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a strict diet to lose the twenty pounds she’d gained while undercover. Indulging in a spree of eating fast food had wrecked her regimen of healthy eating. She was reassigned to a desk in a field office in Phoenix, becoming a glorified clerk.
    Relocating to the Pacific Northwest was as different as night was from day when she compared the geography of the Southwest to the rugged untamed forests and the majestic splendor of Mount Hood. Waking up in the bedroom she’d occupied during her childhood summer vacations was like stepping back in time when she’d slept with the windows open because there was hardly ever a need for air-conditioning.
    She had the entire two-story house to herself. Bobby claimed he could no longer stay there since losing his wife of nearly forty years. He now lived in one of the two apartments above Stella’s. The other apartment was occupied by an Iraq War veteran recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Bobby had hired Danny Poe to clean the restaurant and stock the bar and kitchen pantry. Danny, who was undergoing counseling, usually kept to himself, spoke when spoken to and accomplished his chores in record time.
    Stella’s had begun as a family restaurant, but over the years it was also a sports bar and a favorite hangout for locals, college students and tourists. It opened six days a week from noon to three for lunch and five to nine for dinner; buffet-style dining was available only on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with the kitchen closing at midnight. Sundays from ten to three featured a country-style buffet and table-service dinner until eight.
    Thursday nights were set aside for karaoke when the number of customers increased appreciably with those wanting to showcase their vocal talent, while a live band provided entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights. If Greer had grown bored sitting at a desk, the same couldn’t be said when she found herself on her feet waitressing.
    Maggie Shepherd, a single mother with two school-age children, worked the lunch shift, while Greer assumed the responsibility for serving dinner along with two college students who came in Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
    Greer set the plates down in front of Chase, her eyes meeting those of the man seated opposite him. A slight frown creased her smooth forehead before she caught herself staring. She’d recognized Chase’s dining partner. What is Jason Cole doing in Stella’s? she mused.
    She’d seen enough photographs and television footage of the recording executive to recognize him immediately. Although he’d been identified as a music industry celebrity, he’d managed to maintain a low profile without hordes of paparazzi shadowing his every move. Questions swirled inside Greer’s head as she wondered what was his connection to the man she had on her mental radar?
    Forcing a smile, she angled her head. “Is there anything else I can get for you, Chase?” she asked the taciturn man who usually dined alone.
    Chase stared at the plate of food, then glanced up at Greer. “Nothing for me, but I’d like you to get my friend a beer.”
    Reaching into the pocket of her apron, she took out a pen and a pad. “Good evening, sir. Would you like to order something to go with the beer?”
    A slow smile found its way across Jason’s face, dimples deepening in both cheeks. Greer didn’t know why, but she found the expression to be more of a leer than a smile. Curbing the urge to roll her eyes at him, she wanted to tell him she wasn’t one of his adoring groupies, ready and willing to do anything to get him to spend time with them. What she had to admit was that he was pretty, an adjective she rarely attributed to a man. However, his patrician features, deeply tanned olive complexion and large brown eyes with pinpoints of gold were mesmerizing.
    Jason’s smile grew wider as he pointed to Chase’s plate. “I’ll have what he’s having, but I don’t want the peas and carrots. What other vegetables do you