Archer's Voice(99)

I stopped in the doorway, tilted my head and smiled back at him. Something about the moment seemed very, very important. Something told me to stay right there and soak it in, cherish it. I wasn't sure why that feeling washed over me, but I leaned my head against the door frame and drank him in for a minute. "I'm going to keep making you happy, Archer Hale." Then I grinned and walked out the door.

We had plans for Archer to meet me at the diner for an early lunch right before the crowd started coming in so I knew I'd see him soon. I didn't need to miss him too much.

The diner was extra busy that morning and the hours flew by. At about ten forty five, I served the last breakfast special and started cleaning up from the rush.

"Hey, Norm," I called. "How'd those red velvet cupcakes work out while I was gone?" I had baked a batch New Year's Eve day before I'd left the diner. God, that seemed like a million years ago. I had left this place still longing for Archer, deep in my bones, and I had walked back in after leaving him in bed. My strong, beautiful, silent man. I was so deliriously proud of him.

"People seemed to like 'em," Norm said. "Maybe you should make another batch."

I grinned. That meant they were a hit and he'd appreciate it if I'd make more. I had learned recently that often, love was all about learning to speak a person's language.

"You gonna sit with me over here for a cup of coffee?" Maggie asked as I married two ketchup bottles. "I think you owe me about three hours of update. But I'll take the fifteen minute version." She laughed.

I smiled. "Actually, Maggie, Archer's coming in in about fifteen minutes. How about the thirty minute version right after lunch?"

She huffed out a breath. "Fine. I guess I'll take what I can get." She feigned a look of annoyance, but I laughed because the look on her face earlier that morning and the tears that had rolled down her cheeks, told me all I'd needed to know. She was over the moon for me, and relieved that Archer was back, safe and sound.

The bell over the door rang a few minutes later and the man in question stood in the doorway, smiling at me. I thought back to the day months earlier when he'd first gathered up the courage to walk through the doors of this diner and I took him in now. That same sweet, gentle look was on his face when he caught my eye and smiled, but now he held himself in a way that told me he felt confident in the fact that he'd be welcomed.

I allowed myself to drink him in for a few moments before I rushed out from behind the counter and jumped in his arms. He spun me around as I laughed and then put me down, looking shyly over at Maggie.

Maggie waved her hand. "Don't stop on account of me. Nothing makes me happier than seeing you two together. Welcome home, Archer."

Archer tipped his head and smiled and then looked up as Norm came out of the back. "Why don't you two quit making a spectacle of yourselves and go sit at that table in the back there? Plenty of privacy." He looked at Archer and his face softened ever so slightly. "Archer," he said, "you're looking well."

Archer smiled at him and reached out his hand and shook it, and then smiled at me and I grinned back, my heart singing. "Shall we?" I asked.

We sat down at the table toward the back of the diner and Maggie called over, "What can I get you?"

"It's okay, Maggie," I called. "I'm gonna put in a lunch order in a minute."

"Okay," she called back, taking a seat at the break table again.

I reached across the table and took Archer's hand just as the bell over the door rung again. I looked up and my blood froze in my veins, my skin prickling and a strangled sound coming up my throat. It was him.

No. Oh God. No, no, no. Bells seemed to be clanging loudly in my ears and I was frozen.

His wild eyes found mine almost immediately and a look of pure hatred filled his face.

This isn't real. This isn't real, I chanted in my head as I felt the vomit coming up my throat. I swallowed it down and squeaked again.

Archer's head swiveled back in the direction my eyes were trained and he stood up immediately when he saw the man behind him. I stood up too on legs that were shaking so badly, I didn't know if I'd stay upright, a huge surge of adrenalin rushing through my system.

The man didn't even seem to see Archer just in front of me and to my right, his eyes still focused only on me.

"You ruined my f*cking life, you bitch," he gritted out. "Do you know who I am? My dad was going to hand the company over to me before you pointed your finger. Do you think I'm going to let you walk away while I lose everything?"

My mind was screaming, the loud sound of the blood rushing in my ears not allowing me to make any sense of his words.

His eyes looked bloodshot and overly bright, just like they had the last time. He was on something. Either that, or he was stone cold crazy.

Please, please be calling the police, Maggie. Oh God, Oh God, how is this possible?

And then it all happened in an instant. Something flashed in the man's hand and the room seemed to tilt on its axis as I saw that it was a gun. He brought it up and aimed it straight at me. I saw a brief flash of fire as Archer threw his body in front of mine, slamming back into me as we both went down, me falling on the floor just behind Archer.

And then I heard another gunshot and Travis's voice yelling, "I need assistance!" over the crackle of a radio.