Waiting on Love (Love in Madelia Book 3)

by Jessa Chase

  They’d stayed up longer than he’d expected nearly every night, talking on the phone, but he wouldn’t have traded all the sleep in the world for the way she’d made him feel.

  In fact, he’d resisted coming to the diner, instead choosing to stay back at his aunt’s house and do a little rearranging. His decision to come this morning, however, had been made almost unconsciously.

  He’d woken up, drank a cup of coffee, and found his feet directing him down the street to the diner.

  “Good morning, Enzo!” Mason’s voice rang out through the diner as they walked through the front door. A few customers murmured their hellos and gave Mason and Daisy waves as they weaved through the tables and chairs. Cole wondered what that kind of admiration might feel like, as he’d been all but ignored by the other patrons of the diner.

  As they passed by his booth, Daisy glanced his way and gave him a small smile. He figured he must be losing his mind though, because just that little smile made his heart squeeze tightly in his chest.

  He liked seeing her in the morning. He wanted to know what she looked like with sleep-mussed hair and a sleepy smile. He wanted to reach over her, pull her under him, and give her the best good morning he could think of beneath a big, heavy comforter.

  Cole looked back at his stack of papers and sighed. Maybe there’d be time for that, if he figured out how to keep the diner going long enough to convince Daisy that he was worth taking a chance on.

  DAISY

  “Let momma get a few people their food and then I’ll be back with your pancakes, okay little man?” Daisy ruffled her son’s hair, eliciting a smile. She’d helped him up to a seat at the counter and settled him down with his new coloring book and box of crayons before heading back to the kitchen.

  Enzo was manning the stove, cranking out the breakfast rush when she came behind him and wrapped her arms around his mid-section. Her arms barely reached halfway around him, but she knew the big guy couldn’t get enough of her ridiculously tiny hugs.

  “Good morning,” he said gruffly as he flipped a short stack of pancakes. “Mason feeling pancakey this morning?”

  “Almost always. Well, I guess sometimes he feels waffley. Which table for these two?” She indicated the two plates sitting next to the stove, piled high with blueberry waffles, sausages, and scrambled eggs.

  Enzo shook his spatula toward the far end of the diner. “Princess Ella and her merry court.”

  Daisy gasped, jumped up and down for a minute before forcing herself to settle down and grab the plates with two hands.

  “Ella!” She squealed as she approached the booth where Kate and Logan were making funny faces at the baby car seat. She heard the baby cooing happily before she saw her little face.

  “Hi Logan, hi Kate,” Logan drawled sarcastically. “How wonderful to see you two wonderful adults.”

  Daisy waved a hand at him dismissively. “I love you Logan, but baby! You just can’t compete with those chubby cheeks!”

  “I’m aware,” he replied with a laugh. “I’ll forgive you though, because you brought hot food.”

  Daisy grinned as she put the two plates down in front of her friends. “Not a lot of hot cooking going on in the McAllister household right now?”

  Kate winced. “My fault. Logan gets up in the middle of the night with Ella ever since she started to protest sleeping in any form. I’ve worn out my best chef.”

  Daisy winked. “No problem, that’s where we come in handy. No babies keeping Enzo up all night.”

  Kate leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially with Daisy. “Speaking of up all night…is that him in the corner booth?”

  Daisy nodded. Logan pretended not to be listening, but she saw him lean forward in his booth seat and look Cole’s way.

  “Ooh, he’s cute. Does he come by here a lot?”

  “Most days, he has. He says he likes to people watch, and he’s been going over Mrs. Shuster’s accounting, seeing if the diner could be profitable.”

  “Well that’s nice of him.”

  Daisy looked doubtful. “I don’t know. He was pretty dead-set on selling when he got here. I haven’t heard much from him that makes me think he’s changed his mind at all.”

  “Maybe you’re changing his mind,” Kate said with a smile.

  “Maybe. Can I get you guys anything else before I head out?”

  They both shook their heads. “We’re good here, Daisy. Go do your thing.”

  Daisy spun on her heels, reaching out to steady herself for just a moment before continuing on toward the kitchen. She’d felt just the slightest tinge of lightheadedness for a moment, but she was able to write it off as because she hadn’t eaten breakfast yet.

  After making another trip to the kitchen to get Mason’s pancakes and making sure he had everything he needed, she felt bold enough to walk past Cole’s booth again.

  This time, he reached out and wrapped his fingers around her wrist. She stopped in her tracks and looked down, surprised at the little sparks of electricity she could feel shooting up her arm from where he was touching her.

  “Good morning,” he said, still holding onto her wrist. He wasn’t squeezing, was in fact barely applying any pressure, but Daisy suddenly felt very lightheaded again.

  “Good morning, Cole. Did you want something to eat or just more coffee?”

  “Neither, actually. Well, I’ll take more coffee, I’ll pretty much always take more coffee, but that’s not why I stopped you.”

  She held eye contact with him as long as she could before she cast her eyes downward. He was looking so intently at her, studying her, and it was more than she could take. She’d felt brave the past few nights, on the phone, but seeing him in person again after the achingly flirtatious conversations they’d had, well it made her feel shy.

  “You look tired, Daisy,” he said after a moment of quiet reflection. “And I saw you almost fall over a minute ago. I just wanted to make sure you were feeling okay.”

  “I’m okay. I am tired. It’s been pretty stressful the last few weeks. I’m just a little off my game, is all.” She swiped her hand across her forehead. “Actually I was thinking earlier than I might be getting a bug or something.”

  “Well, take care of yourself, please.” He squeezed her wrist, just a little bit, to emphasize his point. “And let me know if I can do anything to help ease your stress.”

  Daisy chuckled. “I appreciate the offer, Cole, and I might take you up on it. I need to get going, but I’ll grab you that coffee.”

  COLE

  She was a hell of a thing to watch at work, Cole thought to himself for probably the tenth time that day. Her steps were light and airy, she smiled at everyone and seemed to know every person who walked through the doors of the diner.

  The place was just…brighter, when she was around. He had fond memories of the diner from childhood, but as he sat there and watched her rush around, he found his memories being written over. He had a feeling he’d be thinking about this day for many years to come.

  A buzz at his hip broke his train of thought. He grabbed his phone and glanced at the screen. Another text from his boss, a little less of a curious tone this time. More urgent.

  Frustrated by his extended absence, his boss was clearly losing his patience. Cole wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to stay in Madelia before he wouldn’t have a job to go back to.

  He placed his thumb on the screen to send a reply message when out of the corner of his eye, he saw Daisy stumble.

  It was just a little movement, a placement of her foot down in just the wrong spot, but he could tell by the heavy feeling in his chest that she was going to go down.

  Cole was out of the booth and across the diner faster than he would have imagined possible. He caught her as she fell, wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her from hitting the ground.

  “Hey there,” Cole said softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from her sweaty forehead. “Are you okay?”

  A smile trembled over her
lips. “I guess I’m not as okay as I thought I was.”

  “Sit,” he said, his brows furrowed with concern. Not waiting for an argument, he led her to an open chair with a firm hand against her lower back.

  She nearly collapsed into the chair as her knees buckled beneath her, and laid her head on the cool table.

  “That’s better,” she moaned after a moment. “I’m better.”

  “And I don’t believe you for a second. Stay right there, I’m going to get you a drink.”

  Cole jumped up and headed for the kitchen, where Enzo was already ahead of the game and topping off a cup of ice water.

  “Thanks,” he said as he took the cup from the older man.

  “Take her home, and tell her when she argues with you that I am perfectly capable of running the tables without her.”

  His mouth curved into an unconscious smile. “I can already imagine her answer to that.”

  Enzo grunted. “Yeah, I know. But try anyway. She’s sweet on you.”

  Cole’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, which made Enzo laugh.

  “I might be old but I’m no idiot. Get her to drink that water, and if she still insists on sticking around, which she will, put her butt in your booth and I’ll make her something to eat.”

  “Will do.”

  When he returned to the table, Daisy was still hunched over. She looked miserable. He squatted next to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

  “Here,” he said, bringing the cup up to her lips. “Drink this.”

  “Thank you,” she said after a few sips. “God that tastes amazing. How can water taste that good?”

  Cole chuckled. “I’m guessing you are dehydrated. Enzo wants you to go home.”

  “Well that’s not happening,” she huffed. “We’re not closing down the diner again, especially not just because I got a little loopy.”

  “He said you’d say that. And he also said I should pick you up and drop you in that booth over in the corner.”

  “Oh?” She raised an eyebrow. He saw a little sparkle return to her eyes, for which he was grateful.

  “Yep. He also said he’d make you something to eat as long as you promised to sit on your butt and let somebody else run the tables for a while.”

  “I know when I’m beat,” she said with a sigh. “If Enzo is cooking, who does he think is going to be running the tables?”

  “I guess I am,” he said simply.

  Twin dimples appeared as if loving fingers had squeezed her cheeks, and her eyes twinkled mischievously.

  “Well this I have to see,” she said with a laugh. She tucked her hands under herself and used them to push herself to a standing position.

  Taking a deep, unsteady breath, she stepped forward. Cole kept a comforting hand against her back, and helped her over to the booth.

  “This is all just silly,” she said as she dropped onto the vinyl seat. “You’re going to realize that after you seat your first table.”

  Cole mock growled. “Says you. I didn’t fall out of the womb an accountant, you know. I worked plenty of retail jobs during college. I worked my ass off, in fact.”

  Daisy tilted her head to the side, openly admiring his rear end. “Seems it grew back, thank God.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t lose your sense of humor. Now stay there and watch me work my magic. Prepare to be impressed.”

  DAISY

  Impressed might not be the word for it, Daisy thought with a laugh, but she was definitely feeling something as she watched Cole wait tables at the diner.

  He wasn’t any good at it. She didn’t mean he wasn’t a professional, as that was obvious. She meant he wasn’t good at all. Like, she’d seen first day waitresses who couldn’t keep track of an order, who forgot which food went to which table.

  Cole couldn’t balance a tray for the life of him, but he was just so damn cute when he tried. Daisy found herself genuinely enjoying the show. She propped her chin up on her hands, unabashedly watching his ass wiggle when he walked back to the kitchen.

  She laughed out loud when she saw Enzo poke his head out from the kitchen, because she knew from the look on his face that he knew exactly what she was doing.

  She couldn’t help it! The man had a real nice rear end. And even if he was plainly awful at being a waitress for the day, he was making a concerted effort at it and if that wasn’t the sexiest thing she’d ever seen, she’d eat her hat. She couldn’t think of anything else that someone else had done for her that compared.

  The fact that he’d been working so hard on Mrs. Shuster’s books, trying to find a way to make the diner profitable, had already gone a long way toward making Daisy feel positively toward him. Seeing him with her apron riding on his hips, seeing him take orders from customers and try so hard to do things right…well it definitely earned him points in her book.

  Daisy took a bite of the grilled cheese that Enzo had made her, closing her eyes in pleasure as the flavor rolled over her. That man could cook, there was no doubt about that.

  Her stomach was feeling better, to the point that she actually felt like eating. She’d skipped breakfast because her stomach had been roiling in protest and she hadn’t wanted to throw up at work.

  She realized now that skipping breakfast probably hadn’t been her best move, especially now that she had some food in her belly and she was feeling so much better.

  Cole caught her eye and raised an eyebrow at her, which she responded to with a cheesy grin. He finished dropping off food to one of the few busy tables and wound his way back to her booth.

  “You look a whole lot better,” he said as he dropped into the seat across from her.

  “I am, I definitely am. Apparently skipping breakfast wasn’t my best move.”

  Cole knit his brows together. “Yeah, don’t do that again.”

  “Yes sir,” Daisy replied sarcastically. “Want a bite of my sandwich?” She proffered her uneaten half to him, which he took after considering it for a minute.

  He took a big bite and his eyes rolled back in his head. “Oh man, this is amazing.”

  “Right?! Enzo is a genius. Keep that one, I really don’t need you feeling faint next from a lack of lunch.”

  Cole chuckled. “Thanks.”

  Daisy nodded her head toward the stack of paperwork that they’d pushed toward the window. “Have you found anything good in here yet?”

  Cole shrugged. “A few things that might pan out. Nothing definitive, but the picture isn’t as bad as I thought it was when I got here.”

  Daisy grinned. “Good! See, that cheers me up almost as much as Enzo’s grilled cheese.”

  Cole reached a hand across the table and wrapped his fingers around her wrist. That same electricity sparked up her arms as before, and Daisy couldn’t ignore it this time. She felt her face color under his touch.

  “Do you want to come over tonight? I can’t make anything that compares to Enzo’s meals, but I almost always make too much anyway. So yeah…if you want to come over.”

  To her delight, his smile reached all the way to his eyes.

  “That sounds great, Daisy. I’d love to. I have been eating here so much, mostly because I can’t cook for crap.”

  Daisy laughed. “Well then you won’t be too judgmental about my cooking. Okay, well you can come over any time you want after we close down for the night.”

  “How about I drive you home, instead. I’d really rather you didn’t get behind the wheel so quickly after nearly fainting earlier.”

  “Depends, I guess.”

  “On?”

  “On if you can drive a stick,” she said with a laugh.

  *

  “Wanna grab the tomatoes and dice them up for me?” Daisy asked as she mixed up the ground beef, onion, garlic and green pepper in her biggest saucepan.

  Cole moved to grab the tomatoes from her refrigerator, but Daisy nudged him with her foot. “Ripe tomatoes in the bag on the counter.”

  He looked incredulous. “Really?”

&nbs
p; “Yes, really. They wilt so much faster when they’re cold. Trust me.”

  Daisy continued to stir the meat and veggies as she watched Cole pull out three beautiful red tomatoes and dice them like an expert.

  “Nice,” she said with a smile. “See, you know how to cook.”

  “I know how to follow directions,” he waggled his eyebrows. “Believe me, it comes in handy.”

  Daisy bumped her hip into his playfully. She was enjoying working with someone else in her small kitchen. It was a very different experience than she was used to, since Mason wasn’t quite old enough that he had an interest in making his own food.

  “That smells really good,” he said as he leaned over her shoulder. Daisy felt her heart pounding in her chest at just that small casual touch. When he palmed her shoulder and she felt his fingers massaging into her tired muscles, she had to bite her tongue to keep from moaning out loud.

  “It’s a super simple recipe but it packs a punch,” Daisy said after she regained her powers of speech. “It’s the garlic that you’re smelling, mostly. But it’s the onion you’re going to be tasting.”

  She carried the saucepan to the sink and drained the grease through a paper towel into a glass cup she kept on the side of the sink. She wrinkled her nose at the necessary but unappealing step.

  “Aunt Eleanor kept a grease cup,” Cole said as he watched her. “I remember thinking it was pretty much the grossest thing I’d ever seen before.”

  Daisy grinned. “It’s definitely gross, but re-purposing cooking grease can really come in handy. You can make bird feed out of it, keep the birds fat and happy during the winter. I use it for frying up potatoes, and sometimes I even mix it into my cornbread and zucchini bread.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yep. And when we move somewhere we can have a garden, I plan on using some of it in my compost. Worms love veggie fats.”

  Daisy found she really enjoyed talking to Cole, even when they were talking about something as innocuous as leftover cups of grease. She was fairly certain he felt the same, because why else would the man have agreed to come over for dinner? Much less help cook?