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“I guess that’s true,” she says as the doorbell rings.
I hurry and open the door to find Keegan, hair damp from his shower, wearing a dark green T-shirt and faded blue jeans.
My mouth waters.
“Good morning,” he greets with a grin. “You look fantastic.”
“As do you. I’m ready when you are.”
“I want to go,” Maggie says as she joins us. “I’m hungry.”
Keegan’s eyes narrow on his sister. I smile. I don’t mind if she joins us at all.
“Come on, then,” he agrees, and the three of us climb into Keegan’s truck. He drives us to the edge of town to his favorite diner. Most of the tables are empty as we’re shown to a booth on the edge of the room. Keegan slides in next to me, and Maggie sits across from us.
“You guys are cute together,” she says.
“Are you going to be a jerk the whole time we’re here, or can you behave like a regular human being, Mary Margaret?”
“I’m not a jerk, you jerk. I simply said you’re cute. And you are.”
“What can I get you?” the waitress asks.
“I’m going to have the breakfast tacos. To go,” Maggie adds. “I just came to torment my brother. Can you add extra salsa on the side and some hash browns? Oh, and a cinnamon roll.”
“How many are you eating for?” Keegan asks.
“You don’t have to leave,” I rush to assure Maggie.
“I’m gonna walk over to Maeve’s and see what she’s up to. Really.”
I order the pancakes, and Keegan gets his usual oatmeal. When the food is delivered, with Maggie’s bagged up and ready to go, she stands and offers me a smile.
“In all seriousness, you are cute together. I like it. And don’t forget, we’re having lunch tomorrow with Maeve.”
“Oh, I won’t forget. I’m excited.”
Maggie grins and takes her food. Before she makes it out the door, a tall man approaches her.
Maggie frowns.
“Who’s that?” I ask Keegan.
“Cameron,” he replies, watching them with narrowed eyes.
“Who’s Cameron?”
“Kane’s best friend. A friend of the whole family, really, as they’ve been close since they were small boys.”
“He looks at Maggie like she hung the moon.” I watch in fascination as Maggie’s face turns mutinous, then shuts down altogether. She says something I can’t hear, then shakes her head and walks away.
Cameron watches her with so much longing, it makes my heart hurt.
“I wish they’d just admit that they’re meant for each other,” Keegan mutters.
“Oh, he knows,” I assure him. “That poor man is in love with her. I think your sister’s being stubborn.”
“She wouldn’t be Mary Margaret if she wasn’t being stubborn.” Keegan waves at Cameron as the other man walks across the room and stands next to our booth. “Good morning to you, mate.”
“It was,” Cameron says with a sigh and glances back to where Maggie was. She’s now gone.
“I didn’t know you were back in town,” Keegan interjects.
“I’m here for a couple of weeks.” Cameron slides his hands into his back pockets. “I’d like to have a talk with you and Kane. Shawn, too, whenever you have time.”
“We’ll make time,” Keegan says. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, nothing to worry about.” He glances down at me and smiles. “Sorry, I’m rude. Cameron.”
He reaches out to shake my hand. “Izzy.”
“Nice to meet you, Izzy.” He turns back to Keegan. “Just shoot me a text when you guys have a minute.”
“You got it.”
Cameron nods and then walks away. He picks up a to-go order from the long counter near the kitchen and then leaves the diner.
“He seems nice.” I take a bite of my pancakes.
“He’s the best. Like a brother to us.” Keegan shifts in the seat and rests his arm on the bench behind me, leaving his oatmeal untouched. “Do you want me to shift to the other side?”
“No, this is cozy.” I grin up at him. His green eyes deepen as his gaze drops to my lips. I know he’s thinking about kissing me.
I’ve thought of little else since the last time he did it last night.
The man is an extraordinary kisser.
But before his lips can descend on mine, the waitress appears. “Everything okay here?”
“Yes,” Keegan says without looking at her. Instead of kissing me, here in front of the whole town, he turns and digs into his oatmeal.
“What are your plans for today?” I ask him as I take another bite.
“After we finish breakfast, I have to go to the pub for a delivery. I’ll be unpacking bottles until it’s time to open for the day.”
“Do you want help?”
He shakes his head. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Well, I’m not asking to clock in, I’m asking if you’d like me to come give you a hand so we can hang out together and be productive at the same time.”
“If you come help, you’ll clock in.”
I roll my eyes and shrug a shoulder. “Fine. But if you’d rather not, that’s okay, too. I’m not forcing myself on you.”
