by Megan Slayer
He disconnected the call and growled. This was the reason he hated handing over power. The second he stepped back and took time for himself, something went wrong.
“What?” Ashley snapped a photo of Wyatt in front of the tree. “Is everything okay?”
“The fryer broke. I should text Shelby, then go there. I’m going to assume it can be fixed and I’ll have to cobble it together until I break down and buy a new one. I should just buy a new one anyway.” Colt shook his head. “Sorry.”
“Then go. Fix it. The faster you get that done, the faster you’ll be home.” Ashley shrugged. “You’re only open for three more hours, and it won’t take all night.”
“Ash.” He balled his hands. “I promised you more time as a family.”
“After Christmas.”
“But I’m trying to make memories with you, not with the damn fryer.” Colt held his frustration in check but not by much.
“You are.” Ashley smiled. “It’s one small disaster. If it’s not an easy fix, then you’ll get a new one and won’t have to worry about it.”
Where was this positive attitude the day before? Colt sighed and dialed his phone. “I still feel bad.”
“It happens.” Ashley stepped to the right of Colt. “Sorry. Trying to keep an eye on Wyatt.” He switched his gaze between Wyatt and Colt. “Get moving.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “When you come home, I’ll make some hot cider, and once Wyatt’s in bed, we can pretend our bed is the carriage.”
“I like that idea.” He loved it, actually. Colt kissed Ashley. “I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
“We’ll be there and Wyatt will hopefully be in bed.” Ashley turned his back on Wyatt long enough to slide his palm beneath Colt’s parka and pinch his nipple. “I’ll be waiting.”
“I love you.” Colt kissed him one more time, then nodded. “I’m going.”
“Bye. Love you,” Ashley called.
Most of his heart stayed with Ashley and Wyatt. They were very important to him, but the diner, as always, beckoned. He climbed behind the wheel and made the three-block drive to his restaurant. He parked behind the building. When he hurried into the kitchen, Russ stood by the fryer. He fiddled with the wiring connected to the machine and frowned.
“It’s plugged in, but there’s no heat,” Russ said.
“Then get your damn hand out of there.” Colt shucked his coat, then shoved his sleeves up. He checked the plug, then removed the cord from the wall socket. “Give the machine five minutes, and I’ll inspect the coil. That fryer is fifteen years old, so it’s probably croaked.” It hadn’t been cheap, but he’d used the piece of equipment hard over the years, so chances were it had simply worn out.
“What about the chicken?” Russ asked. “Everyone’s been ordering it tonight. I set up two sauce pots with oil and have been frying the chicken that way, but it takes longer.”
“It’s going to.” He wiped his hands on the dishcloth, then inspected the oil in the fryer. Bits of chicken and breading were all over the inside of the machine. “You’re doing what needs to be done. I’ll let the servers know the wait will be a tad longer and to convey that to the customers. There’s nothing we can do to speed it up right now.”
“Okay.” Russ left him by the broken fryer.
Colt placed a towel on the counter next to the broken equipment. He wished he’d worn a different shirt or grabbed an apron before he’d started messing with the oil. He stuck his hand into the oil and cleaned off the coil. “Did you have this on earlier?”
“Yes,” Russ called. “Only for a little bit. It never heated up so we went on to plan B on the stove. We just called you now because it’s gotten backed up.”
Then the fryer must’ve quit that morning or the night before if it wasn’t heating up. He withdrew his hands and brought a bucket over to the basin. He opened the plug and drained the oil. By the time he’d cleaned the fryer out, the clock read half past seven. Jesus. At this rate, he’d never get home.
“Hi.” Shelby hurried up to him. “I’m sorry. It was craziness.”
“I’m sure it was busy.” He sighed, then turned the bucket. “I figured we’d have a hiccup but not one this big.” He spied the problem. The connection between the cord and the machine had frayed. One spot had melted to the wiring, probably from oil spills. He’d have to protect the cord better next time.
“We got slammed, but it’s died down. People want to ride the carriage, so they’re hurrying.” She picked up two plates of food. “I’ll be back.”
He nodded. He’d spent too much time at the diner, but the place was ultimately his responsibility. Guilt washed over him. Ashley and Wyatt deserved better than a man married to his job.
Colt carried the bucket out to the grease collection bin. The fryer was over ten years old. Conventional wisdom dictated he should call someone to fix it, but ordering a new fryer would be quicker. He’d worry about fixing it later. He wiped his hands and pulled the website up on his phone. He placed the order. Spending the money wasn’t much fun, but at least he’d have the equipment for the next fried chicken Friday.
By the time he went back into the kitchen, Shelby was there. “Well?” she asked.
“Dead on arrival.” Colt tucked his phone into his pocket. Since she was available and he had the time, he made a decision. “If you can, gather the other servers in here.”
“Sure.” Shelby darted out of the room and within seconds had all three girls with her in the kitchen. Russ continued cooking but nodded.
“Okay, the fryer is toast. The cord is destroyed.” He shook his head. “I have no idea why it hadn’t caught fire, but I’m glad it hadn’t.” He surveyed the kitchen. “Russ is making the chicken on the stove. It’ll slow the cooking down, but there isn’t much longer in the dinner hour so the dining room shouldn’t be that busy. As for the menu, I’m taking the fried chicken off. If people want fries or onion rings, use the smaller fry pot and if anyone asks, tell them the truth. I ordered a new fryer, and it’ll be here after the holidays,” Colt said.
Tessa and Mina nodded, then left the kitchen. Alyssia picked up a platter. She left Shelby and Russ alone with Colt.
Colt wiped his hands. “I need to get some stuff done in the office. If you need me, I’ll be in there.”
Shelby followed him to the office. “I’m sorry I called you. We could’ve limped along.” She shut the door. “How was your ride?”
“Good. Ash and I enjoyed it.” He sat on the edge of his desk. “Wyatt loves the horse.”
She stared at him. “Can we talk?”
“Don’t you have tables?” He flipped through the papers on his desk.
“I closed them out. The girls can handle the diminishing crowd,” Shelby said. “You look run-down. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m tired, yeah, but I’ve got a lot on my mind,” he said.
“Like?”
“I’m promoting you to manager. You’ll get a card with the offer in it.”
“You are? I will?”
“That’s what I said,” he snapped. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be angry with you. It’s just…not a great time.” He wasn’t mad at her or Ashley. He hated himself.
“What went wrong?” she asked.
“We had a nice ride and we’re going to see the lights around town, but no. I had to come back here. Every time I get away, the old girl calls me back. It’s like she’s jealous.” His head ached. “I’m tired.”
“Of Ashley? Or here?”
“Yes.” He folded his arms and cracked his neck. “I feel like I’m losing the battle. The restaurant is jealous of Ashley, and I’m tired of not seeing him.”
She tipped her head. “This is how you pay the bills.”
“It is.”
“You have to be here because it’s your responsibility.”
“Correct,” Colt said.
“The diner won’t crash if you take time off. We had the fryer quit. That’s all,” Shelby said. “So? We’re still open and still w
orking.”
“But what if we’d had a fire?” Colt asked. “What if the fryer had blown up? Or caught fire?”
“It didn’t.”
How could she be so calm? “Shelby. I’m making you manager. How are you not worried?”
“We could have a perfectly fine day, and the place could explode.” She leaned on the doorframe. “No one could be here, and it could catch fire.” She paused. “Do you worry this much about Ashley and Wyatt?”
“Yes.” Without a doubt.
“Okay.” She crossed her ankles. “So you had a good time, but it’s not a good time. Things aren’t great. What happened?”
“It’s tense.” Talk about the understatement of the year. “But we’ll get through it.”
“Then let’s look at everything a different way. Who is your true love?” she asked.
“What?” He knew what she meant. She wanted him to pick between Ashley and the diner.
“If you had plenty of money and didn’t need to work, would you pick this place or Ashley? Maybe someone else?” She leveled her gaze at him. “Colt?”
His gut response was Ashley, but Colton had built the diner up to the great dining experience it had become. He had to think about his decision.
“That tells me a lot,” Shelby said. “You’re torn.”
“I love Ashley. I’m going to ask him to marry me.” But he hadn’t voiced this decision to anyone else. Not even Wyatt knew.
“Good for you.”
“But? You don’t sound like you believe me.” Colt gritted his teeth.
“You’re not sure.”
She had him there. “I’m not.” Colt sighed. “My heart wants him, but I’m scared. I’m worried he’ll say no.”
“Because he knows you’re highly invested in the diner.” She crooked her eyebrow. “You left them tonight. You could’ve phoned and told me what to do like I suggested, but instead you swooped in. You needed to be in charge.”
“No.” Yes. What a liar…
“If you weren’t worried about controlling the situation, you would’ve delegated before now,” she said. “You only told me about the promotion because you felt pushed.”
“When I left this place in the hands of others before, I had problems.”
“It’s still standing.”
“True.” Colt sighed. Shelby had him nailed to the wall. He was scared of letting go.
“You’re running yourself ragged, and you need time off.” Shelby left the doorframe. “I get it. I’ve been in your place.”
“But I went to do what I wanted and you called, so I had to come back.”
“Do you trust us?”
“Yes,” Colt said. He had a good staff.
“Then go home,” Shelby said.
“I can’t.” Not right now. He’d have to explain to Ashley how he felt, and right now he was too raw.
“Why?”
She wasn’t going to let him off easily, was she? “Because…” Shit. The reason dawned on him. On top of his control issues, he was scared. “I’m afraid. Like I told you. I invested a lot in Ashley, but what if he leaves me? At least the diner will still be here.”
“You’re afraid of losing that control.”
“Yes, I am. Here I know what will happen. I know what to do. When I’m with Ashley and Wyatt, I’m happy, but I can’t handle what I can’t control. I’m scared that if I get too close to them and Ashley won’t agree to marry me, I’ll lose them. I’m sure it’s all in my mind because Ashley and I are tighter than ever…but still…”
“Wow.” She sank onto the chair opposite his desk. “Okay, then who do you want? I mean really want?”
“Ashley,” he blurted. He’d thought he’d name the diner.
“Then go home. You told us what to do and you’re a text away. I’ll count the take and do the paperwork. It’ll all be in the safe when you come in tomorrow morning.”
“Shelby.” She made this sound so simple.
“You can’t hide here. It’s almost Christmas and you’ve got a family who needs you. Go home.”
“You don’t understand.” Shame washed over him. He’d abandoned them in favor of his job.
“Don’t I?” She glared at him. “Before I married Russ, I didn’t think anyone could love me. I was such a mess because of what my dickwad first husband did to me. I met Russ and pushed him away while I kept trying to be with him. I believed he didn’t love me and was playing with my head. Then we had a massive argument. I kept telling him I wanted him, but I wanted freedom. I almost lost him even though he never wanted to take away my independence. When we came clean to each other, we found out we wanted the same things.”
He hadn’t expected her to say any of that. He’d known about the argument but not how much she and Russ had been through.
She put both hands up. “Before you chew me out, don’t. We can handle this.”
“I know.” Ashley had stuck by him during the crap with the Coalition. He’d welcomed Colt into his and Wyatt’s lives, despite the worries. He wanted Colt to be home more because he loved him. Colt snorted. He’d bought a ring and planned to ask Ashley to marry him but was still afraid. He needed to stop running and either take the man he wanted or quit the relationship.
“I don’t know what you’re going to do, but you need to get out of here. I’ll call you once we close, but don’t you sit on that phone.” She wagged her finger at him. “Figure yourself out.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?” Her eyes widened. “You agree with me?”
“Yeah. I need to be with my family.” And decide what I really want.
“Good.” She raked her fingers through her hair. “See you tomorrow. I’ve got a dining room to deal with.”
“You do.” He caught sight of the photo of Ashley and Wyatt on his desk. They meant the world to him. He grabbed his coat and went out to his car.
Colt rushed home. The hour wasn’t that late, but still. He’d spent too long at the diner. He pulled into the garage and parked. He’d put his life in the wrong order. Boyfriend, living together with him and his son, questioning the relationship, engagement…marriage. He owed Ashley more than half of his attention. No wonder Ashley wasn’t sure about the relationship.
He headed inside. Ashley sat at the bar with his back to the door. Colt removed his coat. “What are you doing?”
Ashley glanced over his shoulder. “Hey, you.” He knocked a plastic ornament across the bar. When Colt inched closer, he noticed the bevvy of photos and trinkets mixed among the ornaments.
He eased up behind Ashley and wrapped his arms around him. He noticed a few more of the items—a flower from the time he and Ashley went to the metro parks in the spring, a leaf from the cultural gardens, a medal from Wyatt’s swim meet, plus pictures of Wyatt as a baby and toddler, Colt with Ashley and Colt with Wyatt. His heart squeezed.
“This is what I wanted to do with the bare tree,” Ashley said. He patted Colt’s hand. “Wyatt crashed, and I wanted it decorated before Christmas Eve. I guess the ride was too much for him, but he had a blast.”
“Poor kid. I didn’t mean to wear him out, but I’m glad he had fun.” He kissed Ashley’s neck. “But this is cool. I love it.”
“I wanted to surprise him with a few of these.” Ashley pointed to a miniature stove. “Wyatt begged for this ornament. He wants to learn to cook so he can work with you. He asked me to buy one of those kid ovens too. I did, of course.”
“He does?” He dragged his nose along Ashley’s temple. “I had no idea.”
“Uh-huh. He can’t wait for the days you bring him to the diner.” Ashley rubbed his cheek on Colt’s hand. “He’s not interested in art other than doing what his teachers ask him to do for his assignments. He doesn’t want to draw for fun.”
“He may change his mind.” That didn’t mean Colt wasn’t in awe. He hadn’t thought Wyatt liked cooking.
“He might, but he looks up to you and you’re the favorite right now. I don’t mind.”
&nbs
p; “He looks up to you, too.” He hated when Ashley discounted himself.
“But you’re the cool kid.” Ashley put both hands up. “That’s okay. You’re new and you don’t punish him, but you’ve stuck around.” He shook his head. “That sounds bad, but it’s true. I still think things happened too fast, and I shouldn’t have introduced Wyatt to you so quickly, but they did and we’re where we are. Sometimes I wonder if I made the wrong decision. He lost Danica… I don’t know if he can handle losing you if we break up.”
“He needs stability.” And a family. Colt didn’t dislike Danica—he’d never met her and couldn’t imagine not being able to raise her kid. He couldn’t imagine dealing with cancer or losing his best friend to the nasty disease.
“He does.” Ashley sighed again. “I’m almost done. Just two more to fill.”
“Then it’s a good thing I’m not going anywhere.” Colt let go of Ashley and sat beside him. “Which ones are you filling?”
Ashley grinned. “These two.” He popped open one of the ornaments. “Put the picture of Wyatt in the back, then place that oven in front.”
Colt added the miniature to the ornament, then snapped the front into place. He dangled the ball from his fingers. “What do you think?”
“I love it.” Ashley stuck a photograph into the ball he held, then clicked it shut. “I loved the surprise today, too. It was fantastic. Thank you. We need to do more family stuff like that.” He turned the ornament around. “Here’s to our first Christmas in this house.”
Colt marveled at the image—a shot of the three of them in the carriage which Ashley must’ve taken when Colt wasn’t looking. His heart overflowed with admiration for his boyfriend. “Here’s to many more Christmases together.” He kissed Ashley. “Speaking of more…I’m planning on spending more time with you and Wyatt. I’m making changes.”
Ashley nodded. “I know.” He sighed again. “I believe you, but it’s not easy being with a guy with a kid… I understand. He takes my time. We can’t do most of the things other couples our ages would. No sex-a-thons, no naked breakfasts or loud, kinky nights, and I’m sorry. But we both love you.” He pulled away from Colt. “Why don’t we put these on the tree? It’ll surprise Wyatt when he gets up in the morning.”
