Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“We know where he’s headed,” Grizz mumbles under his breath.
“Who’s that?” I whisper.
“Ed Winslow.” Atlas keeps his voice low. “He’s retired from carpentry, but he still does projects for Mae.”
The older gentleman slows as he approaches Mae’s booth, and for a minute, I think he might turn around and head back the way he came. Meanwhile, Mae inspects the menu with exaggerated seriousness, one perfectly shaped brow arched. Even though she doesn’t look at the man, it’s clear she notices him.
“You’re late,” she says eventually, still not looking at Ed.
“We didn’t have plans to meet,” he says.
She taps her menu on the table, gesturing to the seat across from her. “Sit.”
Ed’s carrying a small paper bag in one hand, and he holds it out to her. “I’m only here to bring this to you.”
“I didn’t ask you to argue,” Mae says. “I asked you to sit.”
Hovering near her booth, Ed scrubs a hand over his white-stubbled jaw. “Are you trying to drive me out of my mind, woman?”
“Short drive, Ed.”
A laugh bursts out of me before I can contain it, and I’m not the only one. Grizz ducks his head over his plate and chokes on his own laugh, while Atlas’s mouth twitches. If I didn’t know Viper as well as I do now, I’d think he didn’t hear the conversation, but small movements of his eyes and facial muscles tell me something different.
Ruth arrives with Mae’s milkshake and sets it down like an offering. “Want a menu, Ed?” the waitress asks.
Mae waves her hand before he can answer. “He’s not eating today. He’s brooding.”
“Why are you always so pleasant?” Ed asks Mae. To my complete surprise, he slides into the booth across from her.
The woman bats her eyelashes, which I’m pretty sure are too long and thick to be real. “Why waste my charm on people who already know me?”
A leg nudges my knee under the table, and I realize I need to stop eavesdropping.
“Everyone says they’ve been dancing around each other for years,” Grizz says. “Whole town’s taking bets.”
“On what?”
“Who caves first.” When I arch a brow, curious, he says, “My money’s on neither.”
I can’t help but look their way again a couple of minutes later, and this time, Mae catches me looking. The woman’s red lips twitch into a smile as her eyes crinkle at the corners.
Atlas asks about my salad, and I keep my focus on our immediate table while we finish our lunches. When the men are nearly done with their meals, they start speculating about what desserts will be available today.
Grizz is about to flag Ruth over when a child’s voice calls out. “Hey, Ruth! Can we sit by the window?”
It’s T.J., along with his mom. Elena’s scanning the room for an available table, and waves when she spots me looking their way.
“Who’s that?” Viper’s alert level, which is always on ten, notches up.
“Kid who almost ran into … Jennifer,” Grizz says. “Name’s Elena Ramirez.”
Viper eyes her as she stands near the doorway. “New principal at Moon Ridge Elementary,” he says. When Atlas and Grizz both look at him, surprised, he says. “It’s my job to keep up with news.”
“Husband was a SEAL,” he continues. “Died in a training accident three years ago.”
My mouth falls open as I wonder, not for the first time, what it’s like inside Viper’s head. He’s a walking search engine sometimes.
“Want to invite her over?” Atlas asks me.
When I nod, Grizz takes the lead. He stands and waves at Elena. “Want to join us?”
She heads over, calling out a greeting to Mae, who waves back at her.
All three of the men stand as Elena and T.J. approach. Atlas pulls over two extra chairs, and we all shift to make room.
“Only if we aren’t intruding,” Elena says.
“You’re not.” He holds out his hand. “I’m Andrew. This is Silas, and you’ve already met Jennifer and Boyd.”
Elena shakes all of their hands, telling Boyd she didn’t catch his name earlier. She introduces her son to the men, then turns to me. “It’s good to see you again, Jennifer. Did you eat already?”
“We had lunch, but I think there are plans for dessert.”
T.J. taps Elena’s arm. “Dessert! Can I get a piece of cake, Mom?”
“We came in for hot chocolate. You can get that or cake, T.J. Not both.”
The boy screws up his face in concentration, doing mental calculations before saying, “I’ll have cake. We have hot chocolate at home.”
“Smart boy.” Grizz holds out his knuckles for a fist bump, and T.J. meets them with a wide smile on his face.
Ruth appears with two more menus. “Hey, Elena. You keeping this one in line?” She jerks her chin toward T.J.
Elena laughs. “I’m trying. No promises. How’s your day going?”
Ruth asks about a school event, and Elena asks if anyone found Mrs. Calloway’s missing cat yet. Their banter is easy and familiar, and it makes me yearn to belong to a community like this, instead of passing through, wearing a wig and using a fake name.