hated being single. Maybe her plan to take a break from dating had been made too hastily. She let out a heavy sigh.
Nick gave her a measured look. “You’re already wishing you had another guy in the wings, aren’t you? Just do me a favor. The next time you date someone, hold on to your heart until you’re sure he’s worthy enough to give it to.”
“And just how do I do that?”
He stroked his strong chin pensively. “It might help if you try going out with a different kind of guy than your usual type. Someone who isn’t a bum.”
He was right, most of the males Dani dated were pretty much jerks. As she sipped her wine, she thought about why she made such poor choices. There was nothing more attractive than a good-looking man with a spark of wild in his eyes and a devil-may-care attitude. She’d certainly fallen for enough of them.
And where had that gotten her? Every new relationship started out filled with promise, making her ever hopeful that this time, this boyfriend would love her and treat her right. And although she tried everything to make him happy, from wearing clothes he liked to embracing the activities he enjoyed—even when she didn’t—sooner or later things always soured.
Nick just might have a point. She sat up straight. “You’re right—I should try dating someone I wouldn’t normally choose. Drumroll please. When I do decide to date again, I’ll pick a man I wouldn’t usually look twice at.”
Nick frowned. “Define a man you ‘wouldn’t normally choose.’”
“Well, someone hard-working, with both feet on the ground. And he has to have a good job.” That way, he wouldn’t ask to borrow money from her, as Jeter had. “If he’s impatient about getting physical and refuses to move slowly, he’s out.”
“Having a regular job doesn’t make a man a decent human being,” Nick said. “At first, guys tend to put their best foot forward. How can you tell the square shooters from the jerks until you get to know them?”
“Hmm.” Propping her chin on her fist, Dani pondered the question. “Well, I’ll do what you said, and hold my heart in check for a while. And maybe, instead of waiting for the man to ask me out, I’ll do the asking. I’ll start by observing him for a while when he isn’t looking, and I’ll pay attention to how he treats other people. That’ll give me a glimmer of an idea of his character.”
Nick gave an approving nod. “That’s not a bad plan. It’s definitely worth a try.”
Dani smiled. “So glad you approve, Mr. Kelly.”
* * *
AFTER THREE HELPINGS of mac and cheese, Nick’s belly was satisfied. He and Dani lingered at the table, both of them relaxed. He was also too beat to move. Fixing up the ranch and making it profitable was an all-consuming job, filled with unexpected obstacles and on-going challenges. Not that he minded. He loved his land. But with another full day starting at oh-dark-thirty tomorrow, he was ready to head home and fall into a dreamless sleep. Dani appeared to be just as tired.
“Are you sure you want to watch a movie tonight?” he asked after she yawned for the second time. “You have to get up even earlier than I do, and with Big Mama riding your case....”
“Don’t remind me.” Dani grimaced. “Ever since the Poplar Tree restaurant opened and the Prosperity Daily News ran that story about them, business at the café has been slipping. How many times have I told Big Mama that we need to step things up and make some changes in order to compete? Does she listen? Heck, no.”
Everyone who knew Trudy Alexander called her Big Mama. The nickname suited the five-foot-eleven, two-hundred-plus-pound female. Although she towered an intimidating five inches over Dani, Dani gave her as good as she got. They were both strong-willed women, and they often butted heads. And yet, their love for each other was obvious.
At the tender age of four Dani had lost her mother to cancer. Two years later she’d also lost her father, when a tree limb had crashed through the windshield of his car, killing him instantly. The freak accident had left Dani and her two older brothers orphans. The boys had been taken in by an uncle in Iowa. He hadn’t wanted a girl, and Dani had gone into Prosperity’s foster care system. Luckily for her, she’d been placed with Big Mama. A couple years later, the older woman had legally adopted Dani, with Dani keeping her original last name.
“I know our customers,” Dani went on. “I should—I’m there six days a week, from five o’clock in the morning until we close at 2:00 p.m., and often for a few hours after that. I waitress, I order food and supplies, help with the hiring and firing, and I sort the mail. Most of those are responsibilities I’ve handled since I was in high school. The only things I don’t do are the cooking and the financial stuff.”
“You work hard,” Nick agreed. As hard as he did, for which he respected her.
“And I do a good job—a really good job. So why doesn’t Big Mama trust me to make decisions that could help our restaurant?” Dani snickered. “Heck, she doesn’t even trust me to get through a Saturday or Sunday without nagging me about one thing or another.”
Presumably Dani’s mom, now in her late sixties, would retire someday and Dani would take over. But handing the reins over to anyone, even her daughter, wasn’t proving easy for her. For now, Big Mama preferred to run the business her own way, keeping Dani on a tight leash. Nick had been hearing about it from Dani for several years now. “Of course she trusts you,” he said. “She just prefers to be in control.”
“If she trusted me she wouldn’t have to be in control. You wouldn’t believe the day I had, much of it courtesy of her.” Dani grimaced again. “Which is a long way of answering your question. No, I don’t want to call it a night just yet. I’m so ready to escape into a movie, and I want to do it with my best friend.”
As bone-tired as Nick was, Dani needed him and he wasn’t going to let her down. She and Big Mama were like family to him. He was a lot closer to them than to his own sister and mother. Dani was loyal to the people she cared about. Even when she was in a bad relationship, she stayed true to her boyfriend. His fickle mom, on the other hand, didn’t know the meaning of loyalty.
“Today was worse than usual?” he asked.
“It was pretty bad.”
“What happened?”
Dani slanted her head. “Are you sure you want to hear about this?”
If talking about her day took her mind off Jeter, Nick was all for it. “Sure.”
“How long have I been running the restaurant on weekends so that Big Mama can take a few days off?” Dani grumbled. “As if she’s ever really ‘off.’ Business has slacked a little lately, but that doesn’t mean I stand around, twiddling my thumbs. She must’ve called ten times today, making sure I’d done this chore and that one. Have I cleaned the tables and reset them after customers finished and left? Have I checked the salt-and-pepper shakers and the sugar bowls to make sure they’re filled? You’d think I was a new hire. I just wish she’d get that I know what I’m doing and let me do it.”
She didn’t expect a comment, so Nick just nodded.
“I’ve done tons of research on steps we could take to increase our business,” she continued. “But no, she finds something wrong with every one of my ideas. I
