Close To Danger (Westen #4)(47)

A moment later the middle-aged, rather sassy owner of the local hang-out stood at the plate glass window. He waved and she shook her head at him.

“Daniel, you get that little girl inside out of this cold.”

“My date is a little nervous about all the people.”

“Ah, I see. How about you bring her around back. Kyle and his friends shoveled most of the lot earlier, so you won’t have much trouble getting back there. I’ll set up the table in the staff room.” The café had an extra room off the back where Lorna’s employees could sit and have their meals in peace when on their lunch breaks. She said eating in the café while working was like giving birth while on duty.

“Good idea. We’ll be there in just a few minutes.”

When he pulled the truck around back, Lorna was standing at the door waiting for them. He hurried around the truck, scooped Lexie, her bear, and all the quilts up and carried them inside, only sliding on the slick spots once.

“Hello, Miss Lexie,” Lorna said with a smile.

“Hi, Miss Lorna,” the little girl said, her returning smile a little hesitant.

“We have a special table for you and Deputy Daniel,” Lorna said, leading them through the stockroom, past the huge industrial refrigerator into a room painted cheery yellow that looked out into the kitchen area which was popping with food sizzling on the grill, Pete dishing up food and the waitresses picking up trays of food for the customers. “You can sit back here and watch everyone while you eat.”

“That’s really special,” Daniel said, placing the bundle of little girl, blankets and bear down in one of the chairs. “People pay lots of money in fancy restaurants to watch the cook make their food.”

“That’s silly,” Lexie said, wiggling back in her chair so she could see into the kitchen. “My Nana used to let me watch her cook all the time. I didn’t have to pay.”

“You’re right it is pretty silly. But it’s still fun to watch Pete cook.”

The lean man with his long grey hair tied back in a red bandana turned at that moment and grinned at Lexie, holding up his flat spatula. “Got your grilled cheese cooking right now.”

Lexie giggled and hugged her bear, her hand still covered by the pink socks.

“How about we get those thumb-less gloves off so they don’t get dirty while you eat.” Daniel reached across the table and tugged first one then the other off, folding them up and setting them on the side of the table.

“Got you some milk, Miss Lexie,” Lorna said, glancing at the socks on the table and then at Daniel, who shook his head as if to say don’t ask. She nodded, then set the glass of milk next to Lexie’s plate and a mug of hot coffee by Daniel. Then she turned back to Lexie, one hand on her hip. “I hear tell you’ve never had tomato soup. Is that right?”

Lexie’s eyes were as big as saucers once more, as if she thought she was in trouble for not having experienced tomato soup. She nodded and clutched her bear tighter. Daniel’s heart ached that she should be so afraid of something so innocent.

Lorna smiled at the little girl. “Well, you’re in luck, because Pete’s heating up some of the tomato soup he and I made last fall. It’s my own special recipe.”

A moment later she returned with a tray containing two plates with grilled cheese sandwiches and two bowls of tomato basil soup. Daniel had to admit it looked delicious to him.

“Now before you dig in, how about we get you out of some of those blankets,” Lorna said, moving the covers back, revealing the frail body beneath. She quickly glanced at Daniel, the anger and sorrow he felt at the near skin and bones condition of the little girl beneath the paper thin, dirty clothes mirrored in Lorna’s eyes. She picked up the napkin and tucked it in the collar of Lexie’s pale pink shirt. “There, now you’re ready to try the soup and we won’t have to worry about any dribbles.”

“And Daniel’s going to show you how he eats his grilled cheese and soup, aren’t you Deputy Daniel?” Lorna said with such a pointedness in her voice, he quickly got the idea his face showed all the anger inside him and might be frightening his dinner guest.

Quickly he picked up his spoon and smiled at Lexie. “Sure thing. First thing you have to do is scoop some up, then you blow on it to be sure it’s not too hot.”

Lexie giggled. “I know that.”

“Did you know,” he said, leaning a little closer, “that blowing on it lets you smell how good it’s going to taste? The trick is to smell it just after you blow.”

She raised her brows a little skeptically, but spooned up some soup and leaned in to blow on it. Her nose wrinkled and he knew she was trying to smell. She blew and wrinkled her nose again.

“Well?”

She gave him a gap-toothed grin. “It smells good.” She popped the spoon into her mouth then smiled again. “It is good.”

“Of course it is,” Rachel said, coming to stop by the door, a tray of food in her hands. “It’s my mom’s secret recipe. You know how I used to eat it?”

Lexie shook her head around the spoon in her mouth.

“I used to dunk my grilled cheese in it. Now that’s yummy.” She winked, then headed out to serve her customers.

Lexie put down her spoon and picked up a piece of her grilled cheese. Pete had cut them into four triangles. She dipped the corner of one into the soup then ate it, her eyes lighting up with delight as she munched on the food.