âHey, Mom!â The dinerâs back door slammed shut with an icy gust of wind. Heavy boots tromped across the clean kitchen floor. âI took the garbage out. The bathrooms are spotless. I even cleaned the milkshake machine.â
Paige McKaslin turned from the prep table to take one look at her seventeen-year-old son who was giving her âThe Eye,â as she called it, the one meant to charm her. Heâd been using it effectively since he was fifteen months old. Alex was tall, blond and athletic and rangy. One day he would fill out those wide shoulders of his, but in the meantime he was eating as though he had two hollow legs. âYou just had supper. Do you need two chocolate doughnuts?â
âYou donât wanna stunt my growth, Ma!â He pretended to be shocked but those baby blues of his were twinkling. âCan I go? The movie starts at eight and Beth doesnât like to miss the previews.â
One thing a mother didnât want her teenage boy to haveâaside from the keys to her carâwas a girlfriend. Especially a girl who did not belong to their church or any church in the county. âYou behave, and remember what I told you.â
âYeah, I know, Iâll be a gentleman. As if!â He rolled his eyes, his grin widening because heâd achieved victory. âIâm outta here.â
âDrive safely. Itâs icy out there.â
âYeah, yeah. I know. I passed my driverâs test, remember?â
As if she could forget. Letting go was hard but necessary. She bit her lip. Alex was a good driver even if he was young and inexperienced. âDonât forget to call me at the diner the second you get homeâbefore your curfew.â
âMom, I know the drill. See ya!â He pounded out of sight, whistling. The back door slammed shut and he was gone.
Off to any kind of danger.
Paige bussed the eight plates from the Corey familyâs party.
Sheâd thought nothing could be more worrying than having a toddler. Alex had been such an active little tyke, and fast. Sheâd been a wreck trying to stay one step ahead of him, worrying what he would try to choke on next. Or electrocute himself with next. Or fall off of and break open his skull next. How sheâd worried!
Little had she imagined all those years ago that her sweet little boy was going to turn into a teenager and do something even more dangerous than try to stick pennies in electrical sockets. He would drive. She dealt with that the way she always dealt with anxietyâshe just tried hard not to think about it.
âI had that same look of sheer panic,â Evan Thornton commented as she shot down the aisle. âIt was right after each of my boys got their licenses. I donât think Iâve calmed down yet, and theyâre both in college now.â
âNo, of course youâre not calm because they are probably out there driving around somewhere.â
Evan chuckled, and the fine laugh lines at the corners of his eyes crinkled handsomely. âExactly. Itâs hard not to be overprotective. You get sort of fond of âem.â
She heard what he didnât say. There was no stronger love than a parentâs love. âLord knows why.â She balanced the plate-filled dishpan on her hip. âWould you like a refill on your fries?â
âIf itâs not too much trouble.â
âAre you kidding? Iâll be right back. Looks like you need more cola, too.â She flashed him a smile on her way by.
Evan had been frequenting the diner most evenings. Bless her regular customers who gave this tough job its saving grace. She did like making a difference, even if it was only cooking or serving a meal that they werenât in the mood to fix for themselves.
On the way down the aisle, she stopped to leave the bill with a couple who looked as if they had wandered in off the interstate. They still had that road-weary look to them. âIs there anything else I can get you?â
âOh, no thanks.â The woman, who was about Paigeâs age, tried to manage a weak smile, but failed. Sadness lingered in her dark eyes. âI suppose we ought to be heading on.â