Finding Ronan’s Heart by Melanie Moreland

Chapter Two

Ronan

Ipolished off everything Beth had brought to me, exhaling in contentment as I pushed away the empty plates. I had enjoyed the meal a lot, and part of me wondered if it was only the food, or if the occasional visit from the pretty waitress had anything to do with it.

I had watched her the entire time I had been eating, purposely doing it slowly to draw out my stay. She was like a hummingbird, constantly busy, never staying in one place too long. She was friendly with the customers, often talking with one hand on her hip as she filled cups or responded to a question. I had gotten up at one point to grab a bottle of ketchup from the table beside me just as she came around the corner, almost colliding with me. For a moment, we were close. Close enough I could see the flecks of gold and green in her dark eyes. She had put a hand out to steady herself, and I caught her elbow to do the same. Our eyes locked, hers flaring with surprise. I judged her to be a foot shorter than I was, and the odd thought that I would have to kiss her sitting down in order to prevent a sore neck flitted through my mind as we locked gazes.

Or even better, pull her onto my lap. My fingers tightened on her arm at the thought.

She cleared her throat. “Is everything okay, ah, Ronan? You need something?”

Reluctantly, I released her elbow, but not before I let my fingers drift over the softness of her skin. “Nope.” I held up the ketchup bottle. “Needed a refill.”

“Oh. Anything else?”

“Some more water would be great when you can.”

She nodded and hurried away, once more giving me a glimpse of her sweet ass. I’d never thought of myself as an ass man before, but I had a feeling that had just changed.

She approached the table, lifting one eyebrow as she gathered the empty plates. “Would you like me to get you a box for the cake?”

I shook my head, grinning widely. “More coffee, please.”

“I guess you burn off a lot of calories over there.” She indicated the gym across the street.

“Yeah, I do. And I like to eat.”

She pursed her lips, a smile playing on her full mouth. It drew attention to a small beauty mark to the right of her lips. One dimple appeared in the same cheek, giving her an impish look.

“Really,” she drawled. “I hadn’t noticed.”

She made me laugh as she moved away, returning with the coffeepot and filling up my cup.

I thanked her and reached for the cake, humming around the first mouthful. The pineapple and banana flavors hit my taste buds, and the cream cheese frosting was rich and decadent.

“Damn, that’s good,” I groaned, licking my lips, glancing up and meeting her dark gaze. She was watching me, her lips parted, eyes wide, the coffeepot hanging from her fingers.

Something passed between us. Something that wrapped around us, alive and vibrant. Throbbing heat filled my veins as our eyes locked. Green meeting brown. Intense longing I had never experienced pounded in my chest. My hands itched to reach out and pull her to me. Taste her full mouth. Run my hands along those inviting curves and cup her full ass. Slowly, I settled my fork on my plate as my body shifted to bring itself closer.

And a customer called out, “Hey, is that coffee just for him, or can we get some too?”

The moment shattered, and I was shocked to find I was halfway out of my booth. Beth was gripping the corner of the table as if to stop herself from coming closer. Both of our chests were moving rapidly as if we’d just run ten miles.

She blinked and hurried away. I sat back down, shocked.

What the hell just happened?

* * *

I ate my cake slowly, watching her more intently than I had been. The diner slowed, the hour getting late. The other waitress who had been here disappeared into the kitchen. Beth moved around, filling napkin dispensers, wiping down tables, getting the place ready for the morning.

A group of younger guys came in, sitting down and ordering food. They were loud and had obviously been drinking, with one of them standing out as the leader of the pack. He leaned back in his chair, watching Beth, making inappropriate remarks to his friends, and calling her over far too often for my liking. More than once, she evaded his wandering hands, still being polite, even as I saw the flash of anger cross her face. I pushed away my coffee cup, shaking my head as she came over and offered a refill.

She slid the bill my way as I looked over at the loud table. “Assholes,” I muttered.

She shrugged. “I ignore them. They’ll eat, act like jerks thinking it makes them cool, then they’ll leave.” She sighed.

“Hopefully they’ll leave a decent tip too,” I added.

She shook her head. “Not usually.” She walked away, and I glanced at the bill, deciding to make sure, tip-wise, her night was a good one, at least.

I drained my water and stood, walking down the hall and using the restroom to wash my hands that were sticky. On my way back down the hall, I heard it.

“Let me go.”

I increased my pace and rounded the corner. Beth was at the table of troublemakers, her face like thunder. The leader of the pack had his hand around her wrist, pulling her toward him.

“Come on, sweetheart. Sit that sweet ass on my lap, and we can talk about the tip. Yours or mine, whichever you prefer.”

I was across the diner in a heartbeat, yanking his arm away and tugging Beth out of the way.

I loomed over him, furious. “You wanna show a little respect, asshole?”

He looked up at me, fright replacing the cockiness that had been there a moment ago. I was taller and outweighed him by a good fifty pounds of muscle. I could wipe the floor with him on my worst day—and with the anger he had just roused? I could take on all three of them right now and walk away whistling a merry tune while they struggled to get the license plate of the semi that hit them.

“Just having a little fun.”

“Take your fun elsewhere.” I leaned closer. “Pay your bill, tip the lady, and fuck off. Or deal with me. Your choice.”

He muttered something, and I tightened my grip on him. “What did you say?”

He yanked his arm away. “I said we’re leaving.”

I stood, crossing my arms, knowing how large that made me look. “Good choice.”

I returned to my booth, grabbed my gym bag and the bill, and waited. The asshole and his sidekicks headed to the register, and Beth processed their tabs. When the guy who’d grabbed her was in front of her, I approached, watchful. He leaned close to Beth, saying something that angered her. He had the audacity to try to touch her again, but before I could get there, she grabbed his hand, bent his finger back, and smiled sweetly as he whined like the little dog he was.

“I think my friend asked you to leave. Now, I’m telling you. Get out, and don’t come back.”

I halted my progress, surprised and impressed at the move, and slightly turned on by her actions.

“I oughta report you to the manager,” the asshole groused.

“Feel free,” I said, heading their way. “I’m a witness, and I’ll tell them you crossed the line.”

A cook stuck his head out of the pass-through. “So will I. You heard the lady—get out and don’t come back.”

Beth pushed the asshole away, eyeing him balefully.

He glared but walked out, not dropping anything in her tip jar. He narrowed his eyes at me as if daring me to do something about that. His friends had dropped in some bills, at least. She deserved them.

I set down my bag and handed her my bill. She watched until they had left, then sighed and rolled her eyes. “Exactly what I didn’t need tonight. Mike isn’t going to be happy when I tell him.”

“I’ll vouch for you.”

She smiled. “Thanks.”

I handed her some twenties and took the change, slipping it in her jar. She shook her head.

“No need for that.”

“Great service deserves a good tip.”

She handed me a small container. “So does being a hero.”

I flipped open the lid, grinning at the slice of cake inside. I wasn’t going to refuse that. “Thanks.”

She laid her hand on my arm. “Thank you,” she responded. “It’s been a long time since someone came to my rescue.”

I looked down at her fingers resting against my skin. Small, pale, and delicate. One finger had a slender braided silver ring on it. The nails were short, buffed, and neat. Her hand looked tiny on my arm, and before I could think about it, I covered it with mine, squeezing her fingers.

“At your service, my lady,” I quipped. “Knight in shining armor is my side hustle.”

She laughed, stepping back and withdrawing her hand. “Trainer by day, damsel rescuer by night—is that how it is? Good plan.”

I laughed. “With the move you just pulled, you didn’t really need me. Impressive.”

She shrugged. “A girl needs to protect herself.” She sighed. “Okay, I have to finish up and head home. Thanks again, Ronan. I hope to see you again.”

She moved away before I could say anything else. I paused, but I took my cue, picking up my bag and the container of cake. I quickly dropped a couple of extra twenties into her jar, then headed outside. She deserved them after dealing with that jerk. I glanced at the gym across the street then behind me at the diner. She thought I worked at the gym. Twice, she had mentioned it, and I never dissuaded her.

I headed back to the office, throwing my bag in the back of my car and driving toward the condo. I wondered why I hadn’t told her. The first time, it didn’t really matter—she was my waitress and it didn’t seem worthwhile to correct her. The second time, though, I should have told her I just worked out there on occasion, not let her assume I actually worked at the gym. I was an honest guy, so I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t fixed her wrong assumption.

Except, it had been nice to be just Ronan for a bit. Just a guy having a burger after work. Not one of the triplets. Not the son of the rich business tycoon Aiden Callaghan. Or the wealthy man I was in my own right. Beth had zero clue who I was, and it seemed as if she didn’t care.

After what had happened to me the year before, I liked that.

And the bottom line was, aside from the occasional night I went to the gym, I probably wouldn’t see her. I had no idea of her schedule, hadn’t inquired, or even asked her for her number. Maybe she didn’t work every night. Maybe I had imagined that connection I felt toward her. Maybe I had been the only one to feel it. For all I knew, she had a boyfriend. She hadn’t offered her number either, so perhaps the odd sensations had been only on my end.

I parked in the garage and headed up to my empty condo, wondering why those thoughts made me feel strangely sad.