Read Online The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere - Free Book Online Page B

Party of three!”
    â€œShe’s not a customer,” Jason said. “She’s a waitress.”
    â€œNo, she’s not,” the hostess said. She looked at the next name and yelled over Jason’s head, “Fitz! Party of four!”
    â€œI was told Christy works here,” Jason said, emphasizing each word for her. “She drove that gray car right out there,” he said, pointing, “and parked it here on Saturday.”
    The hostess looked behind her and yelled toward a waitress carrying a tray of drinks. “Is there a Christy here?” she asked. The waitress shook her head. “No. Sorry. We have a Lizzy if that helps.”
    Jason looked at her in disbelief. “No, it doesn’t.”
    Â 
    I closed the car door and noticed that the woman on the park bench had turned to watch the fir trees being decorated. She was the woman who had stopped me on the street yesterday. She wasn’t reading or eating or even talking with anyone. She was just
sitting
there in the cold. I wanted to ask if she’d gone into Patterson’s to look for work like I’d suggested but there wasn’t time. I took hold of Haley’s hand to cross the street. The woman’s car I’d driven to work on Saturday was still in the same space I’d left it.
She must still be in the hospital
, I thought. I reached for the restaurant’s front door when a young man threw it open.
    â€œWaste of time,” he said, barreling into Haley. She lost her balance and landed on my feet.
    â€œSorry,” he said, without looking or stopping to help Haley.
    â€œHe’s fast,” Haley said, taking my hand.
    â€œHe’s rude,” I said, ushering her through the door.
    The waiting area was full as several people crowded the new hostess. I had heard she was going to be starting today. We had gone through a lot of hostesses during my time at Patterson’s. She was flustered and seated two tables in a row in Jean’s section instead of staggering the seating. Rod probably put her up front with very little training; that was usual protocol for him. Renee saw me and threw her index finger in the air before disappearing to the back. I pulled Zach and Haley off to the side and waited. Renee turned the corner, smiling at me. “Rod’s not here,” she said.
    â€œLucky me,” I said, taking the check from her.
    She reached into her pocket and pulled out a bill. “Here,” she said. “From your table on Saturday.”
    The hostess led a party of three past us. “I didn’t even take their order,” I said, shoving the check in my purse. “Why would they leave me a tip?”
    She smiled. “They just did. That’s all.”
    I looked at the money. “Twenty dollars!” Renee’s eyes were wide. No one ever left a tip bigger than a five-dollar bill at Patterson’s and even that was rare. “I’m not taking that, Renee.”
    Renee shoved the money in my purse. “You are taking this money,” she said. “Now stop making a scene.”
    She tried to make a quick getaway but I grabbed her arm, pulling the bill from my purse. “No! I am not taking this. It’s yours!”
    â€œI’ll take it,” Zach said, holding out his hand.
    I looked at Renee and sighed. “Why would you do this?”
    She hugged me around the neck. “I’m just passing it on,” she said, disappearing around the corner.
    The hostess gave an awkward smile and I moved the kids through the front door. A car pulled into an empty space in front of the restaurant. “It was just here,” I said to myself.
    â€œWhat was just here?” Haley asked.
    â€œThere was a car right here a minute ago,” I said, looking up and down the street. “But now it’s gone.” Haley tugged me toward Wilson’s and Zach ran ahead. As I walked I watched vehicles on the other side of the square and tried to