“It’s not her place to.”
“I want to help her.” He was in love with her, and there was no denying it.
“Then help her the best way you can. Be honest with her. Don’t play with her feelings. Regardless of what is going on, Teri will always have a place here. She should know that.”
Damon had a feeling she didn’t.
Rapping his knuckles on the counter, he said goodbye to James and left the office, coming to a stop when he caught sight of Dane struggling to move some furniture around. No one offered to help him.
As the prospect, he had to go through a great deal of scorn and humiliation.
Damon nodded at him and walked right past him, outside the door. It was nice and warm once again.
They’d just gotten over what felt like the coldest fucking winter on record.
“Yo, Damon, wait up,” Dane said, coming out to join him.
“What’s up?”
“I wanted to see how Teri’s holding up,” Dane said.
“Why?” Damon tensed up, not liking Dane’s interest. “Not to be an asshole or anything, but your interest in her is what ended your first marriage.”
He watched Dane flinch. “What happened with her isn’t what ended me and Lucy. I know that. Lucy knows that. I was an asshole. Okay? I fucked up big time with Lucy. Teri was one of many—” He pressed his lips together. “Look, we all make mistakes. I know mine are not the easy kind where you just say sorry and expect people to be happy with you. I get it. I’m just trying to right the wrongs. That’s all.”
Damon sighed. “Last night, she got drunk. She wanted to bring you and Lucy together.”
“Lucy’s with Lewis.”
“We all know that. I don’t think she’s coping very well, but … you’re not the answer here.” Damon slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I know you all hate me,” Dane said. “Believe me, I can feel a difference, not that I was much liked to begin with, but I’m here to stay. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Until it gets too tough?” Damon asked.
“Not even then.”
Damon sighed. “Well, I hope you can earn your patch back, man, because they are fucking making you earn it back.” He gave Dane a slap on the shoulder. “Good talk.”
****
The heat was a bitch.
It was the only downfall to working in a diner on a hot summer’s day, but Teri loved it. Yes, she sweated like mad, but she loved to cook. She loved feeding so many people and owning a diner was a good source of channeling that need.
For the lunchtime shift, they were really busy.
Cole had come down with a temperature throughout the night and rather than let her work, she’d given Anna the day off.
Suzie and Grace were in helping, as was Chloe. All three women were helping out, which she was grateful for, with Kitty and Skylar in the kitchen helping with orders.
Their kids were being taken care of by their men.
The headache she had hoped to shift had come back with full force, but she worked through the pain. Nothing was going to stop her from serving her customers.
Damon didn’t show though.
She couldn’t help but keep checking the time. By 12:30, she had resigned herself to him not coming.
“You’re obsessed with the time. Is everything okay?” Skylar asked.
“Yeah. I’m fine. Just expecting something for lunch, you know?”
“Who?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to lie, but why would she? “It’s Damon.”
“Oh,” Skylar said, giggling. “So, is this a date?”
“No!” Teri nearly shouted but took a quick breath. “It’s not a date. He took care of me last night. I’m saying thank you. That’s all.”
“Were your clothes still on?” her sister asked.
“What happened to you being all sweet and innocent?” Teri asked.
“I fell in love with not one but two men.” The blush on her sister’s face and the happiness in her eyes warmed Teri.
She reached out, touching her sister’s cheek. “And it looks good on you.”
“Speaking of love, what about Damon?”
“What about Damon what?” Kitty asked, coming to join them.
Teri had already asked the woman if she’d help her and Anna find a brand-new roommate. As it turned out, Kitty had put the advertisement out as she left and was already vetting people.
Kitty was a good person to the core.
“Damon and Teri, what do you think?”
Her cheeks began to heat as Kitty looked at her.
“It’s nothing. My sister is getting way ahead of herself. We’re friends. It’s all it would ever be.”
Kitty folded her arms, tilting her head to the side. “I thought that about Caleb. Look what happened.” She placed her hand on her swollen stomach that showed off the wedding band claiming her as Caleb’s. “And I’m so happy.”
She was surrounded by women who’d found their happily-ever-after. “That’s because you guys have found your man. Damon is … he’s a good friend.” She hated saying the words, especially as she felt like Beauty was after him.