Angels Fall

and cringed. No one around to hear, she reminded herself, and the distraction got her to the door of Angel Food.
    The lights burned bright inside, easing some of the tension in her shoulders. She could see movement inside—Joanie, already in the kitchen. Did the woman ever sleep?
    She had to knock on the door, Reece told herself. Knock, put a smile on her face, wave. Once she took this next step, once she pushed herself inside, she'd drown this anxiety in the work.
    But her arm felt like lead and refused to move. Her fingers were too stiff, too cold to curl themselves into a fist. She stood where she was, feeling stupid, useless, helpless.
    "Problem with the door?"
    She jolted, swung around. And there was Linda-gail slamming the driver's door of a sturdy little compact.
    "No. No. I was just—"
    "Zoning? You don't look as if you got much sleep last night."
    "I guess I was. I guess I didn't."
    The already cold air chilled with every step Linda-gail took toward her. The bright blue eyes, so friendly the day before, were aloof, dismissive. "Am I late?"
    "Surprised you showed up at all with the night you must've put in."
    Reece thought of huddling in bed. gripping the flashlight, listening. Listening. "How do you—"
    "Lo's got a reputation for endurance."
    "Lo? I don't— Oh!" Surprise laced with amusement jumped right over the nerves. "No, we didn't— I didn't. God. Linda-gail, I met him for like ten minutes. I have to know a guy at least an hour before I test his endurance."
    Linda-gail lowered the hand she'd lifted to the door, narrowed her eyes at Recce. "You didn't go to bed with Lo?"
    "No." This, at least, she could handle. "Did I break some secret town tradition? Am I going to be fired? Arrested? If being a skank is part of the job requirement, it should've been made clear up front and I should be making more than eight an hour."
    "That clause is voluntary. Sorry." Through a flush, the dimples winked. "Really sorry. I shouldn't have assumed and jumped on you just because you left together."
    "He walked me back to the hotel, suggested a drink, which I didn't want, and shifted to showing me the area, which I can see for myself, then maybe a trail ride. I don't ride, buI i may give that part a try. He gets a ten on the cute-factor scale, and another ten on behavior and manners. I didn't realize you two had a thing."
    "A thing? Me and Lo?" Linda-gail made a dismissive blowing sound. "We don't. I'm probably the only single female under fifty in a hundred miles who hasn't slept with him. A slut's a slut in my book, whether they're a man or a woman."
    She shrugged, then once again studied Recce's face. "Anyway, you really do look worn out."
    "Didn't sleep well, that's all. First night in a new place, new job. Nerves."
    "Put them away," Linda-gail ordered as she opened the door, and the warmth was back in her eyes. "We're not scary around here."
    "Wondered if you two were going to stand out there and gab all day. I'm not paying you to gossip."
    "It's five after six, for God's sake, Joanie. Dock me. Oh, speaking of pay, here's your share of last night's tips, Reece."
    "My share? I didn't wait any tables."
    Linda-gail pushed the envelope into Recce's hands. "Shop policy, the cook gets ten percent of the tips. We get tipped for service, but it the food's crap, we're not going to make as much."
    "Thanks." Not completely broke. Recce thought as she stuffed the envelope in her pocket.
    "Don't spend it all in one place."
    "If you're finished passing the time now?"Joanie folded her arms at the counter. "Get those breakfast setups going. Linda-gail. Recce, you think you're ready to get your skinny ass back here and work?"
    "Yes, ma'am. Oh, and just to clear the air," she added as she rounded the counter for an apron, "your son's very charming, but I slept alone last night."
    "Boy must be slipping."
    "I couldn't say. I intend to continue to sleep alone while I'm in Angel's Fist."
    Joanie set aside a bowl of pancake batter. "Don't like sex?"
    "I like it fine." Recce moved to the sink to wash her hands. "It's just not on my to-do list at the moment."
    "Must be a pretty sad, short list then. Can you make huevos rancheros?"
    "I can."
    "They're popular on Sundays. So are flapjacks. You go on, start trying up bacon and sausage. Early crowd'll be right along."
    Shortly before noon, Joanie pushed a plate holding a short stack, a scoop of scrambled eggs and a side of bacon into Reece's hand. "Go on, take this into the back room. Sit down