LITMIR.BIZ

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“That’s about it.”

      “Then the man will just have to learn it wouldn’t hurt for him to smile on the outside.”

      Marge and Alice exchanged looks that said Caroline would have to learn something herself.

      Caroline stiffened when she noticed two men walking into the diner. They chose a booth near the rear, in her station. She snagged two coffee mugs and one of the coffeepots and headed for the booth.

      “Gentlemen,” she said crisply, holding up the mugs. “Coffee?”

      “Yes, thank you,” Elias Spencer said, barely giving her a glance.

      The other man, who Carolyn knew worked at the bank, took a moment to look her over thoroughly. She didn’t know his name and she didn’t care to. “Definitely,” he said.

      She mentally poured his coffee in his lap while she filled both mugs. “Do you need a little time before ordering?”

      “Two eggs, over easy, hash browns crisp and my bacon crisp.” Elias’s tone matched how he wanted his food.

      “What would you recommend, darlin’?” the other man drawled.

      “Enough,” Elias snapped at the man. “The girl is trying to work here. Either order or don’t.”

      “I’ll have the same thing.”

      Caroline nodded and walked away to put in the order.

      After all this time working in the diner, this was the first time she’d waited on the illustrious Elias Spencer, since he usually sat at one of Alice’s tables. Caroline had met him at Jenna and Seth’s wedding and wasn’t too sure she liked the man even if she knew him to be her mother’s first husband. She knew her mother must have loved the stern-looking man at one time, so there had to be something special about him. But she’d also left him to marry Caroline’s father.

      Elias appeared so stiff she thought his spine would snap from the pressure. Not that his sons were any different. Quinn seemed to be the only one who hadn’t carried on the tradition. When she looked at Elias this morning, Caroline thought the man seemed bitter. She didn’t think he smiled any more than Cooper did, although he did seem to unbend a little when he was around Lydia Perry. Maybe there was hope for the man yet.

      It was tempting to blow that stiff-necked manner sky-high by suddenly asking him why he’d divorced her mother. She’d love to hear that answer.

      Instead, she was the picture of the perfect waitress. Elias’s dining companion had given up trying to charm her. Good thing, since she would have dumped coffee in his lap for real if he’d tried anything.

      Later, Caroline was clearing the table when Elias stopped back. He looked hesitant when she glanced up.

      “Was there a problem, Mr. Spencer?” she asked formally.

      “No, everything was fine.” He dropped a couple of bills on the tabletop. “I’d just like to apologize on behalf of my colleague. There was no reason for him to act that way.”

      “Don’t worry about it. Perils of the trade,” she quipped.

      He nodded. “I just wanted you to know I don’t hold with that kind of behavior.”

      “Thank you.” She smiled. “As for your colleague, tell him if he tries anything else, next time he just might find himself wearing his coffee instead of drinking it.”

      Elias’s somber face broke into a smile. “I guess you’ve had to learn to handle just about anything that comes your way.” He nodded and walked away.

      The dishes forgotten, Caroline watched his exit. The opening was there. She could have easily slipped it in. Maybe even gotten some answers she’d been looking for.

      The only thing that bothered her was the knowledge that Elias knew things about her mother that Caroline had no hope of knowing.

      After work, she walked over to the library in search of reading material. On her way out of the library, she ran into Jenna Robinson Spencer, Seth’s wife, who now moved slowly due to her blossoming pregnancy.

      “Jenna! Look at you! I swear, you look ready to pop,” Caroline said, giving her a hug, which wasn’t easy with her belly between them.

      She rolled her eyes. “Let me tell you, as far as I’m concerned, right now wouldn’t be soon enough.” She patted her abdomen. “You know how you can buy those turkeys with those little red pop-up thingies? I’m positive I got a defective thingie because it definitely forgot to pop up to say I’m done.”

      “I’ve always heard the last month feels the longest,” Caroline said with sympathy.

      “Every day seems like a year,” Jenna declared dramatically.

      Caroline could easily tell the other woman was tired. Looking at her, she could understand why. “Still, before you know it you’ll have those beautiful babies.”

      “Let’s see if you say the same thing when it’s your turn to carry around a couple of baby elephants for what seems like forever,” Jenna told her.

      “Considering my serious lack of a social life, I don’t think that will be happening anytime soon,” Caroline said.

      “I’m sure I said something to that effect. Look where it got me. Well, time for me to waddle off.” She grimaced. “Just tell me I don’t look like one of those inflatable clowns that just pop back up when kids punch them.”

      “Not even close. I’ve heard of some restaurants that serve a cabbage soup that pregnant women eat and they’ll go into labor the same day,” Caroline said helpfully.

      “Tell Marge to put it on the menu and I’ll be right over,” Jenna said over her shoulder.

      Sensing Cooper was in the vicinity, Caroline turned around and looked up the street. She found him in front of the drugstore. He was crouched down next to a little boy who was crying. A bicycle lay nearby on the sidewalk. Cooper had one hand on the boy’s shoulder, and while she couldn’t hear his words, she guessed he was saying something to reassure him. She watched as he pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket and wiped the boy’s eyes, then urged him to blow his nose. Cooper stood up, picked up the bicycle and set it upright. He continued talking to the boy as he guided the bike onto the edge of the street. He helped him onto the bike and kept it steady until the boy felt confident to go on his own. The little boy grinned at Cooper as he managed to make his way down the street without too much wobbling.

      At that same moment, Cooper’s head snapped upward and his nostrils flared as if he’d caught a scent in the wind. His head swiveled until he looked across the street. Straight at Caroline. There was no change in his expression as he nodded his head in greeting. She nodded back.

      She remained frozen in time as she watched Cooper climb back into his vehicle. A moment later, the engine rumbled to life and the Blazer headed down the street. During its progress, people would look up and call out Cooper’s name, punctuated with a wave of the hand.

      She noted he returned each greeting, but not once did a smile crack his lips.

      Caroline forced her legs to move. With each step, her resolve to see Cooper Night Hawk smile strengthened, until it was pure steel.

      “YOU ARE TAKING the new woman to the dance,” Laughing Bear announced from the bathroom doorway.

      Cooper stood in front of the mirror adjusting his tie. He hated the things with a passion and wore them as little as possible. He swore under his breath and started to pull the tie free from his collar. Then he remembered. The ladies in town made few rules, but maintained them religiously. One of them was that their men dress up for church and for the dances.

      “Have you been consulting the Spirits lately or just hearing the gossip in town?” he asked his grandfather.

      He shook his head, his shoulder length gray hair shifting with each movement. “One day you will understand

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