When I walked into Manny's, much later, Heather was behind the bar counter. She wore a similar red shirt from yesterday with ripped jeans that stuck to her like a second skin. With a towel and glass in hand, she dried and placed it back behind the counter. She picked up another as I went over. One of her eyebrows lifted in the air. "I hope this isn't a pattern because, girl, if it is we have to rethink this job for you."

"I'm sorry, I am. My mom collapsed this morning. She was rushed to the hospital."

Her mouth dropped. When an apology flashed over her face, I looked away. Mason told me the lie would work and it had, but there was a ball of guilt on the bottom of my stomach. I only hoped to work it away. That meant showing up on time and no more afternoon quickies. Mason never let them last as quickies. They grew into full-blown afternooners.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I figured something happened from last night, but I didn't think it was your mom." She nodded towards the door. "I saw Kade drop you off, it looked intense in there."

I flushed. She had seen that?

"Uh, yeah." A sudden rush overtook me. I wanted to tell her all about it, but I couldn't. Well, I could, but she wasn't my friend. I had never trusted any of my friends, but after only knowing her a day, I wanted to confide in her. Confused by that, I pushed it away. I was here for a job. "Where do you want me today?"

She gestured to the back of the bar. "You can stay here with me today. It shouldn't be too busy until later, but Brandon will take over by then."

As I settled beside her, there were some customers I recognized from last night's party. A few older couples were there as well, along with a young family.

"Jason!" a mother hollered as her two-year-old darted down the hallway, giggling. He pumped his chubby legs harder and his giggles increased.

Heather and I shared a look of amusement as the mother raced past us. "They come here every morning, and little Jason loves going to the back office to see my dad."

"They come here every morning?" I grabbed a towel and glass to dry.

She nodded as she put picked up another. "Yep. Coral and Jeff, her husband, have opposite schedules. He's on the road with his job at night, so they meet here for an early supper and some time together. It'd probably be easier if they did it at home, but I think Coral enjoys the break from watching all three of their little ones. My dad dotes on Jason." She nodded to the table where a girl and another boy looked the same age. Food was plastered over their faces and hands. Their dad wore deep bags underneath his eyes as he tried to feed the baby. Heather chuckled, "Jake and Jenna too."

"Triplets?"

"Yep. They're almost a part of the family now. Coral keeps trying to set up Brandon with her co-workers. She's a nurse, after their breakfast she'll go in for a twelve hour shift. She works the night shift."

Watching that table and hearing the fondness in Heather's voice, I felt slapped in the face. That was what a family was. They cared for each other. Her dad came out of his office with the two year old in his arms. His mother followed behind, cooing and smiling as Jason flailed his arms over Manny's shoulders at her. Another chuckle came from Heather as her dad sat at their table. The other two flocked to his lap, and soon all three of them were crawling all over him.

They weren't blood, but they were family.

"You okay?"

I jerked from my thoughts, but caught the glass before it went flying from my hands. A full face flush was coming. I ducked down and grabbed another glass to dry. "I'm good. Do you need me to grab some more glasses to shine?"

I was aware of the skeptical look she gave me but ignored it. When she remarked, "I supposed you could polish some of the silverware—" I had that tray in my hands before she could finish her sentence and scurried to a far table. It hurt to watch that loving family.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Brandon arrived and went behind the bar so Heather and I could help Lily and Anne, the other two servers from the diner. After the third hour of full tables with more people still streaming in, I asked Heather if it was always like this and she nodded with a rueful grin on her face. "Why do you think I get so pissed at Brandon for banging my friends? They quit after he breaks up with them. I can't keep losing anymore girls."

"Watch out!" Lily called as she hurried towards us and collapsed a bin full of dishes on the counter. "Whoa. I almost dropped that. Manny would have my hide."

Heather snorted, "Yeah, right. My dad? He can't even bring himself to squash a ladybug. Your job's safe if you break a few dishes." When the door opened and a bunch of guys walked in, she groaned but started towards them.

Lily grinned as she turned to watch her beside me. "She's right, you know."

"About?"

"About her dad. He's a softie, that's why so much of the other stuff falls on Heather and Brandon's shoulders. They do the firing and hiring. If anyone would fire me, it'd be Heather."

When the guys folded around a table in the back corner, Heather stood with pad in hand. All of them stopped and scanned her up and down. She shifted her weight to one side so her hip stuck out and lifted her chin up. They looked up with cocky smirks already starting, but those fell away as soon as they caught whatever expression she wore. A few cleared their throats before snatching up the menus she plopped on the table.

I chuckled. She had stopped their flirting in its tracks. Heather was not someone I wanted to mess with.

"So what's your deal?"

"Huh?" I looked over. I had expected Lily to leave the dishes and hurry away again, but she had been watching me as I watched Heather. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "Heather likes you, a lot. If another girl had shown up two hours late on her second day, she would've been sent away at the door."

"Oh." I shifted around and reached for the bin of dishes. I could wash them, anything to get away from this line of questioning. I liked Lily and Anne from the night before. Both were on the heavy side with friendly smiles, but I grew uneasy at the keenness in her eyes now. It hadn't been there the night before. "It's nothing. My mom went to the hospital today. I was late because of that—"

"Oh my gosh!" Her hand clamped on my arm.

Startled, I let go of the bin, and it landed with a thump back on the counter. "No, it's okay. I mean, it was a shock, but my mom will be fine. I think it was—"