Page 2 of One More Baby for the Boss

She blinked.Focus.He was waiting for her to answer the question.

“I’m afraid we don’t,” she said. “We have banana, if that would work for you?”

Elijah turned to his son, “Sorry, Jack,” he said. “No blueberry. Want banana? Or maybe regular?”

The little boy pouted and threw down his crayon. “I wanted blueberry.”

“Well, they haven’t got blueberry.”

“I don’t know why we had to come here. I want to go home.”

Elijah glanced apologetically at Alex. “I’m awfully sorry about this.”

“Don’t worry about it!” This was more like what she had expected in a small town — friendliness that bordered on being over the top. He certainly hadn’t owed her an apology, but after Edgar’s rudeness, it made for a welcome change.

“I’ll tell you what, Jack,” Alex said, bending down a little bit to talk to the boy. “We do have some chocolate chips in the kitchen. They’re supposed to be for the bakery. But I’m friends with the cook, and I’ll bet you that if I ask him really nicely — and if your dad says it’s okay — I could get them to do chocolate chip pancakes. Would you like that?”

Jack perked up at once. “Yes please!”

Alex glanced at Elijah, wondering whether she’d overstepped. “Is that all right with you, Dad?”

“That’d be great.” He looked relieved, as if he hadn’t known what he was going to do on his own to resolve the situation. “Thank you.”

“It’s not a problem at all,” Alex assured him. “And what can I get for you?”

“Eggs Benedict and crispy bacon, please. Really crispy. Basically burned.”

She gave him a friendly laugh. “That’s how I like it too,” she said. “I’ll make sure they do it right for you.”

She thought her laugh might draw out a smile, but he remained solemn and stoic. “Thanks,” he said, handing her his menu.

“Yeah, no problem.” She took it from him and went to put in the order.

Stacy was at the POS machine. “I just got off the phone with Heather,” she said. “She’s got the flu. She’s not coming in at eleven.”

“But you get off at eleven,” Alex said.

“I know,” Stacy said. “And I’d stay, I really would, but I have to pick up my kid from school. I tried calling his father, but of course he’s not answering the phone.”

“Did you call Marjorie?” Marjorie was the owner of the diner, and she was also Alex’s landlord, since Alex was renting the upstairs apartment.

“I left a message,” Stacy said, wiping her hands on her apron. “Look, I’m sorry, Alex, I know it’s your first day, but I don’t know what else to do. You’re going to have to hold down the fort until she calls.”

“By myself?”

“The cooks are here, and I know you’ve waited tables before. I can’t miss pickup.”

“There’s no one else who could get your kid?”

“There’s really not. I’m so sorry. I know this is not ideal.”

It was about as far from ideal as a person could get, Alex thought. Her very first day on the job and she was going to have to go it alone. She wasn’t prepared for that in the slightest.

But she was determined to try. After all, it wasn’t Stacy’s fault this was happening, and there was nothing for it now but to give it her best effort. “You go,” she assured Stacy. “I can handle this.”

“Keep trying Marjorie,” Stacy said as she took off her apron. “If you can reach her before the lunch rush kicks in, you should be all right.”

“I’m sure I will be. Go. You don’t want to be late.”

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