Page 46 of Taming Waves

The rest of the night flies by in a blur, and by the time we reach last call, the four hours of sleep I got last night are catching up to me.

“You all right?” Audrey asks as she sits on a stool, calculating the night’s tips.

“Just beat. We had an early charter this morning.”

“You should head out. Leonard and I will finish up and leave your tips on Brew’s desk.”

I start to argue, but she shuts me down.

“I don’t want you falling asleep at the wheel.”

“You worried about me?”

She gives me a teasing smile. “Of course. Who’d I get to work the weekend if you died?”

I set the towel I’m using aside and untie the apron at my waist before grabbing my belongings.

I round the bar and stop at her. She glances up from the bills she’s sorting.

“Don’t leave without an escort,” I say.

Her eyes move past me to where the band is packing their equipment. The lead singer smiles.

“I’m sure I can find someone.”

Fuck that.

I toss my keys and wallet onto the bar.

She rolls her eyes. “Leonard will walk me to my car.”

I’m unconvinced, so I drop onto the stool beside her. She jerks her head, gesturing over my shoulder. I glance back and see the singer with his arm wrapped around Heather’s waist. He says something to one of the other guys and then leads her toward the door.

As they pass us, Heather waves and turns back to Audrey, saying, “I’ll call you in the morning.”

“You’d better,” Audrey calls after her, then focuses back on me. “Go.”

Leonard appears from the back with freshly hosed trash cans.

“You got her if I leave?”

“Of course,” he says.

Satisfied, I stand and kiss the top of her head, and she flinches.

Dammit.

Whenever I think I’ve made progress, she reminds me that I’m nowhere close.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Audrey

Mom and Dad gave me a thorough dressing-down.

I’d avoided Dad’s calls all day yesterday because I knew he was furious after seeing me with Parker that morning. My phone started ringing as soon as I shut my car door in the diner’s parking lot. I ignored it and drove home. After eating my leftover waffle, I went to bed. When I woke up just past noon, I saw that I had missed calls from him and Mom, but only she left a voice mail.

“Audrey, sweetheart, please call me back. Your father is losing his mind, thinking you’re dating that boy again. I’ve told him it’s not true. It’s not true, is it? Oh, dear, please call me back.”

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