Page 15 of Butterflies and Hazel Eyes
When those expressive eyes were focused on me, the emotions were far easier to read. The gold glowed with curiosity while the hazel darkened with desire. Those colors melded into a dusty copper whenever he touched me, even just a simple brush of our hands. He thought he had an excellent poker face when it came to his emotions, but I was here to tell him he was wrong. I could plainly see that I wasn’t alone in wondering if we could be more than friends.
I sighed and gazed up at the bright blue sky. Mojo and I had walked into town for breakfast, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the man residing at 100 Industrial Road. I wanted to knock on his door and ask him to breakfast, but I was afraid he’d say he was too busy. “Lord, preserve me. I’m never this weird. I mean, I’m weird, but this place is making me downright strange.”
“Oh, honey, downright strange is the best way to be,” a voice said behind me.
I jumped and twirled while Mojo lumbered to his feet to bare his teeth at the woman. Lucy froze with her coffee cup in one hand and held her breath. “Mojo, chill,” I scolded. He proceeded to flop back down on the sidewalk to lie in the sunshine. I pointed at him. “Sorry, you scared me, and he reacted.”
She waved her hand, but her feet didn’t budge from their spot on the sidewalk. “No, it was my fault. I should know better than to sneak up on people. I forgot all about Mojo being part of the picture. At least he does his job well.”
I smiled and offered her a wink. “He sure does, but don’t worry, he’s all bark and no bite. Just don’t tell the bad guys that.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she said on a chuckle. “I’m surprised to still see you in town. The last time we chatted you made it sound like you were just here for a few days.”
Lucy started walking again up the sidewalk, and I followed, tugging Mojo along behind me.
“I was, but as often happens, I start doing the job they think they need, and it turns out they need help in other areas of their technology. That was the case with Butterfly Junction, so I agreed to stay on and finish the job for them.”
“They’re lucky you have the time,” she said, following the sidewalk around the curve toward the diner. Come to think of it, I could go for some pancakes and sausage.
“It worked out since my next job doesn’t start for a few months. I needed a break, so I welcome the time to stay in one place. It helps that Havens Diner has the best breakfast buffet around,” I teased.
She chuckled and sipped from her to-go cup of coffee. “We have locally grown fresh strawberries for the pancakes this morning, if you’re interested.”
“Interested? I’m there,” I said, rubbing my hands together until I glanced down at Mojo. “On second thought, that’s not going to work. I was taking Mojo for a walk and didn’t plan to stop anywhere. He can’t come into the restaurant with me.”
Lucy eyed Mojo’s giant lumbering mass as he strode down the street. “Will he be okay away from you? We have an office in the back. We could sneak him in, and he could sleep. No one would be the wiser.”
I glanced down at him and back to her. “If we throw a couple of sausage links in to sweeten the deal, he’ll be all in.”
Lucy grinned and motioned for me to walk around the back of the diner. “I can do better than that. I can make him a breakfast he’ll never forget.”
She held the door open for me, and I tugged Mojo through and right into the open door of the office at the end of the hallway. It was the perfect place for him. We got him settled, and then I followed her out into the busy diner. She promised to take him a plate of food while I loaded up mine. I glanced around for a place to sit, surprised when I noticed a lone figure at a table in the corner. Her head was down over her plate, but she wasn’t eating. She was just staring at it.
“Honey?” I asked, stopping at the end of the table. “Is everything okay?”
She glanced up, and her face was swollen on the right side with a streak of tears running down each cheek. “Hi,” she said, her voice monotone.
“Good morning. Mind if I sit?” I asked, motioning at an empty chair. She didn’t react, so I slid my butt over the chair and set my plate down. “I haven’t seen you in a few days. Are you ready to come back to work?”
“Sure, work, yeah.” Her head nodded. “Mathias. Never answers. Didn’t try Butterfly Junction.”
Something was terribly wrong. She wasn’t even making sense. “Are you sure you’re okay?” I didn’t want to make a scene until I knew what the problem was, so I’d give her a chance to answer.
“I’m not hungry,” she said, her eyes focused on the plate. “My arm is sore. I can’t cook.”
“It can be overwhelming when you aren’t feeling well or you’re hurting. I understand. Why is your arm sore? What can I do to help?”
“I think I—I think I—” She swallowed and closed her eyes. “Fell and it hurts.”
“Honeybee?” a voice said, and we both looked up to see Mathias and Gulliver standing at the end of the table. It was Mathias who was speaking. He sat down and put his arm around her. “I was worried when I couldn’t reach you. Where’s your phone?”
Gulliver lowered himself to the chair next to me and laid his crutches down. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “I was going to call and see if you wanted to get breakfast, but we’ve been searching for Honey for the last thirty minutes.”
“My phone is upstairs,” Honey answered.
“Something is wrong,” I told Mathias when Honey laid her head on his shoulder. “I think her arm is broken. She said she fell.”
Mathias shifted her so he could see her right arm. “Honey, what happened?” he asked, his eyes wide when he glanced up at me.
