Chapter 21
Adrenaline and temper kept Amy moving right up until she stepped foot inside the barbecue joint. It was as if crossing that threshold stripped her of her last ounce of energy, leaving her stranded near the entrance and unable to figure out where to go next.
Tom had just finished ringing up a to-go order at the counter when he spotted her. He started to smile, but his expression changed to one of concern as he cut straight across the room to where she stood.
“Amy, come on in. I have a table saved for you in the other room.” His big hand settled on her shoulder as he guided her toward a door in the corner. “Mikhail called to tell me you were on your way. He’ll be along soon.”
“Good. That’s good.”
She shivered. Even in the summer, the air in the foothills of the Cascades could be too chilly to ride without a jacket. Regardless, it was a relief to know he’d picked up on her hint about where she was headed. It might have been smarter to simply circle the neighborhood until her brothers gave up and headed back home. She could’ve also gone to Marlene’s house, but all she’d been able to think about was putting as much distance as possible between herself and her brothers.
The room he led her into held only two tables, both currently vacant. Good. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold herself together. Tom pulled out a chair for her. “Have a seat, and I’ll go get you a drink and something to munch on while you wait for Mikhail. What would you like?”
It hadn’t dawned on her until that moment that she’d left home with only her keys in hand. No purse. No phone. No wallet, which meant no money.
She blinked hard against the threat of tears. “I’m sorry, but I can’t pay for it.”
His dark eyes were sympathetic. “Not a problem. I’m guessing Mikhail failed to mention you now qualify for our friends and family discount, which today happens to be one hundred percent.”
“But—”
Once again, his big hand lightly touched her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Amy. Besides, if Mikhail isn’t treating you right, I can always make up the difference by charging him double. Now, do you want a soft drink, a beer, or tea?”
She managed a small laugh. “A cup of tea sounds really good about now.”
“I’ll bring it right out along with a serving of my wife’s excellent blueberry crisp. You can order a meal once Mikhail arrives, but today seems like a good day to enjoy dessert first.”
“You know, if you didn’t already have a wife, I’d be down on my knee proposing right now.”
It was funny seeing a man of his size blush. “Don’t tell Maggie, but I’d be tempted to accept. Although I suspect Mikhail might have something to say about that.”
He mumbled something under his breath that sounded like “with his fists.”
After patting her shoulder one last time, he disappeared back into the restaurant, leaving her alone with her thoughts, not the best of company right now. She’d known even before she’d left her hometown behind that her pretense of being completely normal might not last. But right now she hated her brothers for their callous disregard for her privacy. They had no right to sit in judgment on her decisions, and she might not ever forgive them if they’d ruined what she had with Mikhail. She had no illusions about what was coming next. No matter what assurances her doctors had given her, why would any man want to share his future with a woman who might not have one?
She slammed her fist down on the table hard enough to knock over the salt and pepper shakers.Damn, damn, double damn!
God, she hated this feeling of helplessness, something she’d tried so hard to put behind her. Was it too much to ask to live a normal life? All she wanted was what everyone else had—to live through each day not like it was her last but only the next in a long lifetime of them. Or, barring that, to be able to pretend that was the case.
Tom was back with her tea and her before-dinner dessert. “The blueberry crisp is still warm. I hope you like it with ice cream.”
“It looks delicious.”
“I brought you a selection of different teas, but my wife’s favorite is that spice one. She says she finds it calming on days she has to deal with an idiot.” He winked as he set a small bowl of teabags on the table. “She never mentions any specific names, but I suspect she means me.”
Amy took his advice. “I hope it works for me, too. I’ve had it up to here with my own idiots today.”
“Do you need me to have a talk with Mikhail when he gets here?” He held up one of his massive fists. “Because I will. And if that doesn’t work, I can always sic my wife on him. Maggie might be just a little bit of a thing, but she’ll put the fear of God in him just like she does me when I get out of line. The lady’s got a temper, that’s for sure.”
It was hard not to laugh at the image of such a big man cowering in front of a small woman. Amy dipped the teabag in the heavy mug. “Thanks for the offer, but Mikhail isn’t the idiot. That honor goes to two of my brothers. I’m a little worried about him, though. I took off and left him to deal with them. Things were pretty tense by then.”
“Don’t you worry about Mikhail. He’s always had a talent for landing on his feet. Besides, if things had gone badly, he would’ve asked me to make sure you got home safely rather than coming after you himself.”
His words comforted her. “Then I’ll wait here for him.”
“You do that, but come get me if you need anything else before he gets here.”
“I’ll be fine. I know you have other customers to take care of.” She mustered up a small smile. “Ones who don’t get the friends and family discount.”
