Page 37 of Reckless
Zoe turned toward the pantry, her resolve already tacked firmly into place as she said, “Sometimes you’ve got to chuck the rules in order to make a difference.”
14
Alex made his way through the swinging door between Hope House’s kitchen and dining room, his body in the here-and-now even though his mind was still squarely stuck two hours in the past. Everything about this morning had taken a whack at his comfort zone, from his impulsive offer to let Zoe teach him to cook to the gut-twisting news Tina had brought about the shelter’s new residents. The only thing that had kept Alex grounded this morning was the way Zoe had moved through the kitchen as she’d shown him the basics, so fluid and easy and completely at home in her space that, despite his reservations, he couldn’t help but feel that way, too. The teasing confidence she’d shown before Tina had arrived had made it all too easy for him to slide into the cocky demeanor he wore like a set of broken-in turnout gear, and her fiery determination to hang the rules to help the young mother and her son had made it all too obvious that Zoe’s bold side lived closer to the surface than she’d like to let on.
Trouble was, when Zoe Westin got reckless, Alex wanted to hang the rules, too. And the more he let his attraction to her smolder and burn, the less he’d be able to resist giving in to the heat growing between them.
“Oh, Alex. Great timing.” Ellen’s warm smile unstuck his thoughts, and he slapped together a return gesture that hopefully covered up any traces of where his impetuous brain had taken him.
“Hey, Ellen. What’s up? Do you two need another round of clean coffee mugs out here?” He turned to check the shelf behind the food service counter where Ellen and Millie usually spent their volunteer shifts, but Ellen cut off the movement with a laugh.
“No, no. Nothing like that. We’ve got plenty of plates and mugs. It’s just that breakfast is winding down a bit, and, well…” The gray-haired woman dropped her gaze past the serving tray of scrambled eggs in front of her, focusing on her plain white tennis shoes as she pressed a hand to her lower back. “My sciatica is acting up, and quite frankly, I’d love a break.”
He blinked. “Oh. Okay. I’ll go get Zoe for you, then.”
“Sweetheart, please,” Ellen said, lifting an eyebrow as she waved him into the spot she’d vacated at the counter. “She slipped next door a little while ago to check on that poor girl who arrived this morning, and I wouldn’t dream of pulling her away so I can take a breather. Zoe said you’re part of the crew. That’s more than good enough for me.”
“She said that?” Alex tried—and failed—to keep his shock in check. But come on. Only a week ago, Zoe had done her Sunday best to boot his ass out the door. Not that he hadn’t given her good reason, but at the time, he’d have rather had a fistful of root canals than spend a minute more than necessary in her kitchen.
Damn. Had that really only been last week?
“She said it this morning when you were getting things set up out here,” Millie offered, gesturing to the dining room and adding her nod along with Ellen’s. “You’ve been a big help, especially today.”
“I’m just trying to do my job,” Alex said, sending his gaze on a quick tour around the halfway-full dining room. “Listen, all of these residents have already been served, and breakfast really is winding down. Why don’t you two both go take a breather? If we get an unexpected last-minute crowd, I’ll holler.”
Both women’s faces creased in concern, but Alex amped up his smile. “Ten minutes, ladies. You can time it if it makes you feel better.”
“You’re quite the charmer, aren’t you?” Millie asked, but it didn’t escape his notice that she hadn’t said no.
“That’s the rumor. Go on, you two. I promise not to sneak any bacon.”
He shooed both ladies through the swinging door leading to the kitchen, taking a closer look at the dining room. Most of the people were seated and already eating, with only a few milling about the clearing station to return their trays and dishes to the kitchen. Alex had to admit, Zoe really had come up with an efficient system, with designated bins for trash and recycling, plus bus bins for dirty utensils and dishes requiring a run-through with the geriatric dishwasher in the back. Even understaffed and understocked, Hope House ran like a precision instrument, from the regulations to the routines.
And every last one of the people who came in hungry and in need would leave with a full stomach. All because Zoe cared enough to make it happen.
“I see we haven’t run you off just yet,” came a familiar voice from the other side of the service counter, and despite the gravity of his morning, Alex’s grin was inevitable.
“I’m hanging in there, Hector. Have you had your cup of coffee this morning?” He gestured toward the carafe at the back of his workstation, but the old man waved him off with a lift of his weathered hand.
“I was first in line, fireman. But don’t worry, Miss Millie filled my cup to the top.”
“Good to know she’s taking care of you,” Alex said, pausing for a second to do the same for the woman who had stepped up next to Hector with an empty coffee cup on her tray. “So how’s life in the fast lane? Are you behaving yourself?”
Hector’s laugh welled up, rusty and deep. “I’m trying. The windows over by my bed let in a draft something awful, but it’s not so bad now that the weather’s turning warmer.”
Alex’s eyes skimmed the painted cinder block walls, landing on the windows at the far end of the dining room by the double doors leading to the street. “Yeah, this building is probably thirty years old, at least. I had the same problem with the windows at my place a couple of years ago.”
“I wanted to put something around the windowsill—I have an extra sweater I could stuff in the cracks—but Miss Tina says it’s against the rules.”
“Take it from an expert, you definitely want all possible exits unimpeded. Just in case you need them,” Alex said, his mind tumbling back for only a second before he added, “You know, I ended up being able to fix a bunch of the windows at my place with new weather stripping. It’s not a permanent solution, but it helped for a while before I could get the windows replaced. If Zoe can spare me for a few minutes between now and lunch, I’ll come take a look and see if I can’t get you fixed up over there.” He remembered those drafts all too well, and the weather stripping hadn’t been too tough of a fix. With a handful of materials and just as many hours, he could probably do the job.
“Oh.” Hector blinked, his surprise magnified by the thick lenses of his glasses. “You’re kind of handy for a fireman, aren’t you?”
Alex’s gut squeezed behind the thin white cotton of his apron, but he covered the sensation with a half shrug. “Gotta be prepared, Hector. You never know what life’s going to throw at you.”
The hard-edged bang of the door leading in from the street stole whatever response Hector had planned to give, and Alex’s pulse did a lightning fast zero-to-sixty even though he moved nothing but his eyes. A man he’d never seen before appeared in the door frame, wild-eyed and radiating anger. His shoulders were drawn up tight around his neck, his movements broken and rough as he crossed over the threshold, and every last internal alarm bell in Alex’s arsenal went ballistic.
“I’m going to guess this guy’s not a regular.” Alex kept his tone low and purposely neutral despite the increasing worry lining Hector’s face, and the older man’s barely there head shake was all he needed in response. Although the stranger hadn’t spoken or moved from the front of the dining room since bullying his way through the door, he was clearly agitated andveryclearly searching the room for something he couldn’t find.
