Page 108 of The Thief

On my walk to the bar, I gave Calvin the biggest grin. Hamish was showing off in front of Tak, trying to prove he was the big dog, but regardless of the reason, I was thrilled for Calvin’s windfall.

The second wave of orders continued until we were out of food. The meat went first, followed by the cornbread. But since people continued ordering the sides, nothing went to waste.

I breezed by our table to check on my pack and noticed empty chairs. “Who left?”

Melody rubbed her bloated belly. “Krys gave Salem and Joy a ride home, but he’s coming back. In fact, there he is. Oh my God.” She slapped Lakota’s arm. “Lakota. Look.”

Barking made me swivel around to see who was getting thrown out now.

Catcher coolly walked through the bar with Krys at his side. Customers gave his tan-and-black wolf a cursory glance before mumbling their complaints.

“It’s okay,” Tak said to us. “I got permission.”

I jerked my head back. “Are you pullin’ my leg? Calvin okayed it?”

He gestured to Calvin, who was eyeballing the situation. Maybe the money flowing in today had put him in better spirits.

“Don’t anyone get any ideas,” Calvin announced to the bar. “He’s the exception.”

When Catcher arrived at our table and sniffed Robyn, his tail wagged. He pawed her, yelping and whining to show his excitement.

Robyn twisted around in her chair and held his snout in her hands. “Are you going to be good?” she asked, her green eyes as serious as a heart attack. “We can’t misbehave in here, or I won’t be able to come back.”

Catcher actually nodded his head, but that was a common gesture with our wolves.

She opened a container I’d made for her to take home and set it on the floor for Catcher to gobble up. The noisy jukebox and crowded room didn’t faze his wolf, and I could see why he had the ideal temperament for a watchdog. My wolf would have been spooked by all the commotion and people.

Tak finally stood and patted his stomach. “This was an impressive meal. I think I’ll pay my respects to the chef privately.” After he pushed past the swing doors and went into the kitchen, a pan dropped, and everyone laughed.

Chapter 20

To my surprise, we had a steady crowd that lasted into the late evening. Faces I didn’t recognize came in after having heard about Bear’s barbecue. Some wandered in because the packed parking lot piqued their curiosity, and they stayed despite us not having any food left.

Normally my shift ended by mid or late afternoon, but I helped Calvin for as long as my feet could stand. When nighttime rolled around, I hung up my apron, took off my sneakers, and collapsed in a chair near the back.

The Arrowhead pack had taken over the dartboards. They didn’t like the standing tables we had back there, so they’d carried two square ones over and pushed them together. Tak and Lakota were in a competitive mood, and we watched them throw darts blindfolded and from behind their backs. Catcher was snoozing beneath one of the booths where Robyn and Montana were cuddled up. Every so often, Montana took off his hat and shielded their faces while they made out.

“He’s finally leaving,” Melody said in a hushed tone. “Go see what he left.”

She was referring to Hamish, who had not only cleaned his plate but also called a few other packmates to join their private party. All the customers had squared away their tips with me, so I was waiting on his group to leave. I serviced his packmates into the night, careful not to let my personal feelings about him affect his experience. His group stayed at the front of the establishment, and I was pleased that neither his pack nor mine had started a brawl.

I waited until his posse left before padding over to the tables in my white socks.

“I got this.” Calvin set a tray on the table and collected the empty bottles and glasses.

While he did that, I lifted the plate and moved glasses around. Then I spotted my tip in front of Hamish’s seat, right next to the ashtray.

My lips pressed tightly as I pinched the penny between my fingers.

Calvin finished loading up his tray. “What’s that?”

I showed him the copper. “My tip.”

Narrowing his grey eyes, he growled, “Goddammit. Are you kidding me?”

“It’s fine. Don’t be weird about it. He dropped over six grand in here today, so it’s all good.” I patted Calvin’s arm, trying my best to stay upbeat. “Next time, he might order something more expensive. We don’t have to like our customers to serve them.”

Calvin faced me and tipped his head to the side. “You did a good job with this place. I had my doubts when you first walked in with that cocky attitude, but you made good on your promise.”

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