A Vampire for Christmas(112)

Now wasn’t the time. She really needed to get downstairs and do damage control on the mess she’d left behind. Explaining the flour was one thing; the blood would definitely be harder.

Bracing herself for the inquisition, she paused at the bottom of the steps for a calming breath. Turning the corner, she stared in amazement. Everyone was calm—well, as calm as a diner kitchen ever was at the height of the breakfast hour.

Skillets sizzled; pots banged; and dishes rattled. Orders were shouted, and the cook was complaining that his assistant wasn’t keeping up and where the hell was the dishwasher? All normal. All the usual. “Good morning!”

Tennessee glowered at her. “Not now, Della. You know how I hate when you’re bright and chipper in the morning. Either pitch in or get out of the way. Daniel didn’t show up again.”

Okay, that was worrisome, but right now she didn’t have time to hunt the boy down. He was out of school for the next two weeks, which is why he was scheduled on a morning shift. Daniel always wanted more hours when he had a break from school.

I’ll fill in for him.”

She ignored Tenn’s glare and gave him a quick pat on the cheek as she passed by. He pretended to hate it, but she didn’t miss the way his lips twitched in a brief smile before he could hide it. The man had showed up six months before looking for a job. He had an interesting past; she was sure of it. Maybe even a questionable one, but hiring him had been the smartest thing she’d ever done.

As she tied on an apron, Tenn poured her cup of coffee and plated up a couple of eggs and toast for her. “Eat first. By the way, thanks for cleaning the grill, Della. I meant to do it yesterday, but ran out of time.”

She’d done no such thing, but she could guess who had—Eagan. When he’d found the time, she had no idea, but bless him for doing so.

It was nothing.”

Literally. She made quick work of her meal. The two of them worked side by side, falling into a familiar rhythm until the backlog of orders was under control.

During a brief lull, she called Daniel’s home number but got no answer. Maybe his mother had taken the kids to her sister’s house. She sometimes did that when school was out. A phone call would’ve been nice, but Daniel was getting more and more unpredictable.

She’d try again later but for now she had paperwork to do. Anything to pass the time to see if Eagan returned at nightfall. The pragmatic part of her was betting not. The man obviously had some serious trust issues. All things considered, perhaps he had good cause.

But this was the season of miracles, so she wouldn’t give up hope. Not yet.

When the last bill was paid, she looked around for something else to keep her mind occupied. Cookies. She’d never gotten back to making those chocolate-dipped ones she’d been working on last night. Tenn wouldn’t begrudge her a small corner of the kitchen, would he?

Yeah, he would. The man was nothing if not territorial. Too bad. She needed some way to pass the time until sunset, which was still too many hours away.

Tenn gave her a puzzled look when she started pulling out the ingredients for the cookies. He said nothing at all when she encroached on his normal area. Maybe he sensed something was bothering her, but it wasn’t like him to poke his nose into her business.

As she rolled out the dough, he cocked a hip against the counter and watched her. “I’m figuring it must be man trouble.”

She kept right on working, trying to decide if she’d heard him right. When she looked around to see where she left the cookie cutters, he calmly pointed six inches to the left of where she’d just set down the rolling pin. “Thanks.”

So, you want to talk about it?”

Talk about what?”

Oh, I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “Maybe whatever had you up cleaning the kitchen at all hours or whoever put that smile on your face this morning.”

Okay, now she was blushing. “Tenn, in the six months I’ve known you, you’ve never asked me one personal question. Why start now?”

Because I’ve never seen you screw up a recipe like you just did that batch of dough you’re working to death. That was cake flour you used, not all-purpose, and you added salt twice.”

Seriously? She tasted the dough. Rats, she had. No wonder it was acting strange.

You could’ve said something sooner, you big jerk.” She scraped it up and tossed it in the trash.

Tenn laughed. “I figured it was therapeutic. Now, what’s up?”