Chapter 1
Sage
I hummed along to one of my favorite songs as I kneaded the dough we used for both the rolls and bread that we used for many of our dishes and the brioche buns that made our burgers so popular. Our diner was now empty since the dinner rush had ended over an hour and a half ago. Even though we didn’t close for another hour, I knew anyone who came in wouldn’t complain about the music.
It was one of the perks of living in a small town where everyone knew each other.
I glanced at the stove where the red sauce we used for lasagne, chicken parm, and a few other dishes still simmered away. My Papa had cooking all day, and it was up to me to turn it off before I left for the night.
I rarely closed the diner alone, but my best friend and cousin, Simon, begged me to cover for him tonight. His parents had his kids for the night, and his husband, who was usually on the road as a long-haul trucker, had made an unscheduled visit home. And Simon wanted to take advantage of the alone time.
Lucky!
I smiled, thinking about those two. They’d been together a long time, but you wouldn’t know it.They still acted like the teenagers they were when they’d first met. Which made sense since they were soulmates, I suppose.
My stomach twisted, and I did my best to ignore it and the voice in my head wondering if I would ever have that. I was definitely not going down that road tonight.
When the bell rang above the door, I breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing I needed was a pity party, but that would certainly be the case if I let my mind wander, a pity party for one.
The timer I’d set on my phone went off just as I was about to see who had come into the diner. I reset the alarm, then washed my hands before stirring the sauce. Apparently, the sauce had to be stirred every thirty minutes while it simmered, or the sauce would be ruined. Those were Papa’s words, not mine.
“I’ll be right there,” I called. “Please take a seat anywhere you like.”
I hurried over to the dough and covered it with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. One more quick rinse of my hands, and I walked out of the kitchen, tossing the dishcloth I carried over my shoulder toward the sink. My feet froze outside the swinging doors that led to the kitchen when I saw who was sitting at the counter.
I swallowed when he looked up, and our eyes met. My heart sped up, I began to sweat, and I felt faint. Everything in me wanted to run in the other direction. Unfortunately, my body didn’t seem to receive signals from my brain anymore. Especially where he was concerned.
“You don’t hurry on my account,” that deep voice called, causing a wave of goosebumps to slather my skin.
Damn it. Why did I react to this alpha like this? And why did he have to come in now? When he hadn’t shown up all day, I’d thought he wouldn’t come in today.
I blatantly ignored the voice in my head that sarcastically pointed out that I always watched for him. Waiting for that glimpse of the—most perfect looking alpha— I mean the sheriff.
Hunter Hallbjorn.
I tried not to let my eyes linger on his thick, dark brown hair with the slightest hint of waves. Or his chiseled jaw and sculpted facial features covered by the neatly trimmed beard I wanted to run my tongue over to find his lips. And I definitely didn’t let my gaze wander over his broad shoulders in the perfectly fitted sheriff uniform and down to that wide chest that led to the tapered waist. Even though I couldn’t see past his chest, I didn’t need to. The image of long muscled legs encased in perfectly fitted dark worn jeans flashed in my head. I wasn’t even going to think about how the denim cupped… Not thinking about that right now. Gods, why did I always seem to lose all brain cells around this alpha? And when he looked at me with those dark chocolate-colored eyes, I couldn’t function properly.
“What can I get you?” I thanked the Gods that I could speak, even though it sounded way too high. I knew I should walk up to him at the counter to take his order, but here was just fine. My brain really needed its last few surviving cells to serve him.
“Just a slice of cherry pie, please, Sage.” Fuck why did he always have to say my name?
I nodded, “Coming right up.”
I managed to walk over to the dessert display case without tripping over my feet, but that was where my luck seemed to run out. When I opened the case to take out the pie, I dropped the pie server, and the noise caused my heart to race even more. It took everything in me not to look at him. I couldn’t bear seeing Hunter look at me in frustration or annoyance. I drew in a deep breath, lifted the pie, and walked over to where the plates were kept. And thanked the Gods I hadn’t dropped that too. I finally lifted it out of the pie tin and onto the plate with no issues. Honestly, I may have been holding my breath the whole time.
Okay, all you need to do is grab a fork and walk it over to him without looking like an idiot.
You can manage that, Sage.
Before turning toward him, I heard Hunter yell my name, followed by a loud thump from behind me. When I looked back, the alpha was scaling the counter as if it were nothing. I caught the surprised look on his face before he disappeared behind the swinging door that led to the kitchen.
I was paralyzed with fear until I finally got the message to my brain that I wasn’t there. I was safe. When I shook off the fear, I ran to the kitchen to find the alpha with the fire extinguisher in his hand, and the pot of sauce pushed aside. Then I saw it, and my heart pounded in my chest. The dishcloth. It must have landed next to the burner when I tossed it and caught on fire.
Fuck! Shit! No! My brain screamed.
Hunter stepped toward me, and I backed up immediately without thinking about it. He stopped and studied me so long I almost squirmed under his perusal, but I refused to give in to the discomfort. Instead, I walked away from where he stood, making my way over to the stove. Gods, please let the sauce be okay.
Yeah, focus on that, I told myself.