Best Friends (New Species Book 15) Read online

  It had been lonely and depressing to sleep in her bed the night before in comparison. She also really needed to get a cell phone. Snow had wanted to call her. She’d been embarrassed to admit he could only reach her at the diner. If she had to be away from him, she at least wanted to hear his voice.

  Only a day had passed, and she missed him and couldn’t get him out of her thoughts. What was he doing at that moment? Was he thinking about her? Missing her, too?

  “Earth to Mel,” Mary said, startling her.

  She looked at her best friend. “Sorry.”

  “Let me guess. Snow?”

  She nodded.

  “It would be insane to say yes to moving in with a man after one night of sex, Mel.” Her friend grinned though. “Even if he’s some super-stud. He really got you off that many times?”

  Mel nodded again, almost regretting sharing some of the intimate details with her best friend. She’d wanted Mary’s advice, though, and she had to be totally honest to make her understand why she was so torn about not staying at Reservation to live with Snow.

  “Spend your off days with him. Take time to get to know him better. I’ll fully support you if you want to move in with Snow after a few months.”

  “How long did you date your ex before you let him move into your place?”

  Mary grumbled. “A week. See how bad that turned out?”

  “He was a cheater though.”

  “And you don’t know what kind of guy Snow really is until you date him longer. Learn from my mistakes.”

  Mel bit her lip. “Snow is not just any guy, Mary. He’s a New Species. That makes him pretty different.” She held her best friend’s gaze. “Do you know what my last thought was before I drifted off to sleep with him?”

  Mary shook her head.

  “I’m right where I belong. I didn’t want to leave him, either. It was hard saying goodbye. I wanted to climb right back into that vehicle and have him take me back with him. I miss his already and can’t stop thinking about him.”

  Mary frowned. “Don’t jump into something until you get a better idea of exactly what you’re getting into. That feeling was probably caused by hormones or endorphins after all that great sex. Or is it euphoria? Whatever. I’m trying to look out for you. That’s what besties do. Now…the lunch crowd should come in soon. Is it okay with you if I take my break first?”

  “Sure.”

  Mel watched her disappear into the kitchen and went to work checking to make sure all the tables, the counters, and seats had been wiped clean. There was never a large rush for lunch at the diner during the week, but sometimes they’d get about thirty people. In a small town, that seemed like a lot.

  The door opened, and the Nelson couple came in with their two small children. She got them seated in a corner booth, gave the kids crayons with a few coloring pages to keep them occupied, and fetched their drinks. Hal, from the post office, arrived next.

  Within five minutes more of the seats filled with other employees from local businesses. Mel was glad when Mary returned, helping her pass out their food and refill drinks.

  Another regular customer showed up outside the diner, supported by crutches, trying to get the glass door open. Her foot and lower leg were in a medical boot.

  Mel rushed forward. “What happened to you, Mitzy?” She held the door open wide.

  “My shoelaces snagged on the bottom of the seat while getting out of my truck and I fell out, believe it or not.”

  Mel helped her get settled at the counter, since a barstool would be easier to sit on than tangling with a bench seat. “I’m so sorry.” Her gaze inspected the woman. “Is it sprained?”

  “I fractured my ankle. That’s what the doctor said. I feel stupid.”

  “You shouldn’t.”

  “I was talking on my cell and not paying attention. Then I was on my ass on the pavement, in pain. I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it when it happened evening before last.”

  “The diner was closed for a few days.” She wasn’t about to admit she hadn’t been in town, but at Reservation. “I guess I missed out on the gossip.”

  Mitzy snorted. “You’re the only one then. Everyone else has teased me a bit. Nancy bought me a pair of slip-on canvas shoes and told me to stick to ones without ties. Can you have Joel make me a special egg sandwich?”

  “Of course. Cheese, mushrooms, and bacon cooked into the eggs, right?”

  Mitzy grinned. “You got it. Don’t forget the extra mayo on toasted wheat bread.”

  “Sure thing. Fries?”

  “I’m in the mood for potato salad today.”

  “I’ll put the order in and bring your sweet tea. Extra sugar.”

  “You’re a doll, honey.”

  Mel gave the order to Joel, fixed Mitzy her drink, and placed it in front of her.

  “Does your apartment allow dogs?”

  Mel shook her head. “Um, no. The owner was clear about no pets.”

  “Damn. Someone abandoned two puppies yesterday. I’m looking for homes for them. They aren’t what anyone would consider overly cute. I’m worried no one will want to adopt them. We have enough dogs waiting for homes already.”

  “Why don’t you take a picture of them, and I’ll tape it on the window next to the door? You also might want to do that at the post office. Everyone goes in there at least once a week. The grocery store, too.”

  “Most businesses won’t allow that.”

  Mel winked. “Joel avoids customers by never leaving the kitchen. Us waitresses handle everything from cleaning to locking and unlocking the front doors. He won’t even know. Bring me a picture.”

  “You really are a doll, Mel. I’ll do that.”

  “What about a website? Mary swears by the internet. Does animal control have one of those?”

  “It sure does, but not many people visit the site. The only thing anyone’s been interested in lately is the job listing we’ve posted.”

  That surprised her. “Someone quit?”

  “Boomer did. I knew that shithead wouldn’t last long. He was Paul’s cousin, and he bitched nonstop about the calls he was sent on.” Mitzy narrowed her eyes. “Hey, can you drive a pickup truck? You lived on a farm, right? Are you good with animals? The pay is probably better than waiting tables.”

  Mel threw up a hand and grinned. “I was on the receiving end of Boomer’s complaints when he ate here. No way. I’m not going to become a roadkill scooper, herd cows back into pastures when a fence goes down, or search for Mrs. John’s dog that likes to run off. She really should put up a fence in her backyard, or at least keep it on a leash when it needs to go outside. I heard it takes off almost every darn morning.”

  “You really should think about coming to work for animal control.”

  “No good prospects have applied?”

  “Old Ned wants the job. The other is some lady from Los Angeles. She’s interested, but I figure she can’t be serious. Who would purposely move here?”

  Mel raised her hand again. “I did.” She decided to change the subject. “Didn’t Ned lose his driver’s license after he tried to park on the sidewalk in front of the post office? I heard he got arrested for drunk driving.”

  “Yes. He thinks if we hire him, Sheriff Cooper will just turn a blind eye if he’s behind the wheel of one of our trucks.”

  “What an idiot. Sherriff Cooper would never do that.”

  “Damn straight. Ned would just get drunk and crash our truck. And we’d be liable. No way in hell is that going to happen. Our budget is tight enough, and we don’t get many donations.”

  Mel spotted a stranger entering the diner. “I have to go. I’ll be back with your order.” She approached the older man with a cane and smiled. “Hello. Counter, table, or booth?”

  He glanced around through his dark sunglasses, not taking them off. “Counter.”

  She grabbed him a menu and followed his limping gait to the counter, putting the menu in front of him. “What will you have to drink?”