3. Mia

THREE

MIA

My alarm on my phone sounded, yanking me out of a shallow sleep. I'd been dreaming of vicious animals and the warm, thankful eyes of a panther, but it was time to get up. Vaguely, I remembered that was my third alarm of the morning to go off.

It was time to get moving.

I stumbled out of bed, feeling victorious about waking up on time, especially considering the bizarre scene I'd witnessed last night. It had taken me forever to fall asleep. My mind kept coming back to the panther and the way he'd looked at me.

What was a panther even doing on Main Street? What were any of those animals doing in the middle of town?

As I got ready for my shift at Mariam's, the memory lingered. The entire scene felt like something straight out of a wildlife documentary, and not at all something I expected to see in sleepy little Crescent Creek.

I couldn't shake the strangeness of it.

After making my way downstairs, I paused at the front desk when I spotted Estelle. She and her family owned the inn. Since I'd been staying here, she and I had been chatting more lately. I liked her. There was something exotic and mysterious about her.

"Morning," I said, leaning against the counter and watching her while she meticulously sorted through a stack of papers.

She looked up, her cool gray eyes locking with mine. "Well, look who's up with the birds this morning," she teased, a smirk pulling at her lips.

"I know, right? I'm turning over a new leaf and adulting," I replied, grinning. "Figured it's about time I got my act together."

Which was something I was positive my parents had said behind my back more times than I could count over the last few years.

Estelle chuckled, and then narrowed her eyes. "Let's see how long you last. You've only been here a few weeks and I've already figured out that mornings and you aren't exactly the best of friends."

"No truer words have ever been spoken about me, but I'm feeling optimistic. Who knows, maybe this time it'll stick." I shrugged, the memory of last night nudging me. "If anything, you should be continuing to praise me for being up on time after the wild night I had last night." My mouth clamped shut once the words fell out.

Why had I said that?

After all, it wasn't as though I could tell her what I'd seen, not without sounding batshit crazy.

"Oh?" Estelle's perfectly arched brow lifted in interest. "Do tell."

I waved her words away. "It's nothing like what you're thinking—just car trouble."

"Oh," she deflated. "I'd been hoping you had some juicy man story to share with me."

"Nope, nothing like that. Unfortunately."

"Me either." She frowned. "Well, maybe it's time you get your car into a mechanic. I think you've mentioned more than once how unreliable it's been lately."

"Eh. She'll be fine. She's being temperamental. Besides, if she does break down completely, I can always call Tammy and hitch a ride in her taxi," I said.

"Not if you value your life, you won't," Estelle teased.

There was a slight edge of seriousness in her tone, too. Mainly because everyone knew how crazy of a driver Tammy was. The woman was absolutely insane behind the wheel, but there wasn't another option for a taxi in Crescent Creek.

"It would be some excitement, livin' things up for me a little." I grinned.

"With your car being temperamental, I wouldn't think you needed anything else to livin' your life," she countered.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I should get going." I started for the door, waving at her from over my shoulder. "I'm sure I'll see you later."

"Yep. I'll be here. Working. Always working."

"I understand that," I said before slipping out onto the massive front porch.

I headed to my car, half expecting her to give me trouble again. But this morning, she started on the first try, as if last night's stubbornness was a bad dream. Temperamental was definitely the right word to describe her lately. I never knew how she'd behave at any given moment.

The drive to the diner was short. As I parked, I couldn't help glancing around, half expecting to see the panther strolling down the sidewalk again. Heck, there was even a tiny part of me that wanted him to be sitting somewhere on the sidewalk, waiting for me.

For whatever reason, the thought made me chuckle. I seriously needed to get a grip.

Sliding out of my car, I made my way to the entrance of the diner. An elderly woman stopped me before I could reach it.

"You're earlier than I thought you'd be," she said, looking right at me.

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind, dear," she said, waving my words away. "I have something for you."

I didn't say anything. If this sweet old woman wanted to give me something, I'd take it. As she rummaged through her tortoiseshell purse, all I could think about was how much I adored her eccentric style.

"Here we are," she said, finally finding what she'd been searching for. She held out a book of matches to me. "These are for you."

I took them without questioning why she was giving them to me. She was old, and I respected my elders.

"Thank you." I smiled.

When her eyes met mine, they held a profound sense of wisdom that sent shivers down my spine. "You're welcome, dear."

"I should get to work," I said, tucking the book of matches into my purse. "Have a good day."

"I will," the old woman said. "You will, too." She winked and then turned to walk away.

That was strange, but it wasn't as though I hadn't seen stranger things on Main Street before.

As I opened the door to the diner and stepped inside, the familiar jingle of the bell hung above it greeted me. The silence of morning still clung to those seated sporadically around. And even though I wasn't a morning person, I still felt a sense of gratitude for how slow, peaceful, and quiet this place was when it was filled with the early birds having their first cup of coffee or slice of toast.

As I clocked in, I greeted Miriam and the kitchen staff. Once I had my apron on, I made my way to the coffeepot to make some refill rounds. Thoughts of the panther and the wild event from last night kept creeping into my head, but I tried to focus on the morning regulars instead.

It wasn't easy.

While I wasn't sure why the event from last night had stuck with me as much as it had, I blamed it on my overactive imagination because there was a part of me that thought it was something more than what it had been—animals chasing one another through town.

As the morning rush picked up, I served plates of eggs and bacon with a side of biscuits and gravy, the morning special, with practiced ease while my mind continued to spin stories about the previous night's events. The panther became a steady fixation, though. My mind constantly wandered back to thoughts of him with his sleek form as he darted through the shadows of Main Street.

Where had he been going, and why were those other animals chasing him?

I imagined this was how Alice felt when she was looking for the white rabbit.

Curiouser and curiouser.

As the breakfast crowd thinned out, the bell above the door chimed, and a tall, muscular man I'd never seen before stepped inside. His presence captivated me. It had to be the unmistakable confidence that oozed from him. It bordered on arrogance, which happened to be my type. It shouldn't be. Arrogant, cocky men shouldn't be anyone's type, but they were mine. And this one, he appeared to be older than me, which somehow made him even hotter.

I watched as he approached the counter, his intense gaze fixed on me standing behind it, and I felt a magnetic pull toward him. My stomach fluttered with butterflies while I held his stare.

Why hadn't I said anything yet? Why was I still staring like a lunatic?

"Can I place an order?" he asked, settling on a stool as a crooked grin pulled at the corner of his lips.

That grin—warmth slid through me at the sight.

"Yep!" I gushed, breaking free from my stupor. "What can I get for you?" I asked, hoping I sounded more composed than I felt.

My cheeks grew warm.

"I'll take a sweet tea and whatever you recommend for lunch," he said, his voice smooth and his eyes never wavering from mine.

What time was it? Was it lunch already?

I glanced at the clock hanging near the door to check the time as I pulled my order pad and pen from my apron. It was already slightly after eleven. The morning had gone by fast. "The bacon swiss burger and fries is always a hit," I suggested.

His gaze dipped to my nametag and then to my eyes again.

"I'll trust your judgment, Mia," he said, his grin widening a touch as my name passed from his lips. Something flared through his eyes, but it was gone before I could name it. "Bacon swiss burger and fries it is."

"Sure thing—" I paused, waiting for him to tell me his name. Desire built inside me to know it. It had to be something hot, something exotic and hot.

His skin was tan and his hair dark. His muscles were massive, but his eyes captivated me. They were a warm shade of brown that put me at ease when I focused on them.

"Lorenzo," he said.

I gripped the edge of the counter, trying not to swoon. Could his name be any hotter?

"Sure thing, Lorenzo," I said, testing it out on my tongue before jotting down his order.

I liked saying his name, and unless I was seeing things, he seemed to react to me saying it too. Something flared in his eyes again.

"I'll have that tea for you in a second," I said, turning to place his order and fetch his tea.

"No hurry."

His voice was seductive. I could listen to this man talk all day.

I flashed him a smile and then poured him a sweet tea. Once I placed it in front of him, I went about my tasks while I waited for his food. His gaze followed me around the diner. I could feel the warmth of his stare as it slid across my skin. It wasn't unnerving like it probably should be. Instead, it felt exciting in a way that had my cheeks flushing with color. There was something adoring about the way he looked at me, almost as though I was the only woman in the world. He made me feel seen in a way no other man had in quite a while.

I liked it.

When I brought him his food, I decided to engage a little. "I haven't seen you around before. Are you new in town?"

He chuckled. "Not exactly. I work down the street at the Sporting Goods store. I've been in town for a while, but sadly, it seems our paths haven't ever crossed until now." He winked.

Warmth pooled in my core at the sight of that wink.

"There's a first time for everything," I replied, intrigued with him even more. He seemed mysterious, and that drew me in like a moth to a freaking flame.

"How did I miss someone like you in this tiny town?"

"Clearly, you weren't looking in the right places," I countered, proud of myself for thinking of the words so quickly.

His laugh was low and easy—sexy. It was infectious, too. Because half a heartbeat later, I was laughing right along with him.

The bell sounded, signaling a new order was up.

"Enjoy your meal," I said, reluctantly returning to my other customers.

"If it's even half as good as my view right now, I'm sure I will," Lorenzo called after me.

I tossed him a coy smile before moving to pick up the order for another table. It had been a while since I'd flirted with anyone. I'd been in a dating slump. Nearly everyone I knew had gone off to college after high school three years ago, and the ones who'd stuck around town were either practically married or I wasn't even the slightest bit interested in them.

This one, he was different.

When he finished his meal, I moved to give him his ticket, sad to see him go.

"Would you like to go for a coffee after your breakfast shift ends?" he asked, surprising me.

"Oh. I'm working a double today," I said, hoping I didn't sound as shocked at his bold request as I felt. I attempted to force my face into a neutral expression. "I don't get off until four. But didn't you say you worked at the Sporting Goods store? Aren't they open today?"

"They are. We close at six, but I'm sure I could cut out early." He winked. "Unless you want to catch dinner instead? I know a place with great tacos." His hopeful tone was a tad compelling.

"Dinner sounds great," I said, my voice somehow steadier than my racing heart. "The new taco truck next to Last Drop bar?"

I hadn't eaten there yet, but I'd heard good things.

"That's the one," he confirmed with a nod. "Can I pick you up at seven?"

Old school. I liked it, but I didn't like having to explain why I lived at the inn for the time being.

"How about I meet you there?" I asked.

"It's a date," he said while he dug out his wallet and tossed some cash on the counter.

"Great," I said, watching him strut toward the exit.

The noise of the bustling diner resumed, but everything felt tilted, like I was seeing my everyday world from a new angle. I pulled in a deep breath, still reeling from being in Lorenzo's incredible presence. He felt intriguing and dangerously exciting.

I couldn't wait to spend more time with him tonight.