“Force of habit,” Katie said. “He seems to think he can buy whatever he wants in life.”
“Meaning?” Peg asked, studying her with a speculative expression.
Katie sighed heavily. That was one question she had no intention of answering. A totally honest reply would only upset her aunt. “Nothing. Don’t mind me. I just resent what he did.”
“He couldn’t have done it without my cooperation,” Peg pointed out. “I sincerely regret that I gave it to him. I really am sorry, sweetheart. I’ll speak with Ginger.”
Suddenly the last of the fight drained out of Katie. “You can’t fire her. She needs the money.”
“But you’re right,” Peg argued. “I shouldn’t have made a decision like this without talking it over with you. Luke and I just thought it was for the best.” She brightened slightly. “Maybe both of you could stay on, take fewer hours. It’s summer, anyway. We’re always busier this time of year. Then in the fall, when Ginger’s back in school, we’ll reevaluate.”
Katie realized then that it was awfully silent in the kitchen. Usually by this time in the morning Sonny was slamming pots and pans around and singing at the top of his lungs. She had a hunch, though, that today he and Ginger were both hanging on every word she and Peg were speaking.
“I suppose we could try it,” she agreed, loudly enough to be overheard by anyone who just happened to be listening. “As long as we’re not bumping into each other in the aisles, it should be okay.”
Without waiting to be beckoned, Ginger rushed through the swinging door, a relieved smile spreading across her face. She threw her arms around Katie. “Thank you. I never meant to upset you. I guess I figured I’d be helping Peg out of a jam and earning some college money at the same time.”
Katie hugged her back. “None of this was your doing. It just seems my family has a tendency to make decisions for me.” She glanced pointedly at Peg. “At least my aunt knows now that this is a very bad idea.”
Peg grinned at her and nodded. “You’ve made yourself perfectly clear to me. I’m not so sure I want to be around, though, when Luke finds out.”
Her concern was well-founded. Apparently the minute Luke figured out that Katie was nowhere in the boarding house, he yanked Robby out of bed and came storming over to the diner. His clothes rumpled, his hair uncombed, Robby appeared slightly dazed by the rude awakening. Katie winked at him as he passed by, but ignored her husband.
Luke took one look at Katie serving a table of tourists and turned a furious gaze on Peg.
Peg apparently wasn’t one bit daunted by his scowling demeanor. She shrugged. “Take it up with your wife.”
“Oh, I intend to,” he said, heading straight for a booth. He nudged Robby in ahead of him, then kept his gaze fastened on Katie with a blazing look that could have set half the town afire if the sparks had gone astray.
Katie decided this was not a discussion she cared to have in the middle of the diner with the entire town of Clover certain to hear the details before lunchtime. The decibel level was likely to reach a peak that could shatter glass. Still seething with resentment, she sent Ginger over to wait on him.
Ginger was back behind the counter in a heartbeat. “He wants you,” she said in a hushed tone.
“Well, he can’t have me. That’s not my station.”
“Actually it is,” Ginger pointed out.
Katie frowned at her. “Our agreement can be canceled just like that,” she said with a snap of her fingers. At Ginger’s terrified expression she relented. “Oh, never mind. I’ll go. Give me the coffeepot.”
“I’ve already poured the coffee,” Ginger said in a way that suggested Katie might not be trusted to pour it into a cup.
Katie plucked her order pad out of her pocket and marched over to Luke’s booth. She saved her friendly grin for Robby.
“Just get up?” she asked him.
“Daddy was in a hurry. He didn’t even make me brush my teeth,” he said with obvious amazement over his good luck.
“I wonder why,” Katie said sweetly, still not glancing at her husband. “So, what are you having?”
“A conversation with my wife,” Luke said in a low, lethal tone.
“Sorry, not on the menu. The special this morning is a Western omelette.”
“Fine, whatever,” Luke snapped.
“I want pancakes,” Robby said, oblivious to the undercurrents. “It’s really neat coming here for breakfast. I can have pancakes anytime I want. Daddy burns them.”
“I do not burn them,” Luke said testily.
“You should see what he does to eggs,” Robby added, not the least bit intimidated by his father’s foul mood.
“Well, fortunately, Sonny is a whiz with pancakes and eggs,” Katie said. “I like coming here for breakfast, too.”
“I can’t imagine when you find the time to eat it,” Luke said.
“Do I look as if I’m starving?” Katie retorted.
The question was a mistake. She knew it the moment the words were out of her mouth. Luke slowly, deliberately surveyed her from head to toe with a provocative consideration that had her skin practically sizzling. Dear heaven! She barely resisted the urge to fan herself with a menu. “Nope, you do have a few curves,” he observed generously. “More than I recalled, in fact.”
“Thanks so much.”
“Good color in your cheeks, too,” he commented, grinning.
“Oh, go to—” She stopped herself in the nick of time, plastered a phony smile on her face and stalked off to place the order.
Unfortunately Sonny was one of the best short order cooks in the business. He had Luke and Robby’s food ready before Katie could gather the composure necessary to fool all of the interested observers into thinking that she and Luke were not having their first marital tiff.
“I hope you’re enjoying yourself,” Luke said, when she thumped the plates onto the table.
She eyed him warily. “Are you trying to make
