Sweetest Goodbye (Navy Book 3)

Chapter 27

"I'm sorry Irma, I cannot stay late tonight. You know Lily's concert is this evening and I promised I would be there. I have to leave at exactly three o'clock, if not earlier since I also promised to run a few last-minute errands with her and her friends, and I'm helping with hair and make-up."

"Well, I'm calling seniority, so you have to stay." Irma crossed her arms.

"Then I'll be forced to quit, and not only will you have to finish the shift you'll also have to take tomorrow's breakfast shift as well." Kate looked over at Chuck and winked. She had learned in the last six months that the best way to handle Irma was to threaten her with something worse than what she was prophesizing would happen if she didn't get her own way.

Chuck grinned and winked back as he rang the bell for a pick-up.

"I'm right here Chuck!" Kate laughed, as she grabbed a tray and started to load all of the food onto it.

"You know I gotta ring the bell. It's bad luck if I don't." He was still grinning. It was an unusually pleased grin and she had to do a double take to see if there was something that she was missing.

When he turned his back to her and started whistling, she shrugged. The man was still an enigma she thought as she heard the grill sizzle when he threw a couple of hamburger patties onto it. Picking up her tray she moved to the table by the door and served the food as quickly as she could. The sooner she got it served the quicker the customers would leave and then she might get off on time.

The diner was packed for lunch, in part because it was Saturday but also because it was cold. Everybody wanted to get out of their homes but they didn't want to be outside, and it felt as if the entire town had descended on them. Having delivered the food she wove her way through the full tables in the center of the restaurant and returned the tray to where it belonged behind the counter.

"What's he doing back here?" Irma asked snidely, then added as an afterthought. "It looks like you have another table. I guess you won't be getting out of here on time."

Kate froze. Her heart stopped. She was afraid to turn around. She looked at Chuck and he winked at her again as he rang his bell. There was only one person that Irma held such censure for, at least only one person who wasn't already in town, someone who could have possibly returned.

Taking a deep, if somewhat shaky breath, Kate slowly turned to look at the back corner and when she saw a familiar figure sitting in the booth with Lily and Henry her legs almost gave way. It was Lee. He was wearing his baggy hoody and blue jeans, his baseball cap pulled low, and a shadow of a beard on his jaw. He looked just as he had the first time she had seen him.

He laughed at something Lily said and then he looked over at her and everything in Kate's world stopped.

He was back, he came back.

Oblivious to everything and everyone she moved around the counter slowly, walking towards his table. She was afraid to move to quickly for fear that he was a mirage and would disappear.

She paused half way across the restaurant as he stood and turned towards her. With a smile and a little cry, she launched herself into his arms and he caught her pulling her close. She felt his warmth, touched his face. "You're real."

"I am." And to prove it he gathered her to him in breathtaking kiss.

"I have tables to wait, I can't leave." She looked around her at the customers who had all gone silent and were watching them, eager for some good local gossip.

"Tilly's here," Henry said, "she's going to finish your shift." He sounded almost giddy.

"Tilly?" She looked over to where Tilly was standing next to Irma. Tilly rolled her eyes at Irma's sour expression then gave Kate a little wave. She seemed much braver than she had six months earlier.