Burn for You (Slow Burn Book 1)(44)

So I put Jackson Boudreaux out of my mind and focused my energy into taking care of Mama, running the restaurant, and trying to think of ways to make more money.

Unfortunately I was coming up short on all three counts.

“Boo, what’s happenin’ with you?” said Eeny, hands propped on her hips. “I’ve never seen you lookin’ so raggedy!”

We were in the kitchen. It was a weeknight, and the restaurant was full. Mama was in her second round of chemo and was sick as a dog. I’d started spending the night at her place because I was afraid to leave her alone. When I’d looked into the cost of a home health-care worker to help out, I’d nearly fainted.

I should’ve gone into health care instead of the restaurant business.

“I’m fine, Eeny,” I said, rubbing my eyes. They were grainy and bloodshot from lack of sleep, and swollen from crying.

Watching someone you love being slowly poisoned to death is not much fun.

“Girl, you are not fine!” said Eeny, folding her arms over her chest. “I’ve known you since I was cookin’ in your mama’s restaurant and you were knee-high to a grasshopper, and never once have I seen you in such a state! I think you should tell me what’s goin’ on before I pay a visit to Miss Davina and get the truth!”

I stopped stirring the big pot of jambalaya on the stove in front of me and turned a tired eye to Eeny. She stood there glaring at me, searing my eyes with the canary-yellow caftan she was wearing, which had turquoise-blue stripes and a matching turban. All she needed was some fruit in it, and she’d look exactly like the Chiquita Banana lady.

“Where’s your apron?” I asked. “You’re blinding me with that getup.”

She said, “I’m not coverin’ up this beautiful frock I special ordered with one of those dingy ol’ kitchen aprons! And don’t change the subject!”

I loved that she was worried about me, but if I told her the truth, the news would spread around the city faster than the speed of light. Eeny was many wonderful things, but circumspect wasn’t one of them. She loved gossip as much as she loved loud frocks and fried plantains.

So I said, “I’m fighting a bug.”

That wasn’t exactly a lie. I was fighting a bug. The depression/insomnia/so-broke-I-can’t-afford-to-pay-attention bug.

Eeny narrowed her eyes at me. She opened her mouth, but before she could get anything out, Pepper ran through the kitchen doors.

“He’s here again!” she shouted gleefully. “It’s him!”

There was only one person in the world who could get Pepper so excited. I wondered how much Jackson had given her this time.

My heart beating faster, I said, “He’ll have to wait for a table, unless you can move some of those reservations around.”

Pepper, in a tight, shiny gold dress so short it looked like a skirt she’d hiked up over her boobs, jumped up and down, grinning like mad and clapping her hands.

“He doesn’t want a table! He wants to see you!”

Eeny muttered, “Get the poor man a pair of sunglasses and a stiff drink.”

Over on the other side of the kitchen, Hoyt started to whistle the theme to Jaws.

I said, “Pepper, please tell him I’ll be out in a min—”

Jackson burst through the kitchen doors. He spotted me standing frozen at the stove and said loudly, “Everyone out.”

The entire kitchen staff turned to look at me.

Oh Lord. Not this again.

Smoothing my hands over the flyaways from my bun, I said, “Jackson, we’re so busy right now. I’m sorry, but I can’t have my employees—”

“We’re getting married,” he pronounced, and stared at me.

Pepper gasped. Eeny did a comical double take. Hoyt started coughing and couldn’t stop. Everyone else stood stock-still, their eyes wide and their mouths hanging open.

Most of me was convinced he was joking. It was in terrible taste, but that was really the only option that made any kind of sense.

There was a tiny part of me, however, that noted the determined look in his eyes and wasn’t so sure.

“How nice for us,” I said sarcastically. “And when will the blessed event take place?”

When he looked relieved, I started to panic.

He said, “As soon as possible. Tonight, if you want. We can go to the courthouse right now.”

Pepper squealed in glee. No one else made a peep, except for Eeny, who threw her head back and started to laugh.

That’s when my panic turned to anger.

I marched over to Jackson, grabbed hold of the front of his shirt, and dragged him out of the kitchen and into the alley behind the restaurant, kicking the back door open in front of me. When the door slammed shut behind us, I whirled on him and let him have it.