She glanced up and grinned. “I know. It’s pretty amazing when things go without a hitch.”
“What are you talking about? There were plenty of hitches tonight. There was that one woman who was dissatisfied with every meal the waitress brought her. I’d have dumped the last one on her head. I don’t know what you said to her, though, but she actually walked out of here smiling.”
“Oh, that’s Mrs. Timmons. She’s a widow living on a small pension. She really can’t afford to eat out much. It’s been a big adjustment for her. I don’t know if you noticed, but she ate a few bites of each of the two meals we took to her before she complained. Then I went over and offered to comp her dinner, since she wasn’t happy with it, and gave her a free dessert, as well. We both know what’s going on, but she salvages her pride and has a night out.”
Will regarded her with amazement. “Wouldn’t it just be cheaper to give her a gift certificate for a free meal, so she’s not running through two or three and sending them back?”
“That would be charity,” Jess said. “She’d never accept it. She needs to believe this is something we do to make things right because we’ve screwed up.” She shrugged. “It’s no big deal. I feel bad for her, especially since her husband died. Before that, he was always very generous with his tips, so in a way this is payback for his kindness to my staff. And I know how much she looks forward to coming here. The waitstaff knows what she’s up to, and they try to be kind to her.”
Will shook his head. “I hope word doesn’t get out about this little scam of hers. Everybody will be trying it.”
“I think all of us with restaurants in town understand her circumstances. We’ve all found ways to handle it so she’s not embarrassed.”
Will was about to say something more about her kindness when he glanced toward the front door and saw Mick and Megan entering. “Uh-oh,” he murmured, nodding in their direction.
Jess groaned. “Run,” she encouraged him. “There’s still time for a clean getaway.”
“And leave you here, defenseless? Not a chance.” He stood up straight and held out his hand as Mick approached. “Good evening, sir. How are you? Megan?” He kissed her cheek.
Megan chuckled. “What a surprise to find you here,” she said, her expression innocent.
“I’m sure,” Jess said wryly. “The real surprise is having the two of you drop in at this hour on a Saturday night. I thought newlyweds would have better things to do.”
“We’re just out for a stroll,” Mick claimed. “Thought maybe we could join you for a glass of wine.”
“Why don’t I give you a bottle to take home?” Jess suggested, her expression hopeful.
Mick frowned, clearly unamused. “Will, how about it? Can you stick around and join us?”
“I was planning to,” Will responded. “Jess, why don’t I get the wine? We can meet in the lounge. Last time I checked, it was empty.”
Mick studied him intently. “You seem to be making yourself right at home. You here a lot?”
“I have been recently,” Will said. “I’ll just go and get that wine. Excuse me.”
Mick followed right along behind him. “You’ll need help with the glasses, I’m sure.”
Will knew he’d be wasting his breath to argue. “Sure. An extra pair of hands is always helpful.” At the wine cooler he asked, “Do you all prefer red or white?”
“White’s good,” Mick said. “So, Megan and I were at Brady’s last night when you and Jess were there.”
“Is that so?” Will said, as if it were news to him.
“Seemed like the two of you were on a date.”
“Not exactly.”
Mick frowned. “What does that mean—not exactly? You don’t know if it was a date? Seems to me a thing like that is usually pretty clear.”
“Jess dropped by my office earlier in the evening. We were talking and decided to have dinner. Does that qualify as a date?”
“It does in my book,” Mick said. “What exactly are your intentions toward my daughter?”
Will laughed. “Didn’t take you long to get to the point. I thought for sure you’d try to trick me into telling you what you want to know.”
Mick waved off the comment. “Megan’s the one who’s all about finesse and subtlety. I figure if I want to know something, the best way to find out is to ask. So, what’s going on between you and my daughter?”
Will knew Mick’s tactics well enough not to be offended by the direct approach. “With all due respect, I think that’s between Jess and me,” he said quietly. “However, I will say that I’ve been in love with your daughter for most of my life. I want a future with her. This is all a little new for Jess, though, so there’s no telling how it will turn out. I’d appreciate it if you’d let the two of us figure it out for ourselves.”
Mick looked momentarily taken aback by Will’s bluntness, but then he grinned. “You’ll be good for her, son. I just hope she doesn’t twist you up in knots along the way. Jess can be unpredictable.”
“It’s one of her greatest charms,” Will said.
“Now I know you’re a man in love,” Mick said, chuckling. “You need any help moving things along, you let me know. She’ll listen to me.”
Will gave him a bland look. “Really, sir?”
Again, Mick looked startled, but then he laughed. “Seems as if you have the whole family pegged.”
“I’ve had years to watch you all in action,” Will said. “And in case I haven’t mentioned it enough, I’m grateful for that. You’ve always made me feel welcome.”
“Well, you can expect that to continue, just as long as you don’t hurt my girl.”
“There’s not a chance of that, sir, at least not intentionally.”
“Sometimes it’s the things we didn’t mean to do that can hurt the most,” Mick reminded him. “Take that from a man who made a lot of mistakes over
