Page 32 of Vanishing Legacy
Alana laughed. “Are you kidding? I barely touched her yesterday and the situation went nuclear.” She pulled into the prearranged parking spot outside the River Street Grill, where Cash and Penny enjoyed shrimp and grits after church on Sundays. She reached for her bag, but Cash caught her hand.
“Hang on a sec.” The leather seats made a grinding sound as he twisted to face her. “I don’t know if I ever really thanked you. Properly, anyway. For what you did to save Penny. You put yourself in a dangerous situation. More than dangerous. You could’ve been killed. Twice.” His eyes searched hers. “Somehow ‘thank you’ doesn’t seem to cut it.”
His warm hand still held hers, and she gave it a gentle squeeze. “I was just doing?—”
“Don’t pass it off as a part of the job. You went above and beyond…literally.”
“If we’re being honest here, I think you should know…that was my first hot air balloon ride.”
Cash laughed so hard that it set Alana off too. She leaned over, clutching her quaking abs with one arm. Cash pulled his hand away and used it to cover his mouth. Every time she got herself under control, she’d look at Cash and bust up again.
From the back seat, Alana heard Penny’s little giggles. Alana twisted around to see her kicking her feet and covering her mouth with her hands. Bright blue eyes shone with pure joy. “Daddy funny.”
“Not Daddy,” Cash said. “Alana. Alana’s funny.”
Penny kicked her feet higher and pointed. “Alana funny!”
The laughter died down, and Alana wiped beneath her eyes. Oh, how she’d needed that. Cash too, she guessed. The joke wasn’t even that funny, but the stress and seriousness of the last few days had needed a release.
“I hungry!” Penny chirped.
“Me too,” Cash said. “Shall we?”
“Yeah, sure. But we need to do things by the book.” She pulled out the earpiece that gave her hands-free communication with Juliette. “Juliette, do you copy?”
“Copy. Security sweep is complete and you’re clear to proceed.”
A cotton warehouse built in 1780 housed the restaurant with authentic brick and cobblestone architecture from the eighteenth century. Not Alana’s favorite, as the dark and cozy atmosphere reduced visibility. Juliette had snagged a table in the smaller dining room, which meant Alana would have a full view of the room. They’d decided Juliette would eat a quick lunch in the main dining area to cover potential threats in the zones Alana couldn’t see.
“We’ll be right in.” Alana unbuckled her seatbelt and said to Cash, “Okay, wait for me to come around. Then you can get out and get Penny.”
“Got it. But hey, um…you know, I kid around about Penny’s meltdowns, but…I don’t know. It’s just my way of blowing off steam. It can be frustrating sometimes, but?—”
“Cash, I get it.” She patted his forearm. “Believe me, I get it. Rocco had colic and screamed for the first few…I don’t know…years?” She chuckled. “It’s not easy going at it alone. At least you’re blowing off steam with someone who relates.”
Alana escorted Cash and Penny inside. Laughter and the clinking of glasses echoed from the bustling bar area, and the savory scent of grilled meats wafted through the air. Her stomach rumbled with hunger.
They followed the hostess to their reserved table in the back room. Alana’s eyes flicked from one face to another along the way. She nodded to Juliette as they passed. “I’m starving,” she said into her comms.
“Try the lowcountry shrimp and grits. I promise, it’s life changing,” Juliette said.
Their waitress was a tall, curvy woman wearing a sleek black-on-black outfit and her hair pulled into a ponytail. When she reached to refill their drinks, Alana noticed tattoos on her wrists and hands. The waitress smiled at Cash. “Fancy seeing ya’ll here on a Sunday.”
Cash chuckled. “Alana, this is Jennifer. She’s our regular server.”
“Yep, worked here twenty-four years. Ain’t about to quit now.” She winked at Alana. “Get you somethin’ besides water, darlin’?”
“Water’s fine, thanks.” Alana liked the waitress. She was polite and cheerful, but there was something familiar about the tattoos that made Alana’s skin tingle.
When the food arrived, Cash and Penny chatted and laughed while enjoying their lunch. Alana tried to listen in on their conversation, but her attention kept getting pulled toward a man sitting alone at a nearby table. His eyes darted around the room while taking sips from his drink. She didn’t like it. Not one bit. She was about to radio Juliette when the man sprang to his feet and rushed out. Alana kept her eyes on him as long as she could.
“Juliette, a man in a gray suit just left. Follow him, but keep your distance,” she said into the earpiece. “Make sure he’s not up to something.”
With Juliette on the suspect, Alana shifted her focus back to Cash and Penny.
Her heart stopped. Where was Penny?
She moved to stand but then heard a soft giggle. The little girl’s bright eyes peered out from under the tablecloth. “Dropped dis.” Her fingers clutched a fidget spinner.