I shook out my trembling hands and carefully continued chopping onions. I glanced up and down the street, comforting myself with the fact that he was nowhere in sight. Okay. That happened. I got crazy sauerkraut guy off the agenda right at the start. That meant clear sailing for the rest of the day.
A young woman and her son walked up to the truck. “Sorry about that.”
I smiled to myself, realizing I was cocking my head like Chaucer. “Sorry?”
Holding her son’s hand, she looked over her shoulder and scanned the park. “I heard that guy yelling at you. I called the cops.” She shrugged, embarrassed. “You hear horrible stories—I was worried about you.”
My stomach began to untwist. “Thank you so much for doing that.” Gesturing down the street, I took a deep breath. “He left, but he was scaring the”—I looked down at her son—“heck out of me.” I rubbed my hands together. “That means the dogs are on me!” I leaned over the counter. “Whaddaya say, little man. Do you want a hot dog?”
The mom laughed. “He’d love one, but I don’t want you to get in trouble by giving away food. I heard you say it’s your first day.”
Moving the hot dog I was cooking for crazy guy from the warmer back to the grill, I shook my head. “I’m not giving it away.” I looked back at the adorable boy in his baseball cap and red sneakers. “You helped your mom do a really nice thing for someone who was scared. My thank you will come in the form of meat.”
Looking back at his mom, I said, “I’m buying your lunch.”
“Oh, my goodness. You don’t need to do that.” She tugged on her son’s hand. “Jeremy, say thank you to the nice lady.”
“Sanks!”
His gap-toothed grin did me in. “What do you like on your hot dogs?”
“’Chup!”
Rolling the hot dog back and forth on the grill, I looked to mom for a translation.
“Ketchup.”
I laughed. “Of course. I’m Katie, by the way. It’s nice to meet you, Jeremy.”
“I’m Sara,” the mom said.
I nodded, placing a second hot dog on the grill. I put Jeremy’s dog back in the warmer while I finished cooking his mom’s. “What do you like on yours, Sara?”
“Oh, you don’t need to buy me one, too.” She waved her hand. “Really. It was nothing.”
Shaking my head, I said, “Not nothing. You saw someone in trouble, and you helped. That’s never nothing.” I met her eyes. “So, what’ll ya have?”
She sighed. “Okay, I’ll have a chili-cheese dog.”
“Excellent choice!” Leaning over, I looked down at the adorable gap-toothed smile under the boy’s Giants ball cap. “Jeremy, are you a fan of the Giants? They’re from my hometown.”
“Yeah?”
“You bet.” I stirred the chili.
He hopped, trying to get his head over the counter to see what I was doing.
I ladled chili over the dog before sprinkling cheese on top. I handed Sara her hot dog first and then handed Jeremy his. “You two are my first customers, and you’ve both been lovely. Thank you so much.”
Sara took a bite. “Mmm. Thank you.”
After they strolled away, I realized someone was leaning against the side of the truck. I flinched before recognizing it was Aiden.
“Kind of jumpy.” He looked over what he could see of me. “Are you okay?”
I shook my head. “It was nothing. I’m fine.” Glancing around the park, I made note of other people walking nearby, and of crazy guy not being among them. I slowly let out a breath, feeling my body start to relax.
“If you’re giving away hot dogs, I’ll take one too.” His voice was light, but I watched him scan the street, his eyes hard.
