“So what kind of work do you do?” she asked. “I mean, especially here in Lucky. As you can clearly see, not much here.”
“I was just passing through,” Jake said.
“Try again. No one’s passing through Lucky. Our town motto might as well be The Most Out of the Way Town in Texas.”
He swallowed. “I like scenic drives. I was on one when my car broke down. Matt and Slim picked me up.”
“The Lucky welcoming committee? Were they welcoming?”
“Until I said I was staying with you. Then I think Matt wanted to skin me.”
“Don’t mind him.”
“Oh, I won’t be here long enough to.”
Shelby frowned down at the counter, using a rag to wipe up a coffee ring. “When are you leaving? Just so, you know, I can have the trailer ready for the next guest.”
He looked at her funny. Valid. His was the first reservation and she’d had the place listed for a year. She’d said it herself—no one was just passing through Lucky.
“As soon as they get the car fixed. Should take a few days. I’ll be happy to just pay you a weekly rate, even if I don’t use it. That way you aren’t losing any income.”
She swallowed. A whole week would be a few hundred dollars. “I don’t need you to do that,” she said. He had to know the trailer wasn’t in high demand.
“It’s fine. Only fair,” he said. “Would you rather I put it on a card through the app? Or I have cash if that keeps them from taking out a percent or something.”
He pulled out his wallet and pulled three one-hundred dollar bills from his wallet. Looked like they weren’t the only ones either. Shelby swallowed.
“Who are you? Why do you have so much cash? That’s not safe.”
He looked startled. “Oh. I, uh, always travel with lots of cash. Just in case. Places don’t always take cards. You know.”
“We don’t take cards,” she said.
“See? There you go.”
As her hand hovered over the money he pushed it harder her way. Noel rang the bell behind her for the order.
She took the bills and folded them into her tip pocket in the apron. “Thank you,” she said. “And for what it’s worth, I hope you do stay a week. Or at least... a few days. I mean, if it doesn’t mess up your road trip or whatever.”
His eyebrows shot up and his blue eyes looked surprised. Shelby turned back toward Noel and the BLATs so she could avoid Jake’s gaze. Why did she say that? Why couldn’t she just stop talking? She passed Jake his plate, looking down at the counter. She couldn’t stand to see his face right now.
“You’re eating too?” he asked. “Want to get a booth?”
“Uh, technically I’m working. So...”
“Go sit with the nice young man,” Noel shouted from the back.
“Okay, then,” she said smiling.
Jake took both of their plates and carried them over to a booth. It was odd to be sitting in the booth when she was normally hovering over it, refilling coffee or taking down orders. The diner looked different.
Jake smiled and was about to take a bite of his BLAT when Shelby grabbed his arm.
“Grace!” Shelby said. He dropped the sandwich.
“What?” He looked startled. Again. He kept doing that. Was she so odd and unexpected? Apparently.
“I’m working on saying grace before meals. Is that okay?”