Rough Tumble (14 page)

Gretchen wiped her mouth clean. “I missed breakfast and had an early supper last night. I am starving.”

“Let me get you something to drink.”

“Thanks, honey. I’m going to put me some fries down too.”

Tonya headed out the front for the drink machines. Trent was at a table with Jacob. The red help wanted sign hung on the glass window, right next to the front door. She couldn’t help but smile.

Still just happy. He wanted to take her away for a weekend. Sweep her off her feet. My God, spoil her even. No one had ever done that for her before. Gretchen was right. It was sweet and she did have the extra money that she could pay someone. Or if anything, pay the good workers she had overtime. Someone was always in want of a few hours of overtime.

She walked back through the kitchen to find Lane and Flora carrying in pies. One in each hand and placing them down on the counter. Lane’s eyes were wide. “Another load still in the truck.”

She looked to Gretchen who was over the fryers. “You weren’t kidding about baking, were you?”

She shook the fryer tray. “I couldn’t sleep. With everything going on. It’s so exciting. Being married. You happy. Flora happy!”

Tonya squeezed her in a quick hug and checked tickets. Lane and Flora came back around the corner. “All the favorites are here!”

Gretchen pulled up her fries and gave them a shake. “Of course they are! Did you think I’d forget someone’s favorite?”

Tonya laughed. “I just saw Trent and Jacob in the front.”

“On my way.” Lane passed through the kitchen.

Gretchen eyed the pie as he left. “Those look better than I remember.” She grabbed a fork from a drawer, lifted the lemon and dug in.

Tonya laughed and raced for the drawer at the same time as Flora. “This is not fair. She’s getting a head start!”

Tonya managed a fork, got her hands on the chocolate and started in while Flora got the coconut cream. She glanced to the clock as they worked on their pie.

Samantha eased past them and put down Gretchen’s burger and fries. “Y’all are a little bit scary.”

Gretchen never looked up from her pie. “Oh my God. The burger. When it’s done can you give that to Lane, please?”

Samantha chuckled. “You bet.”

Samantha started off and Tonya caught her. “Tell Trent I need help with the lunch rush for about fifteen minutes.”

“Fifteen minutes?” Flora asked. “You think you’ll be done by then?”

Tonya kept scraping. “
Ya
heard me.”

“Um, hello?” Gretchen brought her pie closer to her mouth. “I’m not out of the running here.”

Tonya kept eating, talked with a mouthful. “You just crammed down three quarters of a burger. Flora had part of that burger. I’ve had nothing since seven. It’s finally mine.
All
miinnneeee
—”

“What are y’all doing?”

Tonya paused and lifted her gaze to Trent standing before them with his hands on his hips. “Eating and I’m winning. Can you cover for me?”

He looked at the grill. “You better win.”

“Oh, or what?” Flora taunted, but Tonya knew that voice. It wasn’t the playful one.

Trent just looked at her a moment, then returned to the tickets with a shake of his head.

Tonya scraped her fork through the chocolate filling and brought it to her mouth. Half the pie was gone and Flora was right there with her. Surprisingly, Gretchen wasn’t doing too badly with hers either.

On top of not eating since earlier, she’d been extra active since then. Another section gone and she twisted the plate around and started on the last quarter.

Flora shrieked and swallowed, stuffing in another bite. Gretchen brought her plate closer to her mouth and began shoveling it in, missing most of it at the same time.

Seconds ticked off faster than she’d like. The rush of lunch filled the air with tickets called out one after another. If the pie had been in slices, she’d be down to about two left.

Gretchen’s cheeks puffed out. “
Ohhh
.”

Tonya looked then met Flora’s gaze. Neither said anything. Neither stopped eating.

Trent was at her side. “You can do it baby. Get it down!”

“Cheater!” A male voice called from the other end of the kitchen. Jacob was marching his way through, the wait staff moving out of his way while he stepped in and observed then leaned closer to Flora. “You’ve almost got her honey.”

“Eat like you mean it!”

A tickle worked up Tonya’s throat and she couldn’t help it. The laughter started small then bubbled out. Flora looked at her, her cheeks blown out and tears in her eyes. Tonya pushed her plate against Trent’s chest. “Tag team!”

Flora nodded and passed hers off to Jacob and Gretchen didn’t wait a second before handing it off to Lane.

They sank to the floor in laughter at the guy’s feet.

Jacob’s lip was curled. “Oh babe. You know I don’t like coconut.”

Flora’s gaze was fast and fierce. “Eat it.”

He glanced to the pie and started pushing it in, but it was no use. Trent hadn’t batted an eye when she handed over the chocolate pie. He tipped the plate up, raked the last of it in his mouth and put the empty tin and fork on the counter. “Done!”

Chapter Fourteen

Trent reached for his wallet then cursed. “We need to get you on the pill.”

A brow lifted on Tonya’s face. “I’ve never been on the pill before. They might make me crazy.”

“Worth a try. Then we can stop with the condoms because I don’t have one with me.” Oh, damn. How nice would that be. No condoms. Ever again. He’d never gone without one before. Never had to not deal with one during the heat of the moment.

“You didn’t refill your wallet?”

He glanced up from the empty hole in his wallet to Tonya sitting up on the futon, completely naked. Oh, god. This was going to suck hard and hurt. She was just so sexy. And naked. Waiting for him. And naked. And he didn’t have a damn rubber. “We’ve been at home for the last six weeks. I wasn’t expecting you to drag me off to your office twice today.”

She walked across the room to him, cupped his cheeks and kissed him. “You’re just too irresistible sometimes.”

And so was she. Which was why when he walked in that morning for a late breakfast, he hadn’t thought twice when she pulled him down to whisper in his ear about wanting him naked and between her thighs. “You definitely need on the pill as fast as we’re going through condoms.”

She frowned. “How about you take a pill to kill off your little soldiers?”

He grinned. “If they made it, I would.”

“Unfortunate they don’t.”

He rubbed up and down her sweet curves. Skin warm. He touched between her thighs and his knees nearly buckled. He wasn’t a crier, but he was damn close to it right now. “The pill protects against pregnancy better than a condom.”

She nodded. “I know. Still doesn’t mean I want to jump on a hormone rollercoaster ride.”

“You could talk to a doctor before you completely rule it out.” And then they wouldn’t have this problem. He wouldn’t be thinking about having to calm down. Instead he could think about turning her around. Bending her over the desk and having her exactly how he wanted, when he wanted. A lump filled the back of his throat. “What’s one appointment to ask?”

“My yearly appointment is in another month. I guess I can ask and see what the doctor says. Until then, pack your wallet better.”

“Like hell. As soon as I leave, I’m going to buy a box and they’re going in your desk drawer.”

“Sounds like a good plan.” She slid her hands up his chest. “Now what should we do since you don’t have a condom?”

His brow lifted. He could think of a few things. Her on her knees. Him having a hell of a time sounded like a plan. Her lips parted and her phone buzzed on her desk. She moaned and reached for it. “I hope they didn’t get a big order.”

Fuck.

He was crossing his fingers they didn’t either. Not that eighty fish plates for a local company wasn’t good for business, but with her looking seconds from dropping to a knee? Last thing he wanted to do was go slice up fish and stand over hot fryers for the next sixty minutes.

“Huh.” She typed across her phone then sat it down. “Odd message from Gretchen asking if I would be sticking around the diner after lunch. She wanted to talk.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

Tonya rubbed her arms. “It’s not like her. She’s asked to talk before, but she’s always said what about.”

“Call her and see.”

She nodded and dialed, brought the phone to her ear and waited. After several seconds, she shook her head and lowered to the futon, hugged her arms to her chest. “Voicemail.”

“I’m sure it’s fine.” And well, shit. Yeah. Sex—of any kind—wasn’t happening.

“I hope so.”

He lifted his shirt from the floor and dropped it over her head since she looked cold. “Did anything seem different last you saw her?”

She shook her head, brows were pulled down. “None. She was fine. More than fine actually. Really happy.”

He wrapped her in a hug and pushed her to the bed, pulled her against him and kissed the corner of her mouth. He tucked the blanket around her and held her to him. “It’s probably nothing.”

She nodded, but was staring off to the side with her lip caught in her mouth. “Probably. I hope you’re right.”

Chapter Fifteen

Tonya glanced at her watch. “Oh man. I have to be at work in about an hour.”

Flora winced. “I’ll come in and help you.”

Tonya shook her head. “It’s fine. I’ll get things going and then go back home. They’ll be fine through the morning today without me. It’s usually slower tomorrow.” She laughed. “Well, today.”

Gretchen twisted around in the front seat. “I should have thought about you having to be at work, I—”

“Don’t.” Tonya put her hand up. “Don’t even start that. I am thrilled you took us with you to your
O.B
. today to get your positive pregnancy test.”

Gretchen’s grin reached from one side of her face to the other. “I can hardly believe it.”

Neither could she. Holy crap, her best friend was pregnant. She was going to be an aunt! “I’m so excited for you.”

Flora was shaking her head. “I’m still shocked you’re pregnant. And that y’all were trying.”

Gretchen winced. “I know. It sounds horrible. Who starts trying to get knocked up before their wedding date? I’m getting close to thirty. What if we had problems conceiving? And we both want at least two. Maybe more. Seemed like a good idea to start sooner than later.”

“You’re going to be such a good mom.” Tonya smiled at her and felt the tears forming. All the worrying she’d done through lunch and Gretchen wanted to talk because she might be pregnant and wanted them to come with her to the doctor’s appointment.

“Thanks.” Gretchen wiped her eyes.

Flora was beaming too. “And I get to be an aunt!”

Gretchen rubbed her completely flat stomach. “And you’ll be next.”

“Oh no.” Flora laughed. “Hell no. The one in the backseat is next.”

Tonya chuckled, but didn’t disagree. She wanted to be next. It was easy to be next since Flora had no intentions of ever having children. Tonya didn’t want to start as fast as Gretchen did, but one day, yeah she did want them. “Someday I hope so.”

Flora eyed her through the rearview mirror. Just enough light shown off the radio and dash that she could see her face. “A long day away, I expect.”

“Of course. Trent was actually just asking me about the pill the other day since they’re more baby proof than condoms.”

Flora nodded. “They are. My pills are not going anywhere without me. Unless I get one of those fifteen year inserts. Or they tie me up completely.”

“No one is tying you up anytime soon.”

She groaned. “I know. I wish they would.”

“You don’t like the pills?”

“No, I like them fine. Just if I was tied off, I wouldn’t have to worry about getting myself in a fix like that Gretchen girl. Knocked up and all.”

Gretchen shoved her arm. “Oh, right. I’m the bad one being married and pregnant, Ms. Shacked Up.”

“
Pfft
, please. You shacked up for a year.”

Tonya tapped on her legs. “If you don’t want to worry about it, why not do the shot?”

She shrugged. “I don’t like needles. Besides I hear freaky things about the shot because it’s such a big dose at once.”

“And the patch?”

“I am not walking around with a big bandage on me.”

Gretchen’s nose was drawn in. “Ditto. I wouldn’t want that either.”

Flora was looking at her in the mirror again. “Which one are you thinking of?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it until Trent mentioned it. He asked me to talk to my doctor and I said I would.”

“They’re not right for everyone, so if you don’t want to, don’t. You’ll probably just mess up taking them if you’re not wanting to and then you will end up like Gretchen.”