Move the Sun (Signal Bend #1)(17)
Lilli, to her credit, seemed unfazed. She smiled and nodded at whomever met her eyes. He led her to his usual booth; they passed the Sullivans on the way. Jimmy’s three nail-less fingers were thickly bandaged, and his arm was in a cast. Havoc had driven them both to the urgent care center in Cuba and had seen to it that they told the right story about their injuries. From the look of Meg, though, her injuries didn’t really get started until Havoc got them back home. Jimmy was right handed, but he’d obviously overcome that to beat the shit out of his wife with his left. Isaac felt bad for her, and pissed at Jimmy, but it was hardly the first time Meg had walked around town with bruises on her face. Like a lot of women in this part of the world, she was well acquainted with the feel of her man’s knuckles on her skin.
Besides, one of those bruises was Isaac’s. She’d come by that one honestly, but he didn’t relish hitting women. He didn’t give them a pass when they came at him, but he took no pleasure in it, as he had breaking Ed Foss’s nose last night. That had been satisfying. Backhanding Meg had been expedient.
Marie came over before their asses had fully settled on the seats. She turned the coffee cups over and poured for both of them.
“Hey, Ike.” Fuck, he hated that. No matter how much influence he’d earned in this town, he’d not been able to get that name off people’s lips. He supposed he should be glad they’d finally dropped the “Little,”
but that had taken his father’s death, even though he’d dwarfed the old man by a good six inches and sixty pounds.
Lilli had pulled a menu from behind the napkin dispenser and was perusing the options. It wasn’t often that people read the menu; almost everybody who ate here was a regular and had long ago memorized the offerings, which hadn’t changed, except for the seasonal flavors of pies and fresh jams, since the day they’d opened.
“Hey, Marie. This is Lilli. Lilli, meet Marie, the best baker in five counties.”
Lilli smiled at her, and Marie smiled warmly back. “Only five? Must be losin’ my edge. What can I get ya, sugar?”
Reading the menu, Lilli ordered. “I’ll have the waffles and eggs—sunny-side up.”
Marie didn’t bother to write the order down. “What meat you want—sausage links, bacon, or ham?”
“Bacon—oh, and can I get fruit instead of the hash browns?”
Isaac dropped his head to hide the smirk he couldn’t control. Marie gave her a look. “Comes with hash browns, not fruit.”
Lilli cocked her head. “Um, okay. Well, how about hold the hash browns and I’ll have fruit extra?”
Okay, he should probably help her out, but he was enjoying it far too much. Marie put her hand on her hip. “It comes. With hash browns. And unless you want a piece of fruit pie or some orange juice, fruit’s not on the menu.”
Lilli blinked, and Isaac took pity on her. “You got the order, Marie. Thanks, hon.”
Clearly vexed, Marie nodded at him and went back to the counter. Then Isaac laughed. He tossed his head back, put his hand on his belly and guffawed. Lilli was just as obviously annoyed as Marie.
“What the f*ck was that?”
“You don’t order off the menu at a place like this, Sport. You’d think a country girl from Texas would know that.”
She didn’t miss a beat. “Austin’s not country. And I hate potatoes. I can’t even stand to smell them.”
“Nobody hates potatoes.”
“Just told you I did.”
“Well, it’s weird.”
By way of response, she sat back, her arms crossed, and he conceded the point with a shrug. He watched as she poured three creamers and the sugar from three packets into her coffee. That was barely coffee anymore—why the hell even bother? He took a sip of his, black and strong. Then he just watched her. The sun was streaming in through the front window and slanting across her, giving her hair a reddish gleam and making her grey eyes sparkle. He shifted in the booth as his cock filled out a little and caught the seam in his jeans. He had half a mind to bail on the day and take her back to her bare mattress.
“How’d you know there wasn’t trouble?”
Coming out of his increasingly sexual reverie, he shook his head. “Huh?”
She sipped that sweet confection in her cup and gave him a curious look. “You said you were worried there was trouble when you saw my car but not me. But you were all relaxed, leaning back on my deck steps when I got back from my run. How’d you know there wasn’t trouble?”
Because he’d gotten a call from CJ that he’d ridden past her running down the road in her little top and littler shorts. She’d attracted a great deal of attention this morning. She’d attracted attention last night, too.
People were interested. And now they were eating together. Again, actually. He rolled his eyes. Town gossips would have them engaged by Saturday.
“Got a call from a brother who saw you on the road. Lots of people saw you, Sport. You might want to cover up some if you’re gonna run all over town. You’ll give the gossips tongue hernias or somethin’.”
Marie brought their breakfasts—waffles, eggs up, and bacon for Lilli, and his usual order of steak, eggs over easy, and biscuits. Hash browns all around. He saw Lilli make a face at them on her plate. He hoped Marie hadn’t seen as she refilled their coffees.