Page 42 of Colton’s Inferno

“You know I love this place,” he said with a smile. “Looks like you’re busier than this afternoon.”

“It’s good to have the college students back. They liven the place up,” said the woman. “Sit anywhere you can find a chair. I’ll be right over.”

Aiden led Lucy to a booth that was tucked into a back corner. Lucy slid onto one of the benches, and Aiden took a seat across from her. He handed her a menu. “What’s good?” she asked, scanning the list of options.

“Everything,” said Aiden.

The server approached. “Don’t let him lie to you,” she said. “He’s been eating here since he was a wee little tyke. At three years old, he picked his favorite and that’s been his order ever since.”

“Lucy, this is Ruth. Ruth, Lucy,” he said, introducing her to the server.

Setting aside her menu, she asked, “Tell me, what’s his favorite?”

“Aiden likes the grilled cheese with bacon and tomato. Callum, he’s the oldest Colton, is a burger and French fries kind of guy. No onion. Kelly likes the chicken Caesar salad, but only since she was a teenager. Before that, she was all about the chicken strips. Matilda is like Wyatt, and they always try the special. And Dylan, well, we only see him every so often. But he usually wants the soup of the day and a club sandwich.”

“Wow.” The Coltons reminded Lucy of her own family, back when everyone was still in the area. She wasn’t about to say as much, not in front of Aiden at least. Instead, she said, “Your memory is impressive.”

Ruth smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “The Colton clan has been regulars for years. We take care of our own.” And then, she asked, “What can I get for you, Lucy?”

“I’ll take the Aiden Colton favorite,” she said.

“Should I make that two?” Ruth asked.

“I’m going to try the special,” said Aiden.

“Getting adventurous,” said Ruth.

“That, and I had the sandwich for lunch today.”

Ruth scribbled the order on a pad of paper. “Drinks?”

“A soda for me,” he said.

“Same,” Lucy said.

The server turned from the table. “Hey, Ruth,” Aiden called after her. “What is the special?”

“Chicken and biscuits. You still interested?”

“Sounds delicious.”

“I’ll get that right out to you.”

She waited until the server walked away. “This restaurant is nice. I like it.”

“It’s my favorite place. It’s not just the food. Everything is locally sourced, if possible, and made from scratch, so it’s delicious. It’s the people—like Ruth—who make it special.”

“Do you come here for every meal?”

He gave her that smile, the one where the dimple showed in his cheek. Her stomach did a happy cartwheel. “I eat here a lot, but not that often. Today’s a rare occasion. I stopped by earlier with my brother Cal.”

“The sheriff,” she said.

“That’s the one.” He paused. “Anyway, we came here for lunch. I was thinking about going someplace else for dinner.”

“Oh yeah? Where’s that?”

“It’s a new restaurant. It’s popular. Trendy. Expensive.”