Free Charming for Mother's Day (A Calendar Girls Novella) by Gina Ardito Page A

“How’d you get home?”
                  “I walked.”
                  “You walked home after being in a bus accident?”
                  “What’d you expect me to do?” I snapped. “Summon the chauffeur? It was no big deal. The accident happened a few blocks from here. I waited until the cops arrived, gave my statement, then walked home.”
                  “Jee-zus. I can’t figure out if you’re tough, brave, or stupid.”
                  Probably all three. But I kept that opinion to myself.
                  He shook his head. “You should’ve gone to the hospital with everyone else.”
                  “I didn’t need to go to the hospital. I told you. I just got tossed around a little bit. No blood, no broken bones. Just some bruising on one shoulder and down my arm.”
                  He pulled his chair closer to me. “Let me see.”
                  “Ha. No way.” I backed away and waved a dismissive hand. “Forget it.”
                  “Oh, come on, Lucie. I’ve seen a lot more than your bare shoulder before.”
                  “Not in the last decade.” Not since Rob had wrought his damage. No one had seen those souvenirs. “You’re a chef, Colin, not a doctor.”
                  “Maybe.” His index finger bounced too close to my nose, and if I wasn’t so disoriented, I would’ve taken a bite. “But I’ll tell you one thing. You’re taking tonight off. Stay home and get some rest. Hug your kid.”
                  “I can’t.”
                  “You can and you will. I’ll just call Carla to cover your shift tonight.”
                  “Good luck with that.” I bit back a derisive laugh. “Carla’s in Atlantic City with her husband for their anniversary. Don’t worry. A few Tylenol and I’ll be fine. I’ll be at work by four. Promise.”
                  “No, you won’t. That’s an order from your boss.”
                  “You need a maître d’. Especially because of last night’s storm. We’ll probably be wall to wall people tonight.”
                  “All the more reason why you should stay here.” He pounded his index finger into my tabletop, then switched to drumming four fingertips while he considered the dilemma. The clock ticked, echoing the drip in my kitchen faucet. “I’ll ask Sidney to cover for you.”
                  “Sidney?” This time, I didn’t attempt to hold back my laughter. “Sidney hasn’t worked the front of the house since I was in kindergarten.”
                  “He can handle it.”
                  “Forget it, Colin. I’ll be there. I need to be there.”
                  A wave of his hand encompassed me from hair to waist. “Look at you. You can barely move. You think you’re going to be able to stand on your feet for eight hours, racing between the kitchen and the front of the house, keeping a smile glued on your face?”
              “I’ll be fine.”
                  “Damn right you’ll be fine. Because you’re staying right here.”
                  “No, I’m not.”
                  “Well, this is an interesting impasse.” Again, he paused, drummed his fingers. “If you want to work tonight, we’ll have to set some ground rules.”
    “Like what?”
“Like I drive you. To and from work. From now on. No more bus.”
    “That’s ridiculous,” I sputtered.
    “Take it or leave it.”
    My pride wanted to tell him to shove it, but my wallet knew better. I needed every dime I earned. If he’d get his jollies playing chauffeur and I’d get to keep going to work, sign me up. I could sit in his car and stare out the window for twenty minutes to and from every night. After all, he already