He smiles, and I swear it could light up all of the Pacific Northwest. “Thank you, lass.”
Lass. Jesus God Almighty, that accent is ridiculously sexy. I’ve never been a woman to swoon over a foreign accent. Maybe it’s because I’ve spent a lot of time abroad with my family, and it just never did anything for me.
But Keegan’s accent is smooth and lyrical. Like the gorgeous music played in his pub.
He parks on the street in front of a retro-looking diner on the corner. It appears as if it’s been here since the town began.
When we walk inside, everyone looks up and waves at Keegan. It’s very much like the show Cheers, and it makes me laugh.
“So, you know everyone, then.”
He nods as we sit in a booth. “Small town, Izzy.”
“What’s good?” I ask as I look at the menu before me. “Is there a local favorite here?”
“The cinnamon rolls are a religious experience,” he says.
“You don’t have a menu.”
“No. I get the same thing every day.”
“And what is that?”
“Oatmeal with raisins and a side of toast.”
“You come all the way across town for oatmeal?”
“And coffee.”
I grin at him just as the waitress walks over to us. “Your usual today, Keegan?”
“Yes, please. And whatever Izzy’s having, of course.”
“I want two eggs, scrambled, some hash browns, and bacon. And a cinnamon roll.”
The waitress raises a brow. “You must be hungry.”
“I am.”
She fills both our cups with coffee and then wanders off to place our orders.
“How do you feel today?” Keegan asks.
“My feet are a little sore,” I confess. “I’m just not used to working on them, but I’ll adjust.”
“And how about mentally?”
I stir the creamer into my coffee, then take a sip and frown at him over the rim of the cup. “What do you mean?”
“You walked out on a wedding yesterday. I’m curious as to how you feel about it today.”
“Oh.” I take another sip and feel the caffeine start to flow through my veins. “Well, Troy texted me this morning and asked where he should send my shit, as he called it. So, I gave him the pub’s address. I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s fine.” He sips his black coffee. “And doesn’t answer my question.”
“I’m relieved. And I’m happy to be here. That’s all I know for now.”
“It’s a good start.”
I don’t want to confess that no one cares where I am today. That the only message waiting for me this morning was from my ex-fiancé, and he wasn’t at all concerned, just wanted to know where to send my stuff.
I’ve had crappy people in my life for a long time, and it’s only more glaringly obvious today. I don’t want to admit that to Keegan.
It’s embarrassing.
“Holy crap,” I say as the waitress returns with our meals. She’s carrying a huge tray on her shoulder, and I practically swallow my tongue when I see the size of the cinnamon roll. “This is huge.”
“Don’t worry, we can box up anything you can’t put away here,” the waitress says with a wink and then walks away.
“You’re going to help me eat this,” I inform Keegan, who just grins at me from across the table.
“That’s what I was counting on.”
“I can’t believe these words are about to come out of my mouth.” I’ve just buckled my seatbelt after the most delicious breakfast of my life, and I am pretty sure I gained fifteen pounds.
So worth it.
“But I have to stop at the store, or a Target, someplace for some essentials and snacks.”
“Snacks?” Keegan pulls out into light traffic.
“Yes. I’m a snacker. I can’t help it. Is there a Target in town?”
“Sure.” He doesn’t have to drive far before he’s pulling into the parking lot.
“This shouldn’t take long.”
“No hurry.”
Once inside, I make a beeline for the shampoo section. I don’t have much money since Dad cut me off, but I have some cash from last night’s tips, and I need a few things. I grab some shampoo and conditioner—not my usual expensive brand, but it will do. I also snag some deodorant before wandering over to the snacks.
I grin when I see that the Goldfish are on sale and toss a bag into my basket.
“Don’t judge me,” I warn Keegan as I grab some graham crackers. “I’m a seven-year-old when it comes to snacks.”
He just laughs, but when we make our way to the pizza Lunchables, and I reach for one, he shakes his head.
“This one, I’ll judge you for. If you want pizza, we’ll buy pizza.”
“Pizza is my favorite.”
“What you have in your hand isn’t real pizza.”
“Fine.” I sigh and put it back, then smile when I see my favorite wine on an end cap. I reach for a bottle and hear Keegan sigh next to me. “What?”
“You know I own a bar, right? There’s no need to buy the wine.”
“Do you serve this brand? Because it’s my favorite.”
“I guess I do now,” he mutters and takes a picture of the bottle with his phone.
“Okay, this will do for today.”
He nods and leads me to the checkout. After the cashier rings up my things, he reaches for his wallet, and I shake my head.
“This is my junk, Keegan.”
“You don’t have any money.”
“Yes, I do. I have tips from last night.” I pass the cash over to the cashier and accept my bags from her. When we’re outside, I glance up at him. “I appreciate you wanting to help. I really do. But you’ve already gone above and beyond. I can pay for my own shampoo and Goldfish.”
“Understood.”
“You’re done for the day,” Keegan says at around seven in the evening. “You can grab some dinner here, if you like.”
“I’ve been eyeing more of that stew all day,” I say as I untie my apron. “I feel like such an idiot.”
“Because you like stew?”
“No.” I lean on the bar and smile at him. “Because this is just so hard. I feel so clumsy and slow. Maggie breezes around here like some kind of Irish faerie, taking orders and making people smile. She even sang earlier while she delivered drinks. And I can barely carry the tray with a food order without making a fool of myself.”
“You’re being too hard on yourself, lass,” he says. “Now, go get yourself a bowl of stew and come have a seat.”
I nod and walk through the swinging door to where Keegan’s brother, Shawn, mans the kitchen. His wife, Lexi, fills a basket full of fries.
“Whenever you have a moment, I’d love a bowl of stew,” I say when Lexi looks over with a smile.
“Of course.” She reaches for a bowl to ladle a scoop into and then adds a crusty piece of bread to the side. “How was your shift today, Izzy?”
“Oh, just fine, thanks. I’m going to take this to the bar.”