I fingered the locket and looked into his eyes, unable to speak.
“I’ve never felt the way I feel about you before.” He cupped my cheek with his palm. “I care for you in a way I never believed possible.”
“I feel the same way about you, Edge.”
“I never want to lose you, Lucy ‘Rebel’ Marks.”
I leaned forward and kissed him, afraid that if I didn’t, I’d say the three words I didn’t think either of us was ready for.
40
Rebel
One month later
There had to be a better word for the level of exhaustion I felt. Whatever it was, would also have to be combined with elation.
My first two weeks at the restaurant were a dream come true. I loved working with Tee-Tee in the ranch’s dining hall, but owning my own place someday had been one of those pie-in-the-sky fantasies I’d never admitted to anyone
. Just working in one, even as an apprentice, felt as though I was one step closer.
Edge had rented a small house for us to stay in the four days a week we had to be in Austin. We’d arrive sometime on Wednesday and then drive back either late Saturday night or Sunday morning, and stay at the ranch until it was time to head back to the city. While he told me it was because he couldn’t stand to be away from me, I knew without needing confirmation that the issue of who “Lynch” was, was still lingering in the back of both of our minds.
Christy, one of the waitresses, had been trying to get me to hang out after work all week, but at the end of my shift, I couldn’t wait to get back to Edge and tell him about my day.
As I was leaving the night before, Christy stopped me on my way out. “Tomorrow’s Friday, you know, payday? Please stay and have at least one drink with us.”
“I’ll see,” I told her. “But not more than one.” As the apprentice pastry chef, I had to be at the restaurant earlier than almost everyone else in order to have time to prep before my boss arrived. Being late was not an option. Neither was being hungover.
I didn’t add that before I committed to staying later tomorrow, I wanted to talk it over with Edge. I hadn’t told her, or anyone else, anything about him. The only person who knew he was here in Austin with me was Steel.
When I mentioned the invitation to Edge as we lay in bed, he encouraged me to accept. “Part of any job is the camaraderie with your fellow employees.”
“Do you want to join us?”
“Maybe next time. Have fun and get to know them on your own.”
He never said what he did all day and night while I was at work, and I didn’t ask.
“There you are, Lucy,” Christy said to me the next night. “I thought maybe you’d sneaked out the back.” She motioned for me to take the barstool next to her.
I noticed a few employees weren’t seated. “I can stand.”
“Don’t be silly. We’ve been holding this open for you.”
“Why?”
Christy laughed. “I told you how she was. Lucy, you’re on your feet more than the rest of us, and you start earlier too. I don’t know how you do it, girl.”
Apart from my crappy waitressing job at the Barton Creek Diner, where I’d never considered “hanging out” with a soul who worked there, I hadn’t been around industry people. It never occurred to me it might be fun until Edge mentioned “camaraderie.” That’s exactly how I felt, sitting and listening to them all talk about their shifts.
The restaurant where we worked was busy all the time, which meant the wait staff made great tips, plus the kitchen staff was well-paid. It was nice to be around so many happy people. It was inexplicable, then, when a few minutes later, a feeling of foreboding settled over me. I tried my best to ignore it, and even thought about calling Edge. When I looked over my shoulder and Steel winked at me from his perch near the front door, I felt a little better.
Not ten minutes later, the bartender, Barney, walked over and motioned for me to come closer. “There’s a couple guys over there who said to buy Rebel a drink, and when I told them I didn’t know who that was, they pointed at you.”
I didn’t want to turn around and look to see who was there, but curiosity was killing me.
Barney wagged his finger at me again. “Look in the mirror over there. They can’t see you, but you can see them.”