“Gimme a couple hours and I’ll be back. I’m gonna run to The Hill and grab some lunch and take care of a couple things. I’ll be back to take over.”
“Sounds good.”
“Want anything from The Hill?”
He kicks his feet up on the desk and gets comfortable. “I’ll grab something when I leave here.”
I tap the door on my way out. Rita’s on the phone, so I stop by her desk to make sure it’s not important. I continue on my way when she shakes her head.
The Hill is only a few blocks away, so I choose to walk instead of drive. I pass by a big open grassy area that has a huge playground for all the children in Malus. Picnic tables and benches surround the playground. I laugh when I see a boy chasing after a girl with what looks like a worm dangling from his hand. Several other kids are on the playset while their parents sit in the sun and watch them. One family is sitting at a picnic table having lunch.
The area is a lot happier than it was back when it was Sweet Haven. That’s where the Hall sat. When my brothers and I moved back, one of the first things we did was burn down the offending building. Everyone left in town stood aroun
d the big ball of flames, each of us relishing watching the place that held so many painful memories burn to the ground. Afterward, my brothers and I felt the landscape left behind would be a good place to build a play area for the children. What once was a place that created nightmares is now a place that helps make good memories.
It’s noon on a Friday, so several cars dot the parking lot of The Hill. The inside will be even fuller than it appears from the outside, because, like me, many people in town live so close to The Hill, they walk to the restaurant.
I’m surprised to see Mae behind the bar when I walk inside. Her and her late husband, Dale, owned The Hill back when the town was called Sweet Haven. The place was shut down after the town was raided twenty-three years ago. When she came back twenty-one years later, The Hill was still in her name. With her permission, Doris and Meryl had opened the place back up years ago and ran it. Instead of taking on the task by herself, Mae decided to offer half of The Hill to Doris and Meryl. They’ve pretty much taken over since Mae is getting on in years and it’s harder for her to get around. She doesn’t like not being a part of the restaurant anymore, but I think she’s starting to understand that she needs to take it easy.
“Hey, Mae,” I greet and lean over the bar to kiss her cheek.
“Hey, you.” She smiles, throwing a towel over her shoulder. “How’s your day going?”
I sit on a stool and lace my fingers on the scarred wood. “Just dropped Cliff off in a cell.”
She sucks her teeth while rolling her eyes. “That man…. I tell ya. Why can’t he just admit he has a thing for Dorothy?”
“My guess? Because it’ll make all of our lives easier.”
“Too right you are, son. Now,” she slaps her hands on the bar, “what can I get you?”
“Why are you here? I thought you only came on Mondays and Wednesdays?”
Her cheeks carry a healthy flush and her smile is wide. As much as I don’t like her being here on a Friday, one of the busiest days of the week, I have to admit, she looks more energized than I’ve seen in a while.
“Doris has come down with a stomach bug and Tina’s baby is sick.” She points her finger at me when I open my mouth, already knowing what I was going to say. “Don’t you start with me. I’ve already heard it from Judge and Trouble. I’m only here for today. Tina’s husband will be home tomorrow to watch the little one, so she’ll be in then.”
I cross my arms on the bar and lean toward her, not completely giving up on my argument.
“As long as you call one of us if you get too tired. We can cover your shift if we need to.”
She scowls, but it’s not a real one because her eyes are too soft. She knows my brothers and I only have her best interests at heart. After all, Mae and Dale were the ones to take us away from the hell we were living in as kids and were more parents to us than our actual parents.
“I know it and appreciate it, but I’ll be fine. I’m only here until six anyway.” She pulls a glass from under the bar and fills it with water before placing it in front of me. “You here for lunch?”
“Yes, ma’am. The usual.”
As she walks away to put my order in, feminine laughter has me swiveling on my stool. I spot Remi and Grace in a booth, with a woman with red hair sitting across from them, her back facing me. At first, I don’t recognize the red head, because I’ve only ever seen her with a scarf over her hair, but the minute her head turns, and I get a side glimpse of her face, I’m shocked to find out it’s Eden. Only her head and shoulders can be seen over the back of the booth.
Before I know it, I’m getting up from the stool and walking over to them. Remi spots me when I’m a few feet away, and smiles.
“Hey there,” she chirps.
I tip my chin. “Remi, Grace.” My eyes move to Eden, and they catch on hers. “Eden.”
“Hi.”
My body reacts when she speaks. Not only because it likes her voice, but especially because she’s fucking gorgeous with her hair braided and tossed over her shoulder. With it normally hidden behind a scarf, I didn’t know it was so thick and long. The end of her braid rests in her lap, meaning it’ll reach her ass when she stands.