Page 36 of Chasing Infinity

“Like what?”

“Like I’m your knight in shining armor. Your hero.” I admit, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face. "I'm far from that."

“Well, you were today,” she whispers, nuzzling into her pillow and closing her eyes.

I exhale through my nose, stroking my hand over her hair a few more times until her breathing evens out, and I realize she’s fallen asleep. As I stand up, I can’t help but lean forward and press a kiss to her cheek, my lips lingering on her soft skin. She sighs happily in her sleep at the contact, and the tightness grows in my chest.

“Goodnight, Parks.”

Chapter 10

Addison

“Well, well,” Grace calls to me as I walk into the diner. She’s standing behind the counter with Jack, the two of them grinning at me from ear to ear. “If it isn’t Addison Parks, risen from the dead!”

I roll my eyes and walk toward my friends, accepting their hugs and well wishes.

“How are you feeling, Addie?” Jack asks me. “That was a nasty cold you had.”

I was out for almost the whole week. Yesterday was the first time I felt like I had the energy to get up and move around. I’m still not quite up to snuff, but I’m functional at least. Noah gave me strict instructions that I shouldn’t be working yet, and as he’s the one who’s put his life on hold the past few days for me, I figured the least I could do was listen to his suggestion.

I had to come down and check and see how everyone was doing, though. The Type-A personality in me could not just let everything lie. I try my hardest not to micromanage my team. I trust my employees and give them the freedom to make suggestions about making the business more successful. Still, at the end of the day, the diner is mine, and I want to ensure it’s all running smoothly. Especially now that I’ve been out for almost a week.

Grace and Jack give me the paraphrased version of the events over the last few days. To my relief, it sounds like there was nothing out of the ordinary. Though my jaw nearly hits the ground when I hear about Noah and Eli almost getting into a brawl over me.

“Thankfully, Charlie was able to mediate the whole ordeal, and he had to physically remove Eli from the premises,” Grace tells me. “Gotta admit, though, the whole thing was kind of hot.”

“Can concur,” Jack chimes in. “Your man’s kinda badass.”

“Eli?” I ask incredulously, tapping my finger against the countertop.

Jack drops his head back and barks out a laugh. “No. Noah.”

I chuckle nervously, feeling my cheeks heat up. “Oh, right. Well, thank you guys for keeping everything afloat. I’ll try my best not to get sick again soon.”

“If you do, just send Noah in your place,” Jack says, and I look at him in surprise. “What? He was actually really helpful. He kept his head down and did what we needed him to. He was better than some of those new hires we’ve had recently. Maybe you should offer him an official position.”

I feel my blush deepen at the prospect of hiring Noah. I don’t know what it is, but the thought of being his boss rubs me the wrong way—or maybe the right way, in the wrong way. “I’ll ask him. But again, thank you guys for covering. I’ll get out of your way, and hopefully, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

They wave goodbye to me as I leave, and I have to force myself to walk all the way out. After Noah’s strong recommendation that I not work today, I decided that I’d take a stroll around the town square to keep me busy. I think fresh air in my lungs and some old-fashioned vitamin D from the sun will do me good.

It’s a gorgeous day outside, a little warm for early November. I smile as soon as I step out onto the sidewalk, pull my jacket tighter around my shoulders, and begin my walk. Fall is on its way out, and winter threatens to appear soon. Most of the colorful leaves are still up on the trees, but the ground is covered by those who couldn’t hold out much longer. I shuffle along the sidewalk, kicking at small piles of discarded leaves as I go, smiling to myself.

As I walk, I get a few hellos and questions from a few friendly faces, wondering if I’m feeling better. I smile, nod, and answer their questions, telling them I’ll see them for breakfast tomorrow. My favorite part of the job is getting to know everyone personally and being part of daily routines.Sunny-Side Up Dineris just that. It’s a favorite stop in the mornings, a favorite lunch location for meetings or breaks, and a favorite place to have dinner when you don’t feel like cooking.

Somehow, I’ve successfully created a place where people feel safe and welcome, which is invaluable. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

“Addie!” I hear a deep voice call my name just as I’m about to head back into the diner from my walk. I turn around in time to get a glimpse of Eli as he barrels toward me, wrapping me up in a huge hug that almost suffocates me. I laugh and pat him on the back.

“I was so worried about you. Are you feeling better?” he asks, releasing me and encircling my cheeks with his hands so he can look me over. His baby blue eyes roam my face.

I try to pull out of his grasp, but he’s got me in a weird position. His fingers rest heavily on my cheekbones, not wanting to let me wiggle away from him. “I’m feeling a lot better, Eli. Thank you.”

“I tried to come to see you,” he grumbles. “But that bastard McCoy wouldn’t let me come up, and then Charlie got involved and—”

“I heard about that. It was probably for the best, you know? I was pretty sick, and I would’ve felt terrible if you caught whatever I had.”

“You didn’t seem to care if Noah got sick, though,” he says pointedly.

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