The Right Thing (20 page)

“Thanks, but I’ve got a job in Vegas,” Morgan said, frowning. “I’m only here for a few months.”

So the man didn’t know, Tom thought. Morgan Reed had no clue yet that he wasn’t going to be able save Thea Carmichael long distance. The man’s life was about to change forever and he hadn’t figured it out.

Tom leaned back in his chair and smiled at Morgan Reed’s head bent over the paperwork. It should be fun to watch Morgan and Thea circle around and come to conclusions.

Maybe he’d start a betting pool over who would cave first.

*** *** ***

Though moderately lucrative, Wednesday night’s dinner didn’t quite net the same enthusiastic attendance as the first Friday night one had, but word got out again, and by the following Friday there was a line of people who were willing to wait twenty minutes or more to eat.

Halfway through the evening, Thea popped into the kitchen.

“Crowd is finally dying down a bit I think. How many more can we serve?”

“Around thirty,” Morgan told her.

“That should just about do it,” she said, heading back into the dining area.

Pete was scooping up burgers and fries, while Morgan plated pasta. Morgan was surprised when the normally silent man cleared his throat and actually spoke.

“So—do you think you can show me how to do the pasta?” Pete asked.

Morgan paused and nodded at the first direct question the man had ever asked him. “Yeah. It’s pretty simple. You just have to watch your timing so it doesn’t dry out.”

“I’d like to help next time,” Pete said.

Morgan nodded again. Looked like he would be training his replacement, Morgan thought, not as happy about the idea as he thought he might be.

Amy came in, biting her lip and looking like she was about to cry.

“What’s wrong?” Morgan demanded, concern making him forget what he was doing.

“Some drunk guy grabbed me and now Thea’s locked in battle with the jerk,” she said. “Most people who come in here are nice. The guy’s had one beer too many and thinks he’s God’s gift to women. Thea just deals with it better than I do. I wish I was as tough as she is.”

Morgan walked to the kitchen doors and looked out just in time to see a well-built young man put a hand on Thea’s rear as she set a beer in front of his tablemate. Two seconds later Morgan was striding out into the dining room, apron and all. He bent down to the man, trying to keep his voice as discreet as possible.

“Hands off, kid. The lady’s ass isn’t on the menu,” Morgan said quietly to the man, ignoring the hand Thea placed reassuringly on his arm. “Touch her again, and I’ll break your arm.”

“You and what army, old man,” the guy said, laughing. His tablemates laughed as well, but they were giving Morgan some considering looks. “Calm down. I wasn’t putting any real moves on her. I was just being friendly. Man, everyone in this town has a stick up their butt.”

Still laughing, he reached up and put a hand on Morgan’s arm. A couple of seconds later, Morgan twisted the man’s arm behind his back and put the side of the man’s face into his plate of spaghetti. The restaurant went silent as Morgan just held him there for a couple of heartbeats without saying a word.

Morgan leaned down to speak to the whole table. “I’m a federal agent, and if you drunks think you’re going to make a scene here tonight because you’re bored, think again. Now behave, or I’m calling the cops and pressing charges.”

“Sorry man,” he squeaked. “I—sorry.”

“Yeah, you are,” Morgan said, letting him go. “Keep your hands to yourself.”

Then Morgan looked at Thea, who was frozen in place staring at him in disbelief. “Put their food on my tab, Thea. And if they give you any more grief, let me know.”

He turned and walked back to the kitchen slowly, passing a now grinning Amy standing by the bar, and almost running over a smiling Pete just inside the doors.

“I stirred the sauce,” Pete said, his mouth twitching.

Morgan nodded.

“Yeah,” he said to Pete, going back to plating the food. “I think I just did, too. We’ll find out how mad she is about it later.”

“Hard to get mad at a hero,” Pete said with chuckle.

Morgan picked up a roll and sent it flying like missile toward a laughing Pete, who caught it and ate it while Morgan watched.

Thea came in a little later to get some teas. Morgan and Pete were both looking at her with restrained laughter in their eyes. It made her more uneasy than the drunks.

“You know that what you just did will be gossip fodder all over town tomorrow,” Thea said sharply, looking at Morgan, who only shrugged.

“Good. We need the publicity. Maybe we’ll hire drunks to come in for dinner more often. We can charge for the show,” Morgan told her. It was taking all his self-control not to smile.

Thea swore softly, but succinctly, before busting out through the doors which swung madly behind her.

“You know, Thea reminds me of John freaking Wayne every time she slaps those swinging doors,” Morgan said admiringly. “Hottest damn thing I ever saw a woman do. Turns me on every time.”

Pete’s rolling laughter echoing off the kitchen walls was the second time the restaurant had gone quiet that night. But the men laughing in the kitchen didn’t even notice.

Amy grinned at Thea, who was pulling beers and no doubt sighing over what the dinner patrons would be spreading around town about the restaurant tomorrow.

“Wonder what was so funny in the kitchen?” Amy asked.

“Who knows? They’re men,” Thea said lightly, not wanting to think too hard about why Morgan had intervened.

God knew, Thea had handled plenty of drunks all by herself in the last ten years. Not that it hadn’t been satisfying to see the kid look at Morgan with some genuine fear.

“I think I better plan on working the lunch rush tomorrow. I think people are going to be dropping back by just to see what’s up after tonight,” Amy said matter-of-factly, heading off into the crowd to serve the beers.

Thea stood for a moment thinking about how easy and effortlessly Amy planned her life around the ebb and flow of the restaurant. She was finally seeing what Morgan and Lydia had been talking about.

Amy cared more about the restaurant than Thea ever had or likely ever would.

Thea just didn’t know what to do with the knowledge.

Chapter 14

The next morning Mason was surprised to find his father sitting at the kitchen table at eight in the morning.

“You didn’t go see Delilah this morning?” he asked gently, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Gerald took a sip of his cooling mug. “Talking is over. She’s slipped into a coma. It won’t be long now.”

Morgan sighed and walked to the table to sit. Though he’d never done it before that he could recall, Morgan reached out and put a hand over his father’s on the table.

“Is there anything I can do to make this easier for you?”

Gerald looked at Morgan’s hand on his in amazement.

Comfort. The shock of it was great. The strength of his son’s firm hand over his was very welcome.

“I think you just did,” he said, lifting his cup to his mouth again, leaving his hand under Morgan’s.

“I’m sorry you’re hurting, Dad,” Morgan said, pulling his hand away at last. “Does Thea know?”

Gerald shook his head. “I’m not sure. It just happened last night. I called Lydia. We’re going to go see Delilah together. I’m not good at—well, I just know it’s not her anymore. To see her like that, it’s like she’s already gone. I don’t know how I will do.”

“I’ll go with you if you want,” Morgan said, knowing that he would find whatever he needed inside himself to bear it if necessary.

“Lydia will help me. You know where you need to be,” Gerald said, reaching out and pounding a gentle fist on Morgan’s hand resting on the table now. “Surely after last night Thea’s got to give in a little.”

“What do you mean?” Morgan asked, his mind still on his father and Lydia going to see Delilah.

Gerald snorted. “Amy called Lydia last night. Pete’s told six people already, two of whom have called me. Word travels fast around here, Morgan.”

“That’s amazing. You mean Pete actually talks to people other than me?” Morgan teased, listening to his father laugh. “The guy put his hand on Thea’s ass, Dad. I watched him do it.”

Gerald laughed loudly then, hearing the disgust and lingering fury in Morgan’s tone.

“You think a woman who bloodied your nose couldn’t deal with an unwelcome grope?” he asked his son.

Morgan sighed. “I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly at the time. He’d done something to Amy before that happened. Maybe I overreacted, but Thea wasn’t too mad afterward. She told me goodnight.”

“I admire your restraint in not seriously hurting the man,” Gerald said, grinning.

“He was just a stupid kid. I put his face in his plate and then paid for his damn dinner,” Morgan said.

Gerald laughed loudly again, this time wiping tears away. “Oh, God, that’s funny. I wish I could have been there.”

“I still have a couple of months. Come by on Fridays. That’s when the drunks show up,” Morgan said, sipping his coffee. “Evidently, they’re good for business around here.”

“Guess I need to get dressed. I’m proud of you, Morgan,” Gerald said, standing.

“For kicking a drunk’s ass?” Morgan said, grinning. “You might not be if you knew how much I enjoyed it.”

Gerald snorted. “No. I’m proud of you for helping Thea, for trying to right a wrong. Many men wouldn’t bother. I think you really are a good man, and I’m glad you’re here.”

Morgan couldn’t speak for the lump in his throat. He could only nod as his father walked away.

*** *** ***

Several weeks of pasta dinners went by, and Tom showed up at Thea’s office unexpectedly again demanding to see her.

“This is fairly amazing,” Tom said, sitting across from Thea in her office while she flipped through the report he’d brought to her. “You’ve doubled last month’s profits in less than three weeks.”

Thea plucked at her T-shirt. “
Doubled?
I knew we were making money, but not how much. I hadn’t stopped long enough to do the math.”

“Well, that’s why you pay me,” Tom said, laughing. “By the way, I’m getting married.”

Thea sighed and smiled. “Wonderful. Does Sylvia know?”

“Very funny, smartass. You know it’s to her,” Tom said affectionately. “I’ve officially given up on you and moved on. If you don’t make up with Reed now, you’re going to become a shriveled up old maid.”

Thea laughed, but there was no humor in it. “You two are not the only two men in Sedona. I don’t think Morgan Reed is my last chance at a bed partner.”

Tom studied her with narrowed eyes. “No. I’m sure you could have as many of those as you wanted. But I doubt you’re going to find in anyone else whatever it was in Reed that yanked you back to the land of the living with the rest of us.”

Thea leaned back and looked at the ceiling to avoid Tom’s demanding glare. “Let me guess—you like him.”

“I don’t know yet,” Tom said, half serious and half joking. “But I would hire him in a heartbeat if he moved here permanently. He’s not meant to be a cook. He’s got a CPA.”

“Great. So I’m the only person I know who doesn’t like Morgan Reed,” Thea said sarcastically.

“Well, you could look up the drunk customer who groped you a few weeks ago. Morgan’s probably not high on his list,” Tom told her.

Thea sighed heavily.

“Come on. Even you have to admit that was impressive,” Tom demanded.

“He was just showing off for Amy and Pete,” Thea complained.

“Like hell,” Tom said laughing. “Morgan laid public claim to your ass and had the ability to back it up. You picked an interesting man to follow Angus Carmichael, Thea.”

“What I had with Morgan Reed was brief and is now over,” Thea said, glaring at Tom, daring him to say more about it.

“You need him,” Tom said gently. “And I don’t mean just for the restaurant.”

“He’s controlling and deceitful,” Thea pronounced, her lingering anger at Morgan tightening her tone.

“He’s caring and willing to eat his pride to help you,” Tom replied, keeping his gaze level on Thea’s. “Don’t be so hard about this. What more do you want from the man? Seems like Morgan is doing all he can to make things right.”

“I don’t know why everyone in my life is trying to get me to forgive a man who searched my home and slept with me when he thought I was a criminal,” Thea demanded.

“Dust off your sense of humor, Thea. It will be a great story someday to tell your grandchildren,” Tom suggested, laughing when she growled and gritted her teeth. “I’m just saying.”

“Go away. You’re my accountant, not my therapist. I certainly don’t need relationship advice from you,” Thea said morosely, listening to Tom’s laughter.

“I’m your friend,” Tom told her, getting up to leave. “You need him, Thea. And he needs you, I think. Despite what he’s done, Morgan Reed seems like mostly a good man.”