A Taste of Spring novel Chapter 22

Dez ordered the meaty omelet, pancakes, and coffee while Tabitha ordered fruit crepes and orange juice. The waitress grunted then turned without speaking a word. Dez found it amusing and actually laughed as the portly woman sashayed away to place the order.

"She's a sweetheart once you've tipped her," Tabitha said then shrugged.

"I bet," Dez said, as he continued to watch their waitress. He turned back to face Tabitha. "You come here often then."

"Not as much as I'd like." Tabitha moved her arm that was lying across the table to let the waitress sit a glass down.

Dez read the name tag on the silent waitress's shirt as she placed his coffee in front of him. Gene, their waitress, rolled her eyes then left. Again, without saying a word. Dez shook his head as he reached for the sugar and cream.

"Is it the friendly conversation from the staff that has you wanting more?"

"Gene didn't speak to me until after I ate at one of her tables at least half a dozen times," Tabitha smiled.

When he had his coffee just right, he took a long sip then sighed. "Well," he said, as he placed the mug back on the table, "the coffee is amazing."

Tabitha shrugged. "Never had the stuff." She rolled her straw paper with her fingers. "So, you want to talk about this angel that flew away?"

Dez groaned as he peered at Tabitha. Did he really refer to Anna as an Angel? "No," he said, with a tone of finality. He heard Tabitha's laugh before looking up into her face to see her eyes aglow with humor.

"Lighten up," Tabitha grinned, "besides, you've already told me everything."

Dez rubbed his hand over his head and sighed, "Everything?"

"Being inside Anna was 'the tearing apart and the piecing together of my very soul,'" Tabitha said before she started laughing again.

Shaking his head, Dez drank his coffee. He was certain he would need another two cups before breakfast ended. As soon as he finished his cup, the waitress returned with their food. He motioned to his cup but she said nothing as she walked away.

"So," Tabitha fork cut her crepes, "do you think she was dating someone?"

The wheel of the shopping cart jammed for the third time, stopping Spring in her tracks again. She jerked the silver menace back and forth a few times then used her foot to remove the small cardboard piece of debris that was lodged under the front wheel. She sighed as she grabbed hold of the cell phone she had pinned to her ear with her shoulder.

"No!" Spring said into her cell phone. She spoke so loudly that she glanced around the supermarket to see if anyone was looking at her. A man close to her didn't seem interested in her conversation at all.

"Look, Troy, this isn't a good time for me to talk but you can't come here."

"It's never a good time, Springy," Troy said on the other end. "You are always too busy to talk."

Spring grabbed a bag of plain chips then looked over the dip options on display. She placed jars of ranch and salsa into the cart and started down the aisle again. "I promise I'll call you later tonight, Troy, but I really have to go."

She loved Troy. It was said that they were friends in their momma's belly. But that's all she ever wanted to be. But, Troy wanted more and it seemed that everyone in their small town wanted them to be a couple. So...she accepted Troy's attention when she really didn't feel how he did.

"Fine," Troy said then sighed. "But-"