* * *
There was no question that lunch was a disappointment. There were a total of three groups...twelve diners that showed up. Each group chose a booth far away from the other people. They filled their plates, ate and then left. There was no sense of celebration, no festive laughter to fill the air.
Still, Nina refused to allow her high spirits to be dampened. “A lot of people don’t eat Thanksgiving meal until three or so, don’t you think?” she asked Grace as the two stood side by side behind the counter.
“When I was married and we all got together as a family, we usually ate around three or so,” Grace agreed. “I think my son has found a new hero to worship,” she said and gestured to the two-top where Billy and Flint were seated.
Their heads were together as it appeared Flint helped Billy with his video game. As Nina watched, the two males laughed and then high-fived each other. Her heart melted into a puddle of warmth.
Throughout the morning and early afternoon, Flint had kept Billy entertained, and the serious lawman had shown exceptional patience, an ability to connect and a tenderness that merely confirmed to Nina that Flint would make a wonderful father.
Not that it mattered to her. As much as she might yearn to have a child, as much as she’d enjoyed her time in Flint’s home, there was still a hard knot in her heart that she believed would never be untied.
In the past week, she’d noticed a change in Flint’s behavior toward her. He’d become more flirtatious with her, and he touched her more often, as if unable to help himself. It was almost as if he was courting her, and there was a part of her that liked it and a part of her that was afraid of it.
Two more groups came in, and she busied herself greeting them, shoving thoughts of Flint and fatherhood out of her mind. The two groups, Melissa and Marvin Baker and their two children, and Sam and Ginger Taylor and their three children were all friends.
They took tables next to each other in the center of the room and before long the sound of laughter filled the air.
Nina drank it in. This was what she’d wanted for this day. Hopefully, a little bit later the whole place would be filled with diners laughing and enjoying the food together.
It was about four when she saw Flint make a beeline for the food. She moved behind the counter. “Finally got over that big breakfast?” she asked with a grin.
“That seems like days ago,” he replied and began to fill a plate.
“I appreciate you being here with me all day.” She spooned a healthy portion of mashed potatoes onto his plate. “I know you must be bored to death.”
“Actually, bored isn’t so bad. I’m enjoying just relaxing and not thinking about anything too important today.” He ladled gravy over his potatoes. “I’m sorry you haven’t seen the crowd you’d hoped for so far.”
“I think in about an hour or so we’re going to see the people really start to pour in,” she replied.
“I’m sure you’re right,” he said.
She thought she saw a hint of concern darkening his eyes, but she refused to dwell on it. She remained optimistic that as the afternoon grew later, people would begin to arrive and before they all knew it, there would be a full house.
For the next hour several more families came in, along with Harvey Watters. “Harvey, I thought you always took your meals at the café,” Nina teased.
“Put a nice bench outside of here and I could always change my mind. I might be an old dog, but I can learn new tricks,” he replied.
“I never doubted that, and don’t be surprised if one of these days in the near future you see a bench sitting right outside my front window. Now, go help yourself to the food and enjoy,” she said.
“I intend to do just that,” he replied and headed directly for the counter.
Nina looked around in satisfaction. While there weren’t that many diners, at least there were some, and the dinner hour was approaching quickly.
Billy had gone back into the large storage area where there was a cot, and when Grace had checked on him she’d returned and told Nina that he was sound asleep.
“I guess he got his belly so full, he’s now indulging in another tradition of the Thanksgiving Day nap,” she’d said with a laugh.
Flint wandered from table to table, visiting briefly with each guest. Nina couldn’t help the way her gaze sought him often.
He looked so handsome in his dress shirt and slacks. She was used to seeing him either in his official uniform or in sweats in the evenings. Even the holster and gun that rode his hips didn’t detract from his overall hotness.
He was not only touching base with his constituency, but was also helping to keep the atmosphere pleasant and friendly. In moments like this she found him almost too good to be true.
If she wanted to handpick a man for herself, Flint had all of the qualities she would ever want. It only made it more difficult that there was such an obvious chemistry between them, both sexually and emotionally.
She’d be perfectly content to be his lover until the relationship eventually burned out. Even after Bittard was in custody and the danger to her was over and she’d moved out of his house, she wouldn’t mind continuing as his lover.
But she knew that wouldn’t be fair to him. She’d watched him interact with his brother and Ellie and had seen a yearning in his eyes. She’d watched him with Billy and recognized his attributes as a potential father.
She already knew by living with him that he would make a wonderful husband, but she was unwilling to be a wife or a mother. Being his lover would only keep him bound and unavailable to find the woman who was exactly right for him, a woman who could give him everything he needed to be happy in life.
Her thoughts shifted from Flint as two more families entered the diner, trailed by Officer Patrick Carter. Wilma greeted the families and got them seated while Nina and Flint joined Patrick.
“Thanks for showing up,” Flint said.
“Wouldn’t have missed it,” Patrick replied.
“Feel free to sit wherever you want,” Nina said to the handsome officer. “And of course, fill your plate as high as you want.”
Patrick leaned slightly closer to Nina. “Could you point me to a table where Grace is working?” His cheeks grew slightly dusky as Nina looked at him in surprise.
She pointed him to a table next to the window, and as he made his way to the table, she turned to Flint in amusement. “Do I smell a budding romance starting up?”
“Beats me, but Grace could do a lot worse. Patrick is a good man,” Flint replied.
“And Grace is a wonderful woman, and she and Billy deserve only the very best,” Nina replied. “And speaking of my favorite munchkin,” she said as Billy appeared from the back room. She motioned him toward them. “I’ll bet after that nice nap you had, you’re ready for some dessert.”
“Definitely,” Billy replied.
“How about you sit down and I’ll bring you a big piece of apple pie with whipped cream on top?” Nina asked.
“Awesome,” Billy replied and headed toward his usual two-top table.
Nina tapped Flint in the center of his chest. “Sorry, big boy, but you’re on your own.” She gave him a cheeky grin as she went to take care of Billy.
“Here you are, my little man,” she said a moment later as she placed the dessert in front of Billy. “I even added a couple of extra dollops of whipped cream.”
“Thanks, Nina.”
“You’re welcome, squirt,” she replied.
When she left his table she snagged hold of Grace’s arm. “I think maybe Officer Carter has a bit of a crush on you,” she told her friend.
Grace’s cheeks grew pink. “Oh, surely not.” Her blue eyes grew brighter. “Do you really think so?”
“He specifically asked to sit at a table that you were serving,”
Nina said.
Grace straightened her apron. “Maybe I should go see if he needs some more coffee.”
Nina grinned. “Go get him, girl.” Nina punched her turkey pin and laughed as it gobbled. Grace slapped her on the arm and then hurried to where Patrick sat alone.
“I find it slightly ironic that a woman who professes not to believe in marriage and family appears to be indulging in a little bit of matchmaking.”
Nina whirled around to see Flint standing just behind her, an amused smile curving his lips. “Just because I don’t believe in marriage and family for myself doesn’t mean I don’t believe in it for other people,” she replied.
He looked at her for a long moment. “You’re a mystery to me, Nina Owens, and there’s nothing policemen like better than to get to the very bottom of a good mystery.”
Nina’s heart fluttered, but she held his gaze steadily. “No mystery here. Lots of women in this day and age are choosing the option of staying unmarried and not having children.”
Before he could say anything, the diner door opened and half a dozen people came in, and Nina hurried to greet them. By five-thirty Nina stood against one wall and watched the diners.
There were probably fifteen families in all and while she’d hoped for at least twice that many, she was happy to see neighbors greeting neighbors and to hear the sound of laughter that filled the air.
It wasn’t the huge celebration she’d envisioned, but at least some of the people in town had managed to overcome their fears and show up.
Charley and the rest of the kitchen staff kept the steamers and trays filled with fresh food, and the three waitresses bustled to keep up with drink orders and anything else they could do to accommodate their guests.
“Happy?” Flint stepped up next to where she leaned against the back wall.
She frowned thoughtfully. “Satisfied,” she finally replied. “Happy would be twice as many people and three times as much laughter.”
“Considering everything that’s happened and the mood of the town, you’ve had a far better turnout than I expected,” he admitted. “I’ll be honest with you, I worried that only a handful of people would turn out all day.”
“Even though we’ve had a decent turnout, I’ll warn you, you’re probably going to be eating turkey sandwiches, turkey pot pie and turkey everything for dinner over the next week.”
He smiled. “Thank goodness I like turkey.”
The diner door swung open to admit another group, this one all men, and it was obvious they’d spent at least part of the afternoon celebrating the holiday with booze.
The group included Ralph Dane and Ted Garrett and a few others from both the gas station and the auto body shop. With loud laughter and more than a stumble or two, they made their way to one of two booths in the back that seated six.
“That’s supposed to be Molly’s area, but I’m going to have Wilma wait on them instead,” Nina said and motioned toward the older, more experienced waitress.
She quickly explained the change in table duties and Wilma went to tell Molly. “That was nice,” Flint said.
“That was smart,” Nina countered. “Molly is too sensitive and having to wait on those guys would only remind her of Jimmy. Besides, they appear a little liquored up. Wilma will be able to keep them in line far better than Molly would. And now I think I’ll head behind the counter to keep an eye on things.”
There were several people there, filling second plates and grabbing dessert. There was no question that she was slightly disappointed by the turnout, but at the moment the diner was almost half-filled and she was grateful for each and every person who had come in throughout the day.
She glanced over to the table by the window where Patrick Carter had spent several hours. At the moment Grace stood next to the table, and it was obvious there was more than a little mutual flirting going on. Good. There was nothing Nina would like better for Grace and Billy than a terrific man in their lives.
She focused back on the people in front of her at the buffet. “John, you don’t have enough stuffing on that plate to fill a baby,” she said to the man who was slowly working his way down the buffet.
“I’ve got to save room on my plate for all the other good things,” he replied. “There are just too many choices, and it all looks so delicious.”
“Don’t forget you can always grab a clean plate and come back for seconds or thirds,” Nina reminded him.
John laughed. “I think thirds would be out of the question.”
Ralph and Ted and their friends made their way to the counter, bringing with them the smell of beer and a touch of belligerence as they jostled against each other for position.
The first of the group who began down the line was a brawny, dirty-blond-haired young man who Nina didn’t know by name, but had seen at the auto body shop. He slapped food on his plate quickly and was soon almost shoulder to shoulder with John.
“Hey, man, you breathing on me?” he asked John. “Don’t breathe on me. I don’t know you. I don’t know if you’ve got the virus or not.”
“I’m fine,” John replied calmly. “I don’t have the virus.”
“I told you not to breathe on me and now you’re talking to me?” The big guy threw his shoulder against John’s.
And that was when all hell broke loose.
Chapter 11
The first indication Flint had that there was any kind of a problem was the splintering crash of a plate to the floor. Seated at Patrick’s table, he initially thought one of the waitresses had dropped a dish while clearing a table.
It was only when he saw fists flying between two men at the buffet that he realized there was real trouble. He and Patrick jumped out of their chairs, and by the time they reached the counter, there were more than two men fighting.
It had become a melee that quickly spilled into the people seated at the tables. Food flew and women and children screamed and scurried toward the front door in an effort to get out of the way. It was as if all the stress the town had bottled up for the past two months exploded in a single instant.
Flint was vaguely aware of Nina, backed up from the counter, her face sheet-white as she stood like a frozen statue. He grabbed the back of Ralph Dane’s shirt and yanked him back so that he could get to two men exchanging blows nearest the counter.
He grabbed one of the men by the shoulders and shoved him in the direction of the door. “Go home,” he yelled. “Just get the hell out of here.”
Nobody appeared to pay any attention to him. He heard Patrick shouting the same thing even as a table was flipped on its side and plates and glasses shattered to the floor.
“Everyone go home,” Flint yelled again. He had only one pair of handcuffs tucked in his back pocket, not worth anything against a crowd gone crazy. The last thing he wanted to do was pull his gun. It would be downright irresponsible in this particular situation.
This was a brawl, a bar fight misplaced to the diner. Men who had never had trouble with the law were throwing punches to others as yells and obscenities filled the air.
Grace and Billy had joined Nina behind the counter, all three looking shell-shocked as the free-for-all continued. The longer it went on, the clash showed no signs of winding down.
Flint was grateful when the male kitchen staff appeared and began to help Flint and Patrick by breaking up fights and shoving people out the front door.
It felt as if every man in the place had gone mad, and they didn’t care who they punched or what they broke. Centerpieces were thrown along with food and uppercuts. It was like every single male who had come into the diner had harbored a simmering impotence that had exploded in unbound rage.
The laughter that had filled the air before was gone, replaced by curses and grunts. Flint took a solid fist to his lower jaw but wasn’t sure who had delivere
d the punch.
He lost track of time as he and Patrick and the men from the kitchen worked to clear the diner. Punch and pull, shove and stop, it became a physical rote in Flint’s mind as they worked to clear the diner.
When the last person had finally been shoved outside Flint locked the door and leaned against it to catch his breath.
Patrick collapsed in a nearby chair, his shirt torn and one eye beginning to blacken. Utter silence reigned, and nobody moved. The diner was a disaster with tables overturned, broken dishes on the floor and food everywhere...on walls and underfoot.
Flint looked at Nina, who hadn’t moved from her position behind the counter. Her face was completely blank of expression, but her eyes held a hollowness that made his heart ache for her.
Molly was the first person to move. She leaned down and picked up a plate from the floor and set it on one of the tables nearby that was still standing.
“Leave it.” Nina’s voice rang out sharply and broke the silence. “Leave it all. Charley, divide up all the food that’s left over among you all and then everyone just go home. Lock up when you’re finished. We’re closed indefinitely. I’ll be in touch with each of you in the next couple of days.”
She turned her gaze to Flint. “Take me home,” she said and moved toward where he still stood with his back against the door. She stopped so close to him he could feel her breath on his face. “Just please take me home,” she said, her voice holding a hint of desperation he’d never heard before.
He unlocked the door, pulled his gun and then gathered her against his side. It was like trying to embrace a stone. She had no bend, no yield, as he ushered her to the passenger side of his car.
Thankfully, there was nobody lingering on the streets as he hurried around to the driver’s-side door. Apparently, everyone who had been fighting inside had gone home or somewhere else.
He started the engine and then turned to look at her. She was curled into the corner of the car, her features still schooled into an utter blankness that he found far more frightening than if she’d been ranting and railing with rage or sobbing and wailing with tears.
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