Page 2 of Hers to Call
Her heart shaped face was serious as her eyes occasionally looked up and darted across the diner. She had a wary way about her. That look a deer got in its eyes when it knew the hunter was close. That momentary flare of panic that widened the eyes and kept the body on alert. He wondered, not for the first time, what his mate was running from. He’d given her time to settle in, but from the rumble leaving his throat, his bear was done with waiting. Selena chuckled and touched his shoulder as she left him.
Simon thought on it as he sipped his coffee. His mind wondered back to why she’d come in so early. He didn’t usually see her. Not that he came to breakfast every morning, he had work on the ranch that kept him busy most days. There were some days, though, when he had a hankering for the pastries Calita made…that and he craved the sight of her. He came often enough that it had raised the town’s interest, even though he wasn’t the only one drawn into the diner by the pastries and desserts Calita made. Bears who almost never left their dens and bears from miles away had started making the trek to Selena’s diner.
But, he would admit…
He’d given himself away from his first glance of Calita.
And now everyone in town was betting on when he’d make his move. He shook his head and waved down a waitress to order a dozen more of the croissants with lemon jelly to go. He’d hide them in his office and hope his second in command didn’t sniff them out before the day was done.
The small diner was starting to get crowded as the patrons of the small hotel next door trickled in. Most of those patrons would be headed out to his ranch once breakfast was done. Watson Ranch was a big tourist draw for their town and he was extremely proud of that. It was a reminder that he had work he needed to be doing. But taking his mind off his mate was harder with each passing day. Calita was a mystery he was intent on solving. He thought it best to wait until the shadows left her eyes, but a year in their small town and she still seemed tense and uneasy. Obviously waiting would get him nowhere with this particular problem, so he needed to take action.
Besides, if he didn’t say something in the next couple of days his Beta threatened to do him bodily harm. Gavin wanted to win the money from the pool. Simon shook his head. He liked seeing his bears happy. Even if it was at his expense.
***
The kitchen was busy, the loud noise music to Calita’s ears. The staff was small, but efficient, good-natured insults were tossed back and forth in easy camaraderie. The diner where she now worked was small and a far cry from the fancy restaurant in Chicago where she’d been executive chef, and she got far more enjoyment from it because of that. Selena had hired her to take over the kitchen, but she’d felt more comfortable assisting her friend, getting a feel for the place. She didn’t want to…no couldn’t, deal with the extra responsibility when she’d first arrived. But recently, even though she kept the schedule of a line cook, Selena had moved all responsibility over to her. Calita’s lips quirked up into a smile. They were both obstinate, she would continue pretending to be a regular kitchen employee, and Selena would steadily defer decisions to her until she caved.
The breakfast crowd was coming in steady streams, and Calita was happy she’d come down earlier. She should’ve been upstairs trying to get more sleep before her shift, but she’d found that working helped keep the demons away. Remnants of her nightmare flitted across her mind. Her hand lifted, pressing against her shirt, just under her bra, her habit of rubbing the spot, reflexive. She needed to feel the scars that were proof of nightmares made real, it was compulsion.
The kitchen door swung inwards and her best friend since middle school sauntered in, a mischievous smile covering her face. Calita jerked her hand from her chest and changed her gloves, going back to work on her dough.
Cali shook her head. “I don’t trust that look in your eyes, Lena.”
“What look?” Her friend leaned against the stainless-steel table Cali worked at.
She waved her spoon at her closest friend. “That look, the smug one you’re wearing.”
Selena waggled her neatly arched eyebrows. “Someone has an admirer.” She fluttered her lashes, her voice rising an octave.
Cali shook her head. It was a good idea for her to leave men alone for a while. But, that would explain the feeling of eyes on her she’d felt when she was walking through the diner a moment ago.
“What’s new? Ms. Thang keeps them panting after her.” One of the waitresses waited at the window for her order.
“It’s not me, personally. I’m sure it’s because I’m new here.” Cali set down her spoon and dumped her dough onto the pastry mat, avoiding Selena’s eyes.
“Yeah, okay.” The waitress grabbed her tray and closed the pickup window with a laugh.
Calita chanced a look at her friend and noticed she still wore her smile. “You’re up to something.”
Selena shrugged, but arched her eyebrows. The smile on her face dropped when she got a good look at Calita’s face. “What’s happened?”
“Nightmare.” She raised her hands as Selena gasped. “I’m handling it.”
“If you need to talk.”
“Really, Lena, I’m fine, I just need…” she shook her head. “You’ve given me what I needed.” She whispered. “A fresh start, a place where I finally feel safe. Give it time.”
She looked around, not wanting the others to hear the strain in her voice. Selena touched her shoulder and nodded. Calita kept herself from flinching from the touch. With the nightmare fresh on her mind, she was anxious, agitated. But she noticed since she’d come to Bear Ridge that people did that a lot.
Touch.
She’d finally trained herself not to flinch.
Yay her.
She puffed out a breath and pushed down the need to escape her friend’s probing stare.
Selena cleared her throat. “Is that why you’re down so early?”
