundraiser.”
 
He smoothed his hands over his jeans and then
looked around the restaurant.
 
“I’m
heading back into the kitchen to work on some of the orders.
 
Holler if you need me.”
 
With that, he was gone, and I remained
standing in the middle of the restaurant, anticipating the flux of customers
that were bound to enter at any minute.

I tied on my apron and then headed to my section which was
on the left side of the restaurant.
 
“Hey, miss, can you come here a minute?”
 
I heard a man’s voice call to me form one of the tables that wasn’t in
my section.
 
I looked around and didn’t
see any other waitresses on the floor.

“Hello.
 
What can I
help you with?”
 
I smiled and looked at
the man’s face.
 
He had mysterious green
eyes that seemed to give off a subtle glint, and his thick, wavy hair framed
his face with a rugged flair.
 
He wore a
denim button down with a pair of jeans, and he had a wool scarf tossed over one
shoulder.

“Well…”
 
He paused and
gave me a good once-over.
 
“I was hoping
to get one of those incredible stouts you have on tap, and I was also hoping to
get your phone number, too.”
 
He raised
his eyebrows and I blushed.
 
His comment
had taken me completely off-guard and I wasn’t sure how to respond.
 

“I’ll go get you the beer.”
 
I smiled and then walked away to the bar.
 
It had been so long since a man had even
flirted with me that I had no idea how to react.
 
Ever since Joe and I had dated, all of the
local men knew that I was taken, and none of them ever tried to vie for my
attention.
 
The man at the table was
handsome- that was for sure.
 
Yet I
couldn’t even imagine giving someone my phone number.
 
I felt like it would be a betrayal to Joe.

I scurried behind the bar and could feel the man’s eyes on
me.
 
I reached for a mug, set it under
the tap, and poured his beer.
 
Then I walked
quickly to his table and set it down just as he reached out and handed me his
business card.
 
“If you’re going to be
shy, I’ll just give you my number first.”
 
He winked and I placed the beer on top of his table.
 

“I’ll be back in a few minutes to see what else you
need.”
 
I smiled and then disappeared
behind the bar.
 
It was filling up
quickly inside, and Tim’s prediction was true.
 
By eight o’clock, we had a full house and most of the clientele was
college aged men looking for beer and burgers.
 
I waited on a few table and then checked back on the attractive man who
had ordered the beer.

“Looks like you guys have quite the crowd in here
tonight.”
 
He grinned and then tossed
back the last sip of his beer.
 
I nodded
my head.

“That’s an understatement.”
 
I picked up his empty mug and then watched as the front door opened and
more people filed in.
 
“I’m actually
heading to the other side to wait on some tables, so if you’d like to order
anything from the menu, just let me know.”
 
I smiled and then smoothed my hands over my shirt.
 
I was self-conscious of looking pregnant,
even though it was still so early.
 

“I’ll take another beer.”
 
He grinned and then leaned forward in his chair.
 
“My name’s Christopher, by the way.
 
I own Bobcat Ranch down on the ridge.”
 
He nodded his head and then stared at me with
those glowing, mysterious eyes.
 
“I’ve
got a huge piece of property with lots of Appaloosas if you’re ever interested
in going riding.” His voice was deep and smooth, and it was hard not to stare
at his rough, yet chiseled features.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
 
I politely walked away, hoping that he didn’t
take offense to my lack of conversation.
 
When I got to the bar and poured him another beer, Tim appeared from the
kitchen.
 

“How’s it going out there tonight?”
 
He scanned the restaurant, taking in all the
activity.
 

“I’m busy, but it’s going well.
 
Thanks.”
 
I topped off Christopher’s beer and was just about to walk away when Tim
raised his eyebrows.
 
“I see that
Christopher Marlow is out tonight.
 
He’s
one of our regulars.
 
Good guy.”
 
Tim raised his eyebrows and then walked away.

For a second I thought about Joe.
 
What would he make of me working in a busy
restaurant like this?
 
What would he
think of all the young, drunk men who stumbled out at two a.m. when I was
trying to walk to the truck?
 
I couldn’t
help thinking about him and wondering what he’d have to say.
 

“Here you go.”
 
I set
down Christopher’s beer and then smiled.
 
He folded his hands on the table and then lifted the frosty drink to his
mouth.
 

“Thank you.
 
Maybe
next time I come in you’ll think about telling me your name.”
 
He winked and then watched as I turned around
to leave.
 
I walked to the kitchen to
pick up a food order and stood against the counter.
 
I was exhausted.
 
“Okay there?”
 
One of the waitresses walked by and checked on me.
 
I nodded my head and smiled, then closed my
eyes for a few seconds.
 

The warm air made me feel sleepier than I already was.
 
I opened my eyes and looked at the clock to
see how soon before my shift was over.
 
Luckily, I had only one hour to go.
 
I saw my order come up in the window and slid it onto my tray.
 
Then I headed back out to my tables.
 
I dropped the food off to the right guests,
then turned and walked to Christopher’s table.
 
I dropped off his check then turned around before he could speak.
 
I got about a foot away and stopped in my
tracks.
 
Then I turned around and took a
deep breath.
 

“My name’s Alyssa.”
 
I
smiled and then walked away.

Later that night, I sat on the edge of my bed and rubbed my
feet.
 
Joe used to give me frequent foot
massages and I smiled thinking back to all of his personal touches that I’d
never feel again.
 
I got up and looked
out the window.
 
Lizzie wandered around
the corral and tried to step on top of the large snow drifts that had settled
along the fence.
 
I thought about calling
Rebecca but decided to just make a cup of tea, instead.
 
I had to be up early to work the morning
shift, and I wanted to get a good night’s rest.

When I stepped into Avalanche the next day, Christopher was
sitting at the bar.
 
I remembered Tim
telling me that he was a regular, so it shouldn’t have been much of a
surprise.
 
However, it still caught me
off-guard, and I wondered if he had known that I would be working.
 
“Good morning, Alyssa.
 
It’s nice to see you two days in a row.”
 
He flashed me his signature smile and I gave
him a polite nod.

I walked to the kitchen and got my apron, then appeared back
on the floor just in time to see him get up from his seat and approach me.
 
“Getting some breakfast?”
 
I didn’t want to be rude by ignoring him, so
I tried to make innocent small talk when he stood before me.

“I am, actually.
 
I’ve
got a tour coming around one, so I thought I’d get some of the town’s best
blueberry pancakes in me before the big event.”
 
He winked and then put a hand on my shoulder.
 
“What are you doing after work today?
 
You should stop by the ranch.”
 
His hand felt warm through my shirt and I was
distracted by the slight twinge of excitement that emanated from his touch.

“Sorry.
 
I have to
work a double-shift today.”
 
I walked away
and waited on another table.
 
After I had
taken their order I hustled back to the bar.
 
“Can I get you a drink while you’re waiting for your pancakes?”
 
I smiled and then looked away.
 
For reasons still unclear, it felt to me like
I was actually beginning to enjoy his flirtatious game.
 
How could that be?
 
I had just lost the love of my life, and I
knew that there was no replacing him.
 
Why would I even entertain the thought of being with another man?

“Well, we could always meet up after your shift.
 
Why don’t you let me buy you a drink over at
Moose Creek Tavern?”
 
He looked sincere
and it was hard for me to think about turning him down again.
 
I bit my lower lip and then thought about how
ludicrous it all sounded.
 
Drinking at a
tavern with a total stranger?
 
Had I lost
my mind?
 
Besides- I was pregnant.
 
How much fun would I really have in that kind
of environment?

“I could meet you around seven.”
 
I tossed my hair over my shoulder and then
looked across the restaurant as the tables filled with guests.
 
Christopher’s face lit up.

“You actually said yes.
 
That’s what I like.”
 
He winked
and then cocked his head to the side with a playful smile.
 
“You sure did play hard to get.”
 
He chuckled and then folded his hands on the
table.
 
I smiled and then walked to the
back of the waitress station, biting my nails with anxiety.
 
What had I just done?
 
Part of me was shocked with my behavior, and
part of me was excited with the game.

“I guess I’ll see you there.”
 
I batted my lashes and then flitted
away.
 
When I got into the kitchen one of
the other waitresses grabbed me by the arm.
 

“Girl, I see you out there giving Christopher Marlow the
googly eyes.”
 
She grinned and then
smacked me playfully with a cloth napkin.
 

“Oh, hush.”
 
I rolled
my eyes and picked up a clean drink tray.
 
“He’s just being polite because he knows I’m new here.”
 
I tried to brush her off but she knew
better.
 

“No.”
 
she grinned and
shook her head.
 
“I know what googly eyes
look like, and there was no mistaking them out there.”
 
She laughed and then scooted away.
 
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, and I
stood there for a second in disbelief.
 
I
had just agreed to a date, and I actually wanted to go.
 
The conflicting emotions didn’t make
sense.
 
How could I be so torn up from
the loss of Joe at the same time that I felt excited by a handsome stranger?

For the rest of my shift I second-guessed my behavior.
 
I had the uncomfortable feeling that I was
betraying Joe, even though I knew that all he ever wanted for me was
happiness.
 
We had been so perfect
together that it sent a wave of confusion through my mind when I realized that
I would be going out with someone else in less than four hours.
 
How could I be so double-sided?
 

I cleaned up after my tables and then prepared to go
home.
 
Just as I was walking out the
door, Tim approached me from behind the bar.
 
“Hey, Alyssa.
 
You got a
minute?”
 
He walked in his confident yet
casual manner toward me.
 
“I just wanted
to hear about how it’s going.
 
What do
you think about working at Avalanche?”
 
I
knew that he was genuinely interested in knowing whether I was happy here.
 

“I like it, Tim.”
 
It
was hard to lie to him because he was truthfully a genuine person, but at the
same time I knew better than to tell him that I loathed waiting on drunk people,
that I hated the way my clothes smelled like barbeque sauce after my shift,
that I couldn’t stand how most of the waitresses gossiped about other
employees, that I was so exhausted at the end of the day that I could barely
walk to my truck.
 

“I’m glad to hear that, because I was hoping you’d be
interested in picking up a few extra shifts as we approach the holidays.”
 
He gave me a hopeful look and I nodded my
head with affirmation.

“Sure.
 
That sounds
great.
 
I could use the extra
money.”
 
As much as I dreaded the thought
of having to spend any extra time inside Avalanche than I already did, I was
also excited at the thought of earning a little extra money.
 
The baby would be here in less than five
months, and I still had a lot of bare necessities that needed to be purchased.

“Great.
 
I’ll fill you
in on the dates as soon as I get the next schedule up.”
 
Tim smiled and then opened the door to let me
out.
 
I wrapped my scarf around my neck
and then headed out into the sun-drenched afternoon.
 
It was only about a fifteen-minute ride home,
and I spent all of it wondering what I’d wear on my date with Christopher.
 

When I got inside, I sat down on the couch and closed my
eyes.
 
The symptoms of my pregnancy had
evolved into a sort of persistent nausea coupled with debilitating fatigue that
had so far not responded to any kind of rest or remedy.
 
I dropped my head into my hands and thought
about cancelling the date.
 
I felt awful
and I wasn’t so sure that I even wanted to tell Christopher that I was pregnant,
even though it would explain why I often looked like a sea-sick sailor.

After a few minutes I got up and stood in front of my
closet.
 
I skimmed through several shirts
and skirts, ultimately deciding on a pair of red leggings and a long, beige
sweater.
 
It was a comforting, yet chic
outfit, and I had the right pair of boots to go with it, as well.
 
I ran a brush through my long, thick hair and
then looked at my face in the mirror.
 
My
eyes looked sleepy, yet still alluring.
 
I had always been told that I looked like one of those models who could
leave the house without a spot of make-up and still look great.

I admired myself in the full-length mirror, then floated
down the steps and out the back door.
 
The sky had a pinkish tint to it, and I watched the clouds roll over the
horizon, then sniffed in the cold mountain air.
 
“Lizzie.”
 
I whistled and
clucked.
 
She was in the furthest reaches
of the corral and appeared sleepy.
 
I
often wondered if animals got depressed just like people did, and I thought
about what I’d do with her when the baby came.
 
I still didn’t have the heart to sell her, but I knew that there would
be no horse-back riding for me in my pregnant future.

She ambled lazily toward me and then snorted.
 
I patted her head and tried to run my hand
through her tangled mane.
 
I knew that
Joe would have taken her out trail riding on a winter day like today, and it
filled me with sadness to know that I simply couldn’t give her as good of a
life as he did.
 
I looked at my watch and
saw that it was almost six-thirty, so I gave her one last pat and then walked
to the truck.

I stepped behind the wheel and turned on the radio, then
drove down the long, gravel road that led to the highway.
 
I flicked the knob on the radio and heard a
familiar tune
.
 
“I know that life is gonna be fine, so long
as I got you by my side…by my side, by my side.”
 
It was an old blues song that Joe used to
like.
 
I turned it off and choked back a
tear.
 
Then I headed on down to the Moose
Creek Tavern.