Cowboy Ever After

Chapter 5

When Gretchen stepped through the swinging door that separated the kitchen from the front of the restaurant, her breath caught when she saw Matt walking out the front door. His departure caused an irrational sadness to well up inside her.

Geez, she must have gotten up on the hormonal side of the bed this morning. She snorted at that thought and went to clean off his table. As she grabbed the coffee cup, she noticed the folded cash under the edge of the napkin dispenser. But when she pulled it out, she stared as if she weren't seeing things properly. She blinked, but the money was still there, three twenty-dollar bills. It had to be a mistake. Despite the fact that she could use that money, she knew it wouldn't be right to keep it.

She caught Daisy's attention. "I'll be back in a minute."

When she reached the sidewalk, she looked in both directions and caught sight of Matt about to get into a large, black truck.

"Wait!" She hurried toward him when he looked back. "You left too much money on the table."

"No, I didn't."

"You left sixty dollars."

He smiled. "I'm aware."

She looked down at the money in her hand before meeting his gaze again. "Your bill was less than ten."

"The rest is your tip."

"You seriously just tipped me six hundred percent?"

He leaned an arm against the top of the truck's door. "You're a good waitress."

She started to object again, but he held up a hand to stop her.

"I tell you what. Why don't I come back when you get off work, and you can be my tour guide around Blue Falls?"

She gestured up and down Main Street. "You're pretty much looking at it. You've got the lake, the Main Street businesses, a few things off on the side streets."

"All of which you can tell me about."

"You're serious?"

"Yep."

She considered he was some sort of crazy stalker, a serial killer, something that would prove her poor taste in men was a trend, but none of those things fit Matt Evans. He was a flirt, yes. An outrageous tipper. But she didn't think he was a danger to her if she accompanied him on a walk around town.

"Okay."

His smile widened. "Great. What time do you get off?"

"Um, two."

"Then I'll see you then, pretty Gretchen." With a wink that caused her cheeks to flush all over again, he slipped into his truck.

As she watched Matt drive away, she expected to wake up because this day had to be a dream.

Only she didn't wake up. Hoping she wasn't jinxing herself, she smiled.