Tonya laughed. “You should have seen Trent. You’d have thought he was stuck in some airport too.”
Flora shook her head. “He is such a worrywart.”
Gretchen was laughing. “I think his nonstop calling to Lane was more stressful than the weather was.”
“I swear I told him to stop. Y’all were in an airport. It was a heavy thunderstorm. I told him dozens of times that y’all would be fine.” She smiled into her sangria. And after a while, she did get him to stop. Stop calling at least. It was late at that point. And just before daylight, the lights hummed back to life. Another day where she ran in the diner at the last moment, got things started and then crashed on her futon for a couple more hours until the breakfast rush kicked off and she was able to return home.
Gretchen shook her head. “He’s kind of cute that he worries like that. Big strong older brother worried to death over some rain.”
Flora shook her head. “It’s not cute. It’s creepy. It’s not just the weather and his brothers. He’s always texting her too. Calling her all the time.”
Tonya gave her friend a little shove. “Quit saying that! I like that he checks in with me.”
Gretchen smiled. “That’s sweet. I don’t know what all happened while I was gone, but I’m glad that it finally worked out. And that you don’t have to pretend about Marc anymore!”
“Such a big relief. It’s been really nice. I’ve been really happy too.”
“I can’t believe in the weeks I’ve been gone you changed this much!”
Flora was snickering. “He saw her naked. That was the end of it.”
Tonya laughed, covering her mouth and thinking back to the wedding clean up and her poor dress. “That was actually the beginning of it, to be honest.”
“Okay, true.”
Gretchen shook her head. “I feel like I missed even more now. Was there any problems taking the wedding stuff apart? I still hate y’all got stuck with that duty.”
“Stop it.” Tonya shook her head. “It was fine. It all came down smoothly. We had a little rain which is how my dress ended up see-through. And we got loads of wedding cake. It was worth it to me to take it down for that.”
Tonya nodded. “That is so true. I froze your topper piece though. Wrapped it, vacuum sealed it at the store and put it in your freezer.”
Gretchen’s face softened. “Aw, thank you.”
Tonya’s phone buzzed and she checked her messages to see a new one from Trent.
When will you be home?
She smiled and keyed back a couple hours.
When she looked back up, Flora was shaking her head. “Creepy.”
“Adorable,” she returned. He did call and check in a lot, but she couldn’t get enough of it. After Marc ignored her for so long, Trent was totally and completely spoiling her. He cared enough about her that he called during the day. Sent her text messages. It was sweet.
Gretchen sat up a little straighter and looked at Flora. “Oh! How did the I love you go?”
Tonya snorted and then was shoved back by Flora. “We haven’t gotten there yet.”
Gretchen frowned. “Why not? You were supposed to do it after the wedding.”
“I know.” Flora slouched in her chair. “I couldn’t do it. I was close. It just wouldn’t come out.”
“He’s crazy about you.”
“I know.” Flora rubbed her arms, a small smile formed on her lips. “I do know that. But crazy about me isn’t the same as in love.”
She was happy. Gretchen was happy. She wanted Flora happy too. As long as these I love
yous
were stressing on her, Tonya could tell her friend was definitely not happy. “You know what I bet would help? Some pie.”
Flora laughed. “Oh my God, probably so. Jacob has been harassing me to get pie out of you, Gretchen.”
Tonya’s mouth dropped. “You’re getting it too? Trent’s asking for it also.”
Gretchen shook her head. “We’ve created monsters.”
“Does that mean you’ll make theirs and enough for us to have too?”
Gretchen was still shaking her head. “If I wasn’t so completely happy right now, I’d say y’all were crazy. But yes. I will make y’all some pie!”
Chapter Twelve
Trent’s legs were tangled between sheets and Tonya’s toes were against his calves. The blanket was on the floor. The pillow lumpy behind his head and the ceiling fan whirled above sending cool air down. He couldn’t be more comfortable.
Mid-morning sun was across her hair and he raked the long strands through his fingers. She lay half across his chest. Drew lines with her fingers from his bellybutton to his throat. He knew there was only minutes left of this before she’d have to get up. The diner lunch rush would be starting within the hour and here she was, content, lightly smiling and naked against him in his bed.
It had been the pattern for the last week. She’d come home from the diner after getting breakfast going, fall in bed with him and they’d both crawl out a few hours later. It was pretty damn nice. Nicer than he ever imagined this being.
Even years and years ago when he pictured his life, he hadn’t seen these moments. He’d just seen the broad picture. With Tonya though, he saw it all. He saw this moment happening again tomorrow and he saw five years from now where he’d have his best friend as more. His wife? He hoped so. As his the mother of his children? He smiled up at the ceiling. Definitely so. One day.
He curled another strand of hair around his finger, dropped it and caressed the back of his knuckles across her slender back. “What are you doing this weekend?
“Same, I guess. Working at the diner.” She turned and propped her chin on his chest. “Why. Have something in mind?”
“I want to go somewhere. Leave Friday. Come back Sunday. Maybe go for a week.”
She looked down. “I can’t be away from the diner like that on short notice.”
“Sure you can.”
“Not for a week. The weekend I could. It’s slower, but I need to be back at a decent time on Sunday.”
He pulled in a deep breath. “I want you to find a manager or someone so you can leave for a week for us to go somewhere.”
She laughed. “That costs money.”
“But worth it. Move Carla or Samantha up. Or hell, both of them. Morning manager and a night manager. They’ve been there for a long time. Both know that place from top to bottom. Reliable. Could handle anything while you were gone.”
“I don’t know.”
“We could head to the beach this week if you did. And I want to take you skiing next season. And I’ve never been on a cruise before.”
“I can do those things. I just need more than five days to plan for it.”
“But what if I wake up tomorrow, want to go buy a boat and take you to a lake to go snorkeling?”
She shook her head. “You’re impossible.”
“I’m just saying you could plan now by hiring extra help so we can go and do. What if you wake up tomorrow and want to go somewhere?”
“Then I would be a sensible person and plan for it like every other person out there.” She stuck her tongue out.
He grabbed her by the rear, rolled her beneath him and kissed her hard on the mouth. She moaned, her arms going around his neck.
“Just so you know when it gets cold, I am going to take you away for a week or more on a ski trip. I haven’t been in years and it’s a blast.”
“Just give me some warning.”
“I will. Long enough for you to make a bathroom break before we head to the airport.”
She laughed. “More than that!”
“Nope. I probably won’t even tell you where we’re going. We’ll buy clothes on the way.”
She stroked her thumbs on his cheek. “I really don’t like surprises, you know.”
“But you’ll love mine.” He shifted his weight around, settling deeper between her thighs.
She grinned. “I’m liking this surprise.”
Her phone buzzed an alarm on the nightstand. He reached and snoozed it, then was back over her. “You can’t leave right now.”
“Not a chance.” Her knees bent up alongside his hips and before this got any further, he reached for his nightstand and pulled out a condom. Once things got started with her, he just lost all touch with reality and he didn’t want to get her pregnant any time soon.
Once covered, he moved back over. Her opening already wet and waiting, he slid in and kept his thrusts long and slow. She wrapped him with her whole body. Legs around his waist. Long breaths and deep moans matched the pace of his movements.
Kept him rocking with her. Slow, even. Her breasts on his chest. Fingers digging against his sides. Quickening pants of air against his shoulder as she squeezed him tighter. Deep moans became clipped pants.
He stroked down her side, gripped her by the ass and lifted, changed the position and reached her a little further. She gasped, her breath strangled between a pant and struggling cry. He pushed harder, faster.
With a long cry and his name raking off her tongue, she crashed against the bed. He thrust again, found his own release and rolled to the side, pulling her with him.
Her phone rattled on the nightstand again, slicing through their harsh breathing in the otherwise quiet room.
Chapter Thirteen
Tonya hadn’t caught her breath since she lost it running in the diner to find lunch rush in full swing. Two days in a row, she’d stayed with Trent longer than she should. She stuck another table of orders on the tab in the kitchen and returned outside for new customers to find Trent at the front windows taping up her help wanted sign.
She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be angry or kiss him for it.
She walked by and poked him in the side. “I never agreed to it.”
“You didn’t have to. I know you want it.”
She shook her head. “I make no promises about hiring anybody just so you can travel a couple times of a year.”
He looked at her. “It’s more than that. If you had more help, you wouldn’t have to drag ass out of bed at three in the morning and leave me cold without you.”
True, but still. She shook her head. “I do like working, you know.”
“I like seeing you work. Doesn’t mean you can’t work at more convenient times.”
“You’re a mess. But I’ll think about it.” She took another order and headed toward the kitchen, unable to ignore the happy thrill going through her. Just happy. So damn happy.
Flora leaned against a counter in the kitchen, a cheeseburger at her elbow and tall glass of tea. “By the looks of your flushed cheeks and big dopey smile, you had a mid-morning fling.”
Tonya glanced around to see no one was close enough to hear. “Maybe.”
“Why is he putting out your help wanted sign? I thought you were quietly asking around for a new hire?”
She turned and rested on her elbows. “He wants me to move Carla and Samantha up to managers and hire in a couple other people.”
“Why the hell for?”
Gretchen rounded the back corner and dove for Flora’s cheeseburger. With a mouth full of burger, she talked. “Why the hell for what?”
Flora just blinked at her. “Hungry? And Trent decided Tonya needs to hire like eight more people.”
Gretchen mumbled around bites. “Eight seems like overkill.”
Tonya only shrugged. “It’s more like two. He wants to go on vacation and I can’t just leave the diner when I want to for long periods of time. It’s sweet.”
Flora shook her head. “It’s not sweet. It’s crazy. He doesn’t own this place and I know you like a low staff because half the day it’s slow and there’s no point paying people to stand around.”
“I know. But he does have a point. He wanted to go to the beach this weekend. Maybe stay through next week and I can’t just take off like he can.”
“Not everybody is loaded off their ass.”
Gretchen chewed and stuffed her mouthful to her cheek. “I think it’s kind of sweet.”
Tonya gestured at her. “Thank you.”
“He wants to whisk you off your feet.” She took another big bite.
Flora grimaced at her. “You owe me a pie for stealing my cheeseburger.”
She rolled food through her mouth. “
Pis
onth
yay.
”
Tonya frowned and leaned closer. “What?”
She drank Flora’s drink and cleared her mouth. “Lane is bringing pie. I baked last night. And I think it’s sweet.”
Flora shook her head. “It’ll be sweet if he wants to pay for the extra help out of his pocket. Did he volunteer that?”
“No, but I can afford it.”
Flora patted her on the shoulder. “I know you’re not me, but watch yourself. This is your life too and he’s making himself at home in it.”
“I know you worry, but I like it. I’m glad he’s here.” Tonya smiled and meant it. “Let me put you another cheeseburger on the grill.”
“Hell no, not if pie is on the way.”
She glanced back to Gretchen who was swirling the last of the cheeseburger in ketchup. “What about you?”
Gretchen’s lips pursed then she nodded. “Oh my God, yes. With bacon.”
Tonya laughed and looked at Gretchen. “When was the last time you ate?”