Beautiful Sacrifice (The Maddox Brothers, #3)(20)

“Nice ring,” I said to Hilary.

She patted Dusty on the arm. “He did good, didn’t he?”

Dusty smiled. “I sure did, baby.” He looked at me. “She doesn’t know that she’s way out of my league, so I had to put a ring on it, right?”

I grinned. “Right.”

Two bacon cheeseburgers and two kale salads later, I was dropping off a new table’s order sheet at the window and picking up an appetizer to table one for Hannah.

“Thank you!” Hannah called as I served her table.

I liked Hannah, but I barely knew her. She was still in high school, so she was worlds away from where I was in life. She had every opportunity still in front of her. I was running away from anything that remotely resembled a future—at least a set one.

“Just seated table three for you,” Kirby said as she grabbed more menus from behind the bar.

I looked up, and I had to harness the smug smile trying to erupt across my face. “Thank God,” I whispered.

“So, you had a good time with him then?” Phaedra asked, dropping off clean menus.

“He’s from Eakins, Illinois.”

Phaedra blinked. “What did you say?”

“Taylor. He’s from Eakins.”

Phaedra paled. “Did you tell him?”

My nose wrinkled. “Of course not.”

“Tell him what?” Kirby asked.

“It’s personal,” Phaedra snapped. “She’ll tell you if she wants to, but don’t bug her about it.”

“All right,” Kirby said, her eyes bulging for half a second, as she raised her hands, palms out.

“It’s nothing,” I said.

Kirby looked at table three and then back at me. “They specifically asked for you.”

“Good,” I said, letting them get settled before heading over.

“Falyn!” Brent called.

I stopped at their table. “Sorry. I’ll be right back to top off your drinks.”

“What happened with Dartmouth?” he asked. “Your mom told mine you were kicked out. Is that true?”

“Stop it, Brent.” Hilary frowned.

My words were stuck in my throat. It had been a long time since someone asked about my past. “No. I left.”

“Why?” Brent asked.

I swallowed.

“Leave her alone,” John said, turning around in his chair. His cheeks instantly flushed.

Brent made a face. “Hey, Coach Delaney. Funny seeing you here.”

John glanced at me and then returned his attention to his wife, who was unaware, still fussing over the babies.

Phaedra cupped my shoulders, smiling at Brent. “I’ll just get your check, if you’re in a hurry to leave.”

“No, thank you,” Brent said, stumbling over his words. “We’ll just, um … I’m sorry. I was rude. If it’s okay, we’d like to stay.”

Brent’s girlfriend and Hilary were clearly angry with his behavior.

“Good idea,” Phaedra said before walking away.

I bit my lip, feeling a bit nauseous, and I retreated to the drink station.

Dalton, Zeke, and Taylor were reading over their menus, once again covered in soot and sweat, each hooking his hard hat over his knee.

“So, my mom wants to start the trip at Yellowstone,” Hannah said, putting miniature lids on tiny cups for Delaney children. “We’ve been there at least a dozen times, but she wants to start there, so that’s that. I want to go down the whole West Coast and see what LA is like.”

“Have you ever been?” I asked, distracted by the dirty men near the window. I would have to win them all over, not just Taylor.

Hannah shook her head, waiting for me to answer my own question.

“Yes,” I said, remembering my own trip to LA, “with Blaire.”

“See? You can travel with her.”

“It was for a medical conference. I spent all day in the hotel room. I think she only brought me to help her with her bags while she shopped.”

“Oh. That sounds kind of … awful. But at least, if you got sick, she could take care of you. She’s a doctor, right?”

“A cardiothoracic surgeon. She’s rated as one of the top five in the country.”

“Wow. That’s pretty amazing!”

“She is an amazing surgeon.”

“Well, that’s something.”

I grimaced. Blaire did not like dust or people who were overly chatty or overly happy, and she hated to be looked in the eye, as if anyone without a PhD was her equal. That was why she was a surgeon. If she were the best—and she was—her bedside manner wouldn’t matter as long as she fixed what was broken.

The one thing she couldn’t fix was the one person she’d broken.

“Falyn? Table five is asking for their check,” Kirby said.

“Oh!” I tapped on the touch screen, and a receipt began to print. I ripped it off and stuck it in the black leather bill presenter before bringing it to a family of four.

“Thank you so much,” I said, smiling. “Have a great day.”

I checked on my other tables, filled a few glasses, and then approached table three.

“Hi, boys. Are you having the same today or something different?”