“I don’t know,” I say in a singsong voice. “According to Carl, he can take you. If you mess with Nettie, he might just step in.”
Xavier throws his head back and laughs as he pushes open the door to the diner. “I’d like to see him try.”
The sound of his laugh catches Nettie’s attention, and her face lights up when her eyes land on Xavier. She races out from behind the counter and bear-hugs him. His impressive arms make Nettie appear so tiny as he squeezes her against his chest in a loving embrace.
It’s sweet how she treats him like a son. I’m glad that he’s had Nettie and Carl looking out for him all these years.
Nettie pulls back, but she’s still holding Xavier in front of her by gripping his arms. “You’re back already? Not that I’m complaining. You know I always love to see you. I’m surprised because I didn’t expect to see you again for a while since your vacation just ended.” Her gaze flicks over to me, and her grin widens when she notices me standing next to Xavier. “Anna, honey, it’s good to see you, too.”
I grin. “How have you been, Nettie?”
“Oh, can’t complain too much, sugar. Business has picked up a little, so Carl and I have been busy, which is great. We could use our busboy back to help out around here.” Nettie winks at Xavier.
“The way things have been going, Nettie, I might take you up on that offer.”
She tilts her head and studies his face. Xavier sighs under the weight of her stare.
He and Nettie have such a connection that she’s able to read the hesitation on his face, and she instantly knows that something is wrong.
Nettie clucks her tongue. “I know that expression. You going to tell me what’s wrong, or am I gonna have to pry it out of ya?”
“It’s work,” he admits. “I fucked up, Nettie.”
Her face softens. “Well, we all do from time to time, honey. Come on in here and let me fix you something to eat while you tell me all about it.”
“No, Nettie. We really can’t—”
“Of course you can,” she completely cuts off Xavier’s attempt to explain that Quinn’s waiting out front for us.
She jerks her head toward the cooking area on the other side of the counter so fast that her braids whip around her face. “Carl, get your butt out here.”
“Hold your damn horses, woman. I’m coming,” Carl calls from the other side of the door that leads back into what I’ve learned is the stockroom officebreak room.
The gray-headed cook swings open the heavy wooden door that separates the front of the restaurant from the back. Carl’s eyes light up as soon as he spots us. “What up, X? You back already? Did you get canned over that match going south the other night? I saw that on TV. Man, you really fu—”
“Hush, Carl. Don’t be jumping to conclusions like that. He’s done told us over and over that everything is scripted. None of them boys really fight.”
“Actually, Nettie, Carl’s right,” Xavier admits. “I got suspended for losing my shit and attacking Rex in the ring.”
Nettie’s mouth gapes open while Carl shouts, “Told ya!” behind her.
“What?” She’s shocked by the news. “I thought you was done with all that fighting bullshit when you turned legit. You know the trouble that comes with laying your hands on another man. You should know better.”
“I know. The guy has been giving me shit for months, and I let it all go, but he crossed the line when he started fucking with Anna. I wasn’t going to allow him to hurt her or take her away from me.”
It stings, hearing him admit out loud that I’m the reason he lost his head in the ring, and it’s all the more reason I need to do everything I can to get him reinstated as quickly as possible. I won’t be able to live with myself, knowing I ruined his career.
Nettie’s gaze drifts over to me for a split second before returning to Xavier. There was uneasiness in her expression that makes me wonder what she’s so worried about. “So, the two of you will be in town for a while?”
He nods. “Yeah, and that’s why I’m here. I need my bike. Anna’s cousin picked us up from the airport and is waiting out front. She’s going to follow us over to my house on Sycamore to drop off our luggage.”
Nettie’s mouth drops open. “You’re going to stay on the Block? You sure you want to go down there?”
“I don’t have any other option. Tension is fining me a hundred fifty thousand dollars. I have to pay in order to keep my ass out of jail.”
“You have to pay that man? I wouldn’t do that. That’s too much damn money.”
“I have to. Giving that asshole money to go along with the explanation Tension created about the situation is far better than sitting in some cell or serving community service. If I don’t pay him, he won’t go along with the story that me beating his ass was a stunt gone too far.”