Page 43 of Knight's Fall

“I’m on it,” the waitress called from behind the counter, having overheard their conversation.

“Alright. If you ladies insist, who am I to say no?”

Courtlyn smiled after the man as he made his way over to a booth. He did look good. His skin possessed a healthy rosy tone, his eyes sparkled, and he moved with more pep to his step than before. His healthy lifestyle suited him, and she was relieved his heart attack hadn’t left him with any lingering negative effects.

She turned to find Malcolm watching her intently as she approached. She kept her smile friendly, but something churned in her stomach as she approached.

“Good afternoon, Malcolm. You’re a bit later than usual.”

He folded the newspaper he’d been holding and set it to the side. “I had some things to take care of this morning, but I’m flattered you noticed.”

“I was just telling Tabby that you’re becoming as regular as our group of old timers who are in here every day. You must be settling in well.”

“I am. I found a nice home that suits my needs. May I say you are looking especially happy today, Courtlyn. Is there something different about you?”

She chuckled nervously and felt her cheeks flush. “I’m the same old me. Not much happens around here. You’ll realize that soon enough. What can I get you this morning? We’re out of the special today, but there’s a chicken club that might interest you. Or maybe the meatloaf. I don’t think you’ve tried that yet, and it’s a popular choice."

“What is your favorite item on the menu?”

She blinked, taken aback at the question. No one had asked her that before, but then there weren't many opportunities for her to speak with customers. She'd developed several things for the menu she loved, but with comfort food being her favorite, there was one thing that wasn’t ordered a lot. She kept it as an option because she enjoyed it so much.

“No one ever orders my favorite. I guess because it’s something more children than adults would order. I love the mac and cheese bowl. You can choose what you want to include in it. I like grilled chicken with bits of bacon topped with toasted breadcrumbs. It comes with a couple of thick slices of grilled sourdough bread.”

Malcolm pulled out the menu and thoughtfully perused the laminated pages until he found the item. He was taking his sweet time reviewing the different add-ons he could choose. She started to get antsy waiting and was about to tell him she would be back when she felt the tingle along her spine.

The bell chimed signaling the arrival of customers, and she didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. Her body’s response, from the sudden goosebumps to her quickened pulse, told her all she needed to know.

She twisted slightly at her waist to peer over her shoulder. Her eyes locked with his, and she felt a thrill to see his slow smile that lit his icy eyes to an appealing aquamarine. She couldn’t stop her smile as she drank in the sight of him. His heavy boots, fitted jeans, muscular legs, tight T-shirt, bulging arms and solid chest, dark hair flowing across his shoulders, beard neatly combed, sexy lips…

She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed him during the short time she’d been at work until that moment. His friends walked around him as if not noticing his sudden stop just inside the doorway to watch her. They headed over to one of the larger tables before they shouted at him. He held her gaze a beat longer before moving to sit with them.

Wings chose a chair where he could watch her without having to turn his head, and she suddenly felt nervous to have him see her work. He’d been to the diner many times before, but this was the first time since they’d become a couple.

“Someone you know?”

Her head whipped around to see that Malcolm looked at her and not at the menu. “Yes. Have you decided what you want?”

“I believe I’ll take the mac and cheese bowl just as you described but with tomatoes added. And iced tea.”

“I’ll have it ready soon. If you don’t mind, I’ll have one of the other waitresses bring your tea so I can get your order started.”

Malcolm nodded, his stare more intense than their conversation warranted. “Of course.”

She went over to the counter to ask her coworker to take Malcolm his drink order, but her eyes fell to Wings. Her feet moved in his direction as if drawn to him by an unknown force. He watched her, and for a few moments, it felt as if they were the only two people in the place.

“Hi.” She stopped beside his table.

“Hi,” he drawled, and she was suddenly aware of his friends gawking at them in unabashed curiosity.

“Hey, Courtlyn, right? We met at the hospital. I’m BB.”

Her gaze flitted over to the man sitting beside Wings. “I remember. Nice to see you again.”

“And these two work with us. Isobel Garcia and Sam Montgomery.”

She smiled at the beautiful brunette sitting next to the tall man with the boy-next-door looks. “Nice to meet you both. Isobel, you’re Mo’s owner, aren’t you?”

“That’s me. Wings told me you helped out with him. I appreciate that. He said Mo really liked you.”

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