“No. I guess you can’t be too bad. But you’re not from here, and that means that whenever you decide to leave, you will. You’ll be gone, and I’ll go back to busting my ass out there for nothing. I mean…” she placed her hands on her mouth, embarrassed that she had said that her diner didn’t matter. “I shouldn’t have said that,” she whispered.
“It’s fine,” he assured her. “It was honest. I like that. So I guess you didn’t choose to run this place, huh?”
She shook her head hesitantly. “No. I actually used to work in a museum. I came home when my grandmother got sick and couldn’t run this place by herself. The goal was to be here for a couple of months and go back to my life. The thing is, no one wants to work at Moony’s. I was here with my…“ she stopped short and licked her lips to keep from saying anything more.
“Ah,” he nodded. “I see. You came here with your fellow, huh?”
“He lasted a few days before going back to work. I stayed behind to help my Nana. When I told him I had to stay, he came back to break up with me.”
Mason winced. “Wow. Well, at least he did it in person?”
“Are you seriously defending him?” she grumbled.
“Not even a little. I think a man would have to be a fucking fool to let a woman like you go.”
Lila arched a brow at him. “You can’t say things like that to me, Mason.”
“Why? Because you’re my boss?”
“No. Because you don’t know me. You’ve got no idea what kind of woman I am.”
“We could change that, you know. We could get to know each other. All you need to do is tell me a couple of things.”
“What’s the point? Soon enough, you’ll get bored of this place and leave. Now, if you’ll excuse me. My break has been over for a bit. I have a restaurant to run.”
Mason watched her go, and not for the first time that day, he was stunned by the way Lila’s emotions had such an impact on him. He wanted to run after her and make her smile. He wanted to march to the high school and hire a few kids to take over the morning rush before their classes started. He wanted to fix all her problems.
“Something is definitely wrong with me,” he said to himself… andto the wolf that inhabited his head. “She’s not my mate, and I’m ready to do all these things for her. What is this place, anyway? Magic?” He laughed softly at that. Pure silliness. Magic wasn’t real.
SIX
LILA
When she unlocked the café’s front door for the morning, Lila’s heart jumped into her throat. Her hands went cold, and she felt her legs shaking under her. The lights were on in the diner, and there was the distinct smell of freshly brewed coffee in the air. It didn’t make sense. She pushed through the door, panic still making her cold.
“Hello?” she called out.
The gentle notes of music were streaming out from the kitchen along with more lights basking the diner in a cheery glow. There was the strong scent of fresh bread. Lila didn’t understand. The floors were cleaned and gave off a faint aroma of lemon. The tables were sparkling, and each one was topped with a full jar of sugar, ketchup, and syrup. Even the salt and pepper shakers were good to go.
The service door that separated the kitchen and dining room burst open, and a whistling Mason appeared. His face was sprinkled with white flour, and his blue Moony’s apron was covered in all kinds of fresh-looking stains. His hands were loaded down with plates and cups fresh out of the dishwasher.
“Oh, hey, boss,” he said with a smile. He proceeded to store the cups and plates under the counter, singing softly to the sound of the music.
Lila shook her head and blinked her eyes dramatically a few times.
Nope.
It didn’t do anything.
Mason was well and truly in her diner at three in the morning. From the looks of it, he had taken care of a whole bunch of the morning tasks she usually had to do by herself. Lila shook her head again, certain she was having a strange waking dream.
“What is happening?” she finally asked.
Mason continued to move around the diner, busy as a bee. “What do you mean? I’m working.”
She frowned. “I can see that. I just don’t knowwhy.”
“Well, you hired me. I’m just showing you how useful of an employee I can be to turn that temporary week into a full-time gig.”