Page 42 of Knight's Fall

Those moments weren’t random. He didn’t believe in random. He believed in making things happen, and in her case, his patience came into play. He timed his appearances so that he could manipulate her into talking with him. He waited until she wasn’t busy. He waited until his favorite spot was available because it gave him the perfect view of his surroundings while providing privacy for them to talk. He didn’t mind waiting. Waiting gave him time to think and to plan.

His waiting was coming to an end. Soon his job would be done, and his pleasure could begin.

∞∞∞

Courtlyn beamed at Tabby when her boss stepped into the kitchen. The smile seemed to have a permanent place on Courtlyn’s face these days, and Wings was the cause. She couldn’t believe she had been worried about ruining the camaraderie they had when they were hanging out. They still teased and laughed and swapped stories.

Those times of getting to know each other only enhanced the time they spent naked in each other’s arms. Being neighbors meant they could go back and forth to their respective houses without a problem.

Wings was back at work and had returned Mo to his mom Isobel. Their schedules were harder to sync, but they were making it work. They had even found time together to continue with the remodel of his house.

She hated to think of the day when it would be finished and he would move on. There was enough work left to be done that she wouldn’t worry about that for a while.

Even dealing with the breakfast and lunch rush while shorthanded, Courtlyn had found a reason to smile as she worked. She’d spent the evening with Wings, as had become her habit of late. Both were exhausted, so they talked until they started to fall asleep. Then he carried her to his room, helped her get ready for bed, and curled up beside her, holding her close.

They didn’t have sex, though she wouldn’t have said no if he’d made a move. They just slept the night through, and it was probably the most intimate night she’d ever spent with a man.

As she readied for work that morning, she admitted to herself that she’d fallen for him. It was more than a crush or insta-lust. This was a full-blown, miss-him-when-he’s-not-around, can’t-get-enough-when-he-is-around type of love. She believed he returned some of her feelings, but she wouldn’t allow herself to hope for more. She was content with how well things were going now.

The contentment kept the smile on her face, though it froze when she realized Tabby wasn’t smiling back.

“He’s here again.”

Courtlyn stepped to the order window and glanced out into the near-empty dining room. “He’s becoming as regular as the old-timers.”

“He’s asking for you again. This can’t keep up, but since we’re slow and short-handed thanks to Sissy being a no-show this morning, it would help if you could wait on him. If he’s making you uncomfortable, I understand. I can always refuse service if he doesn’t allow the waitresses to do their jobs.”

Courtlyn sighed. “No, don’t do that. He’s new to town and lonely. He only keeps asking for me because I take the time to talk to him.”

“This is a business. I can’t keep having my staff pause for visits with random customers. Especially my cook. He’s monopolizing your breaks, and that’s not fair to you.”

Courtlyn stepped back to the grill and used a spatula to scrape the residue and crumbs off the surface. “I really don’t mind. He’s not in here every day. If it gets to be a hassle, I’ll talk to him. I promise.”

Tabby nodded. “Alright. I’ll do things your way for now, but I don’t think he’s as innocent as you think. He knows he’s sitting at Sissy’s usual table, and he knows how she reacts when he asks for you. I think he’s trying to stir up drama.”

“Why would he do that? She’s not even here to know what’s going on.”

Tabby shrugged. “He doesn’t know that. He just got here.”

Courtlyn shook her head. “It doesn’t make sense. I’ll talk with him. I promise.”

She nodded once more before disappearing into her office. Courtlyn made sure she had nothing that would ruin in her absence before she walked to the dining room. She met Malcolm’s eyes and smiled.

When the bell over the door chimed, she was distracted by Mr. Fielder walking inside. His smile widened when he saw her, and she was sure her delight shone on her face.

“Mr. Fielder, it’s good to see you. You look well.”

“Courtlyn, I'm so glad I ran into you. I’m feeling well. I visited my doctor this morning, and he is very pleased with my lifestyle changes. He said he can already see a difference in my health. I told him your egg white omelets help with that a lot.”

She chuckled. “I don’t know about that, but I’m glad you got a good report. Why don’t you sit over there and let the waitress take your order? I just need a few minutes, and then I’ll get your food ready.”

“You can take your time. I’m in no rush. Mrs. Fielder is shopping, so I thought I would wait in here until she was done.”

“I don’t blame you. Why don’t you order some coffee and a piece of the low-calorie apple pie I made this morning? It’s on me.”

He shook his head. “Oh, no. There’s no need for that.”

“Sure, there is. You need to celebrate your good report. I promise, the pie would be Mrs. Fielder approved, and it’s delicious, if I do say so myself.”

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