AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Pilsner on draft,” Bones said.
I gathered my hair into a high ponytail and then tied the bib around my neck. Bones looked at me with amusement. “What?” I asked. “I’m just getting ready.”
“You’ll probably have to get that sweater of yours dry-cleaned after we’re done.”
“Then I’ll get it dry-cleaned.” I rolled up the sleeves, ready for when the crabs came to the table.
“Been meaning to ask you something,” Bones said.
“Shoot,” I replied.
“You wore a Notre Dame sweatshirt.”
I raised my brows. “That’s not a question.”
“That your Alma Mater?”
I paused for a moment and then shook my head.
“You just wear a random university’s sweatshirt even though you didn’t attend? That’s kind of weird.”
“My dad went there,” I clipped.
“You haven’t talked about your dad before.”
“You haven’t talked about your family at all,” I fired back.
Bones didn’t seem offended by my tone, and his expression remained passive. The server returned with our drinks, brought us mallets and metal crab claw crackers before leaving us alone.
Bones smiled slightly and then said, “My parents live in Florida. They own an HVAC company. My dad likes to fish and my mom likes to needlepoint. I don’t have any siblings and I grew up with a dog that looked more like a wolf than a dog. Me and my friends used to build log cabins in the woods behind my house, dam up creeks and shoot each other with bb guns. Just a normal Saturday afternoon for young boys. Anything else you want to know?”
“No, that’s a pretty clear picture,” I said with a smile. “Wild boy even then, huh?”
“It was a good childhood,” he said softly. “Happy.”
“And you joined the club when?” I asked.
“Twenty years ago.”
“Wow. So you’re…”
“Old?”
I bit my lip to stifle a grin.
“I’m thirty-nine, Duchess. Hardly old.”
He picked up his beer and took a large gulp and I played with the straw in my water.
“Your mom remarried, then,” Bones said, setting his beer down. “After your parents split up?”
I frowned. “My parents didn’t split up.”
His brow furrowed and then straightened. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “I don’t like to talk about it.”
He reached for my hand across the table, but I recoiled, quickly placing my hands in my lap.
