Dare to Trust (The Dare 1)

“Shit, really? Then they should hire someone else. Marlena looks so damn tired all the time,” Danny said.

“She’s still gorgeous,” Mike added, watching her. She ran around that place smiling, talking to the townspeople, making everyone feel so welcome. Yet he couldn’t help but think her smiles, her laughter, were all a show. Like she was hurting inside and hiding it. It was just a gut instinct, but he felt it.

“What’s that expression for?” Jack asked him.

He looked at his brother. They were all big men. Six feet three, filled with muscles. All in great physical condition. Hell, he was a Navy SEAL. Had his hang-ups of his and insecurities when it came to trust. But Marlena affected him like no one else.

“You know what I’m thinking. Why do you two need to be so forward with her? She’s timid and shy, you’ll only scare her off.”

“Says you. Didn’t you see her cheeks blush, and her nipples harden? She’s attracted to us, we just need to get through the wall she has up,” Danny told him.

“Don’t do that. Don’t talk all big and bad like getting to know her and making her our woman is so simple and that she’ll just accept it. You know as well as I do that she holds back information on herself, doesn’t talk about where she came from, nothing. Deciding to engage in a ménage relationship and commit instead of just getting off on sharing is different,” Mike said, clenching his teeth and whispering low.

Marlena returned with two ice teas. “You got the last special, Mike. Your dad Regan is making it for you while your dad Roy makes Danny and Jack’s special order. It will be a little bit. Can I grab you anything else for now?” she asked.

“We heard that Tara may not be returning to work here. Do you know if our mom and dads are going to hire someone else to help out?” Danny asked her.

“I’m not sure. Alice and I are sharing working double shifts. But she’s still in college and trying to take more courses. I think your parents might have to hire someone part-time.”

“You work too hard, Marlena. One day off a week doesn’t seem like enough,” Jack said to her.

“Well, it’s not like I can’t use the money.”

She heard the bell by the front door ring and she looked a bit tired. Mike caught sight of Vicky Reynolds and he exhaled in annoyance.

“I’ll go check on your orders,” Marlena said and she looked annoyed. Could she be jealous of Vicky Reynolds? Vicky made it pretty clear she was interested in Mike and his brothers, but the three of them weren’t biting. Vicky was after their money. She was high-maintenance and a bit stuck-up. Not their type at all.

* * * *

“Good afternoon. Would you like to sit at the counter or do you need a table?” Marlena asked Vicky Reynolds. The woman was dressed up like she was going to some garden tea party in Charlotte. However, she faked her conservative Christian values, especially when it came to men and being pretty promiscuous. She had money, charm, and a way about her that had men drooling or at least giving her their full attention. Truth was, as Mercedes had witnessed, Vicky was nothing more than a Southern slut on the prowl for a rich husband.

Vicky gave her the once-over and scrunched her face as if Marlena smelled or had vomit on her clothes. She was insulting and arrogant. Something Marlena had had enough of years ago back North.

Vicky ignored her and glanced around the diner. She pushed past Marlena, like she had done a time or two before, like she was an object in the way and meaningless. Despite her mind telling her to not be insulted or feel like a nobody, Marlena did. She lowered her eyes and walked back toward another table.

“Hey, sweetie, don’t let that prissy witch make you sad. You’re way prettier than she is, and have a lot more class and appeal,” Johnny Jacobs told her as he took her hand and placed the bill and some money into it.

He and his brother had just finished up lunch. She gave a soft smile.

“Thank you, Johnny. I’m fine. See you again next week?” she asked him, and he winked.

“You betcha. Maybe let Roy and Regan know it would be nice if they put Rita’s meatloaf on as a special. Love that woman’s cooking,” he said and tipped his hat before him and his brother headed out. She walked over to the register and counted the money. Johnny had given her a hefty tip. She smiled. Then glanced toward the table where Mike and his brothers were just as the bell chimed for her to deliver food. She knew it was their order. Vicky stood there, smiling and trying to ease her way onto Danny’s lap because there wasn’t an additional seat.

“Vicky, cool it, will ya? There’s no room for you. Why are you here anyway?” Jack asked her.

Marlena could hear the conversation but tried not to listen as she delivered the food to their table.

“Excuse me,” she said, trying to get past Vicky. The woman huffed and puffed as Marlena had to give her a slight bump in order to not drop the platters of food onto the men’s laps. When she finished, the men were smiling.

“Can I get you anything else to go along with your lunches?”

“Coffee please, doll,” Mike told her and winked.

“Make that three,” Jack said and smiled at her. Vicky gave her mean looks and placed her hands on her hips.

“I thought we were going to get together again. Didn’t the three of us have a good time at my place last week?” Vicky asked and Marlena was shocked. Hell, she was angry and jealous and she had no reason to be. She hurried away and could hear some heated discussion going on between the men and her, but Marlena didn’t care. They were just like men back in New York and North Carolina. They were after one thing and she sure didn’t need any of that, and not triple time.

She made the coffees and then hurried to the table to deliver them. She just wanted to get to the other two tables she had now that lunchtime was dying down and the place was emptying out.