The Hero's Sweetheart

“It’s hard to say.” The doctor wrote something down on a pad and handed the page to Jack. “Here are some local doctors. One’s a military veteran, like your dad. He’ll need to have a primary care physician to follow up with as he progresses through all the poststroke therapy.”

Jack studied the list of four names and numbers. “I’ll make some calls and also see to it that he takes better care of himself.” As he said it, he knew that would be difficult if he returned overseas.

Jack had some hard decisions ahead.

“You look beat. You should go home for the night and sleep. We’ll call if anything changes. Right now, he’s stable and needs rest and quiet more than anything. As do you.”

Jack peered down the hall toward his dad’s door. He didn’t want to leave but knew the doctor was probably right on all counts. He nodded in resignation. “Okay.”

“Meanwhile, we have an Olivia Abbott listed as your dad’s emergency contact. Is that correct?”

What? Why Olivia? For sure, Jack needed to figure out why this Abbott woman was so entrenched in his dad’s life and business. “If you’d please change that to me, I’d appreciate it. I’m also his medical and legal power of attorney.” Jack gave the doctor his contact information. “I’ll be staying at his apartment above the diner.”

“Got it.” An overhead page called the doctor to another area of Eagle Point Trauma Center—EPTC. He gave Jack’s information to the nursing staff and jogged toward the stairs.

Jack returned to his dad’s hospital room to spend a few more moments with him before heading out. As he sat there, Jack wrestled with scenarios and hard questions, and a particular pixie face floated into his weary, wary mind.

Olivia Abbott, her soft voice at such odds with her edgy look, her tender affection toward his dad equally at odds with her ink-and stud-abraded skin. She was totally not his usual type.

And maybe that was exactly why he struggled to take his thoughts off her. But at this point, it was too early to tell whether he owed her an apology or a closer look in terms of her background and her motives. The doctor was obviously right. He needed rest. Sleep would rid him of the jumble of unexpected thoughts, fears, feelings, accusations and attraction ricocheting around his tired mind. Right now, his guardedness trumped anything else he might be feeling for Olivia Abbott. And he aimed to keep it that way.

Chapter Two

“So much for first impressions.”

Three days after Jack’s arrival, Olivia spread a vinyl tablecloth over the pinewood breakfast nook of the apartment she shared with Patrice. It was one of two units situated above the diner. The fact that work was literally downstairs was a huge blessing of convenience to Olivia—it made it easier for her to put in as many diner hours as she could between studying and classes and her intern shift at EPTC. Especially in light of the learning disability she kept hidden from others.

“Jack’s all bark and no bite. Don’t worry.”

“I don’t know, Patrice. He seems to get angrier by the day. He was in Perry’s face again this morning.”

Granted, she felt that was warranted, because Perry had cursed so loudly at the sinks, customers heard his rant in the dining room. She guessed Jack was also justified in telling Perry to text on his own time. However, threatening to run Perry’s phone through the dishwasher seemed a little extreme. Of course, that was after he’d already asked him multiple times to put his phone away and get to work unless on break.

“I realize he’s undoubtedly worried about his dad,” Olivia said. But there was more she wasn’t telling Patrice. Jack was fretting over the diner, too. Quite by accident, she’d caught bits of conversations he’d had with bankers and loan officers. She’d eventually moved the condiment filling station away from the office to keep from overhearing what should be a private business matter.

She wondered how much Sully knew of it. She’d appreciated Jack asking the bank people not to tell Sully how bad things were yet, so soon after his stroke. That the Sullenbergers were a well-respected family undoubtedly helped.

Patrice pulled out a small paintbrush. “He’s not himself, that’s for sure.”

“Sully or Jack?” Olivia teased, hoping to lift the melancholy cloud from Patrice’s eyes.

Patrice smiled. “Both.” She set a craft caddy on the tablecloth and grew serious. “It’s been so hard working in the diner without Sully there. Memories of him are everywhere.”

“True.” Emotions were high and Jack had been one to avoid. It was a little tough since he was staying across the hall in Sully’s apartment. Not that he was there much. He’d either been at the hospital or downstairs at the diner holed up in Sully’s office going over financial records. This afternoon, he’d emerged like a loaded tank looking for targets. He even seethed around Patrice, his pal since childhood. Not that Patrice seemed to notice—she was entrenched in another argument with her boyfriend, on par for their volatile relationship. “Still,” Olivia added, “he has one of the most intimidating personas I’ve ever encountered.” She’d tried her best to steer clear the past two shifts. That seemed to suit Jack just fine because he appeared to go out of his way to avoid her, too.

“The military must’ve changed him a lot. On the other hand, he was always one to stand up for others and act with honor and integrity.”

Olivia opened two packages of paints, one forest-colored and one in glittery jewel tones as Patrice set poster board on the tablecloth. “In fact, I can’t believe Jack made you leave the hospital that first night.”

“I can. He was bossy as all get-out.” Olivia held the glossy white cardstock in place while Patrice painted Get Well Soon, Sully onto the homemade card in beautiful flowing calligraphy.

They were making Sully a huge card for diner patrons and employees to sign. Patrice was a fantastic artist. If she’d ditch her oppressive boyfriend, her dreams of a graphic design career would surely come true.

Patrice dotted red glittery firework shapes along the card’s edge. “Take into account Jack was probably scared out of his wits and sleep-deprived from his cross-continental flight.”

Recalling the look on Jack’s face when he saw the shape his dad was in kicked Olivia’s conscience into gear. “You’re right. It must have been a shock.”

Patrice nodded and capped the red paint lid before opening the blue to create glittery sapphire stars. They’d chosen the colors in honor of Sully’s patriotic nature. His entire diner decor consisted of veteran and war memorabilia spanning decades, all the way up to the present.

Patrice switched to silver and painted swirly scrolls next to the stars. “I hope this cheers Sully up and shows him he’s well loved despite his being a grump.”

Olivia snickered. “At least we know where Jack got it from.”

Patrice giggled. Then frowned as a text notification came through her phone. “Uh-oh. Speaking of Jack...he’s calling a mandatory emergency employee meeting.”

Olivia’s pulse sped up. She had a busy week making up the clinical hours she’d missed while sitting with Sully. She also had classwork to catch up on and a huge medical research paper due soon. She couldn’t possibly fit one more thing into her week. “When?”

Patrice nibbled her thumbnail. “Not sure yet. He’s giving the time in a forthcoming text.”

“I wonder what the meeting’s about.” Olivia’s pulse ramped up even more. Were things at Sully’s bad enough financially that they were all going to be laid off, or worse, let go? “Patrice, I overheard Jack talking to the bank. I hope he’s not going to close the diner.”

Patrice blinked in surprise. “I can’t imagine. He practically grew up there. His childhood wasn’t easy. He spent more time at the diner with his dad than at home with his mom.”

It wasn’t Olivia’s business, but she couldn’t help but ponder why. She’d had a rough childhood herself and felt instant compassion for others with tough childhoods.

Patrice sighed as she completed the gorgeous card. “Jack was a good kid. A model child. Very compliant. And Sully was a model parent. He removed Jack from a volatile situation.” Patrice shook her head and seemed to snap out of her musings. “But I suppose that’s all Jack’s story to tell.”

Not that he would ever, in a trillion years, trust Olivia enough to feel comfortable sharing personal information. Everything about Jack Sullenberger screamed unscalable walls and immovable rules.

Why was it that something in her wanted to breach and break them all?

Olivia tried to imagine Sully’s struggle on behalf of his son, which led to thoughts of Jack as a boy and how hard that must’ve been. She didn’t know Jack’s story and may never.

However, she could relate to living in a troubled home. But unlike Sully, her dad had never fought for her, and knowledge of that always put a hard lump in Olivia’s throat.

Precisely why Olivia promised herself not to pursue relationships, but rather to secure a college degree and a career with which she could support herself for life. Not dating was easy, since she was so wary of men. The degree, however, was an uphill climb due to her dyslexia. But she refused to let it—or anything—stop her.

She was thankful Sully worked around her school and clinic hours to allow her adequate time to study. He was one of few people who knew about Olivia’s learning disability. Patrice, Darin and Naem were the others, but that was it. If anyone else found out—especially Jack—she’d be mortified.

She’d squirmed under the scrutiny of his gorgeous, gunmetal grays assessing her appearance at the hospital. His obvious shock at her style dinged her dignity and dented the armor of her hard-sought self-esteem. He was so strong and good-looking, his opinion mattered to Olivia more than it should. She didn’t like having to work so hard to not care what he thought of her.

“Naem told me this morning before the breakfast rush that Jack told him and Darin that he’s officially here on an extended military leave.”

“Until when?”

“I don’t know.” Patrice’s phone bleeped with another notification. Olivia blew on the card’s paint to get it to dry faster as Patrice read her text. “Oh, wow. He called the mandatory emergency staff meeting for tomorrow morning at seven.”

“Seven?” Olivia chirped. That would cut into her best sleep time. She worked the day shift at the diner, did evening EMT classes alternating every other day with clinical at EPTC and spent half the night studying until around two in the morning. She then slept until seven thirty, which was just enough time to roll out of bed, shower and dress before starting breakfast prep at the diner at eight. She’d been able to survive on so little sleep simply because she’d known she wouldn’t have to pull this schedule forever. Now Jack wanted to shake things up? Great.

He’d already upset her by sending her away from Sully. It still smarted that he’d made her leave and didn’t seem inclined to let her visit anytime soon. But that wedge was Jack’s doing and Olivia was struggling to have a right heart about it.

A band of tension tightened across Olivia’s shoulders, making it hard to breathe. She was already stretched to the max. Jack’s plans were bound to increase stress and decrease rest. How would she ever manage to comprehend past her dyslexia while running on fumes for sleep?

Olivia liked things at the diner just as they were. Sully was great about working around her school hours. She doubted, considering everything he was contending with, that Jack had the patience or presence of mind to do the same.

“You okay, Liv? You don’t look so good.”

Olivia didn’t have the energy to correct Patrice about the nickname she hated. “Feeling a little light-headed and wheezy.”

Patrice reached for Olivia’s asthma inhaler and popped the cap off. She rarely had a stress-induced attack, but this felt like one of those times. Desperately short of breath now, Olivia placed the oval in her mouth and pumped the prime twice, inhaling deeply each time. Once she could breathe unobstructedly and speak again, instead of clawing her collar away from her neck in air-hunger panic, she thanked Patrice, who asked what triggered her attack.

“Change. I don’t like the sound of it. Not at all.” Never had. And for good reason. In Olivia’s experience, change equaled something awful. It always meant moving from a bad situation to a worse one.

* * *

“Miss Abbott, you’re late.” Jack watched Olivia’s cheeks flush as she rushed around the table to the empty seat at the diner employee meeting the next morning.

Her face awash in a strong emotion he couldn’t decipher, he stared her down. Her scowl loosened and she promptly sat. “My apologies.”

“No explanation?”

She swallowed. Bit her tongue. Then she said, “None that you’d understand.” Her scowl tried its best to return but she fought it.

Wait. What did she mean he wouldn’t understand?

“That means?”

Now her scowl did return. She peered at the clock. “Please, if you don’t mind, we all have other places to be.”

He guessed she was right. And to credit her defense, he hadn’t given them much notice. He relented on ripping on her for being fifteen minutes late to what he’d hoped would only be a half hour meeting. He moved to stand at the head of the table in the staff break room and studied the group of a dozen or so employees. He met each gaze, finding himself irritated when Olivia intentionally looked away. As angry and flustered as she appeared, he half expected her to get up and walk out. Then he noticed something else. Dark, sunken eyes and drawn features. As if she hadn’t slept well, or maybe not at all.

He tore his gaze, and his compassion, away from her and faced the group. After all, if he got soft, they’d continue to run all over his dad...if he was ever able to take over again.

Until then, Jack would handle it. “Some things are going to change around here, now that I’m in charge.”

Jack watched Olivia stiffen at his mention of change. A pallor flushed the scorch out of her cheeks from when she’d sprinted in, windblown and breathless.

He knew the feeling. This was a big turning point for him, too—choosing to stay for an extended period of time in the town he’d avoided for so long.

“First order of business is—”

“Like, what kind of changes?” Perry, the dishwasher, interrupted Jack for the third time since he’d started the meeting.

Tired of the disrespect, Jack placed his palms flat on the table and leaned in, face-to-face with the young man. “For starters, you get fired if you pull a no-show again without calling in.”

Perry’s mouth dropped open. “Dude, that’s harsh.”

“Asking that you call if you’re not planning on showing up is not an unreasonable request. Furthermore, if you’re late more than three times in a pay period, you’re fired.” Jack didn’t give Perry a chance to launch another argument before pulling out the schedule.

Olivia visibly tensed. He peered at her, making sure she didn’t have something to say before he continued. “Miss Abbott? Did you have something to add?”

Her eyes scanned the schedule, then lowered. “No, sir.”

“Yet your body language states that you do.”

Hands formerly folded in her lap flew up past her shoulders. “Fine, I just know how Sully would want things done. He doesn’t believe in fixing something that isn’t broken and with the exception of a few glitches, the schedule works fine the way it is.”

Jack shook his head. “That may be the case, but we have lost too much revenue.”

She looked as though she didn’t know what that had to do with the schedule, but she’d find out soon enough.

Jack actually admired her pluck. Unlike Perry, she didn’t present as rude. Just strong in her conviction to stand up to him to defend what she thought his dad would want. A measure of admiration rose up in him but he quelled it in order to keep the meeting on track and be able to get them out of here. Their time was as valuable as his.

Several exchanges later, it became apparent to Jack that Olivia was not one to back down easily from something she believed in. Change was apparently not something she believed in.

However, she did apparently believe in trying his grace and patience to the max.

Tension bundled in the back of his neck and spread to his shoulders.

As though sensing his thoughts, she lifted her chin. “I’m only trying to help.”

Jack wasn’t so sure. She seemed bent on opposing him at every turn. Regardless, in light of the time crunch, he found himself increasingly irritated that she wasn’t simply taking orders. At least Perry had simmered down to a quiet sulk.

Hopefully Olivia’s spunkiness wouldn’t turn her into a troublemaker or drag things out here. Especially considering a fourth of them were working the morning shift today. Soon.

Choosing, for time’s sake, not to engage Olivia’s stubbornness, Jack spread the schedule out and clicked its identical image on his video presentation. “First order of business is cost control. Starting today, I want syrup and sugar shakers only half filled on tables. Ketchup and mustard will only be placed on tables when customers ask. We’ll also use—”

Olivia’s hand shot up.

Jack paused. “Yes, Miss Abbott?”

“I’m wondering how that will cut costs.”

“I was getting to that,” he said with more edge than he’d intended. “If the containers are full, customers will inadvertently use more.” It had worked in the service. He hoped customers would catch on. “We’ll also use cloth napkins instead of paper.”

Olivia raised her hand again. Jack fought irritation at the intrusion. “Yes?”

“Cloth napkins will need to be washed and dried. That will use electricity. Electricity costs money. Plus the water needed to wash the towels. And detergent. That costs money, too.”

“I’m well aware of the costs, Miss Abbott. I’m installing new efficient washers and dryers. If I’ve estimated correctly, cloth is far more cost effective. Especially since Eagle Point customers love to smuggle handfuls of our paper napkins out in their pockets and purses.”

She nibbled her lip but didn’t argue. Yet the expression on her face clearly said and you don’t think they’ll smuggle cloth napkins out, too? Cloth would be less of a temptation. Most customers would feel bad taking them home. Hopefully.

And just because he was irritated, Jack added, “Only fill the salt and pepper shakers halfway, as well. I’m also going to crack down on tardiness and missing food items. That means you will fill out inventory sheets each time you use something up. No more taking boxes of meat home,” he directed to Perry, whom he knew had taken a box for a barbecue and beer bash at his house and hadn’t paid for it. “Or any other food and supplies, for that matter. Taking something that’s not rightfully yours is considered theft and is grounds for termination. Do I make myself clear?”

“Can we buy cases of stuff if you have enough?” Naem asked.

“If we have plenty of it in stock and you note the transaction on inventory sheets, yes.”

Naem nodded. Perry sank lower into a slouch, bad attitude wafting off him like steam.

“Next item on the agenda is hours of operation. I have no idea why Dad did this but it’s not prudent to delay opening a restaurant until nine in the morning. That’s a lot of lost revenue from potential early eater breakfast patrons.”

His voice seemed to have obliterated all the air in the room because Olivia’s face paled. Naem, Darin and Patrice slid Olivia glances that told him there was definitely a story behind why his dad had decided to open the diner later and close it earlier. That story had to do with Olivia.

Other employees, waitstaff plus another assistant cook from the opposite shift, began to notice the shift in the atmosphere because they darted glances between Olivia and her day-shift crewmates. No matter. He couldn’t be derailed or they’d lose the diner. And, in turn, everyone sitting here would be unemployed. He couldn’t let that happen.

Furthermore, saving the business that meant so much to his father was Jack’s chance to make it up to him for not being around.

Dad’s narrowed hours of operation had been a bad move. That initial bank call on Dad’s phone at EPTC had nearly put Jack in the stroke wing beside his father. Jack hated taking drastic measures, but the business would go under if he didn’t. He couldn’t let Dad’s future fade without a fight. That meant staying open during ideal meal hours. The diner’s precarious financial state and Dad’s health had made huge impacts on Jack and cemented his decision to stay in town and take over running the place.

“Effective immediately, we will open at six a.m. and close at nine p.m. on weekdays, seven a.m. on weekends with closing time at ten p.m. That means I need the morning crew to be here an hour before opening and the evening crew will need to stick around an hour or so after closing to get things ready for the next day.”

Several eyes shot to Olivia. She kept her face down. Jack looked at her hands, tightly clutching her bag strap. She was squeezing the fiber out of it. Obviously, by the sympathetic looks rallying around her, the new hours would be a hardship on her. But Jack was not about to let his family’s legacy die because one employee had issues with inconvenient hours. He felt firm about it and wise in his decision.

So why, then, did mercy needle his conscience over Olivia?

“Guys, I know this is a lot to take in. But it makes the most sense. Okay?”

Everyone, including Olivia, nodded. But she never looked up. Jack would pull her aside later and privately ask her why she was upset about the hours. He didn’t intend to stress her out. He just wanted to save the family diner and secure Dad’s future. Especially if Sully ended up unable to return to work.

That would throw Jack’s life into a tailspin. He’d always envisioned himself serving decades in the military before retiring. At this point he still planned on returning to duty once Dad and the diner got back on their feet. He’d wanted to reach twenty years of service. But fate clearly had other ideas. He wished Olivia knew he understood how she felt. Sully’s stroke had sent several lives into chaos. They needed to band together and do what it took to get through this.

After going over other items of business, Jack concluded the meeting and bought his employees breakfast out of his own pocket. It was the least he could do. None of this was their fault.

Rather than eat her meal, Olivia slid the tray toward Darin and sprang out of her chair. Jack watched her friends’ concerned, crestfallen expressions as Olivia rushed out the door. Jack tossed Darin the diner keys, called, “Take charge until I return,” and sprinted out the door after her, not even sure why, and convinced he was making a mistake.

Yet something compelled him to do it anyhow.

She barely made it to the end of the block before he slowed his pursuit in order not to startle her. She was obviously lost in thought and oblivious to his approach.

“Miss Abbott?”

Her steps stuttered but didn’t stop.

“Please wait. I just need a moment of your time.”

She paused but didn’t turn around. Her arm came up to swipe across her face—she was crying.

He stepped close enough to rest a hand on her shoulder. “Olivia.”

She stiffened at his use of her first name. It had surprised him, too.

“What?” she said in defeated tones, her back still to him.

He came around to face her. “Talk to me.”

She huffed. “There’s no need. I’m fine.”

“Considering you shot out of the break room like a rodeo bull from a stall, I don’t believe that. Help me understand.”

She shook her head, clearly exasperated. “There is nothing to understand. I told you, I’m fine.” The involuntary tremor of her eyelid informed him otherwise.

But she obviously didn’t feel comfortable being vulnerable. He thought back over the meeting and her reactions at certain points, then mapped together possible scenarios.