He chuckles. “Don’t be ridiculous, sis. Just want to ask him a couple of questions.” He says all this while staring at Win with a focus that makes me glad there’s an entire room separating them.
I scrunch my nose, not buying his casual tone. “Hmmm.”
Sam pulls his attention from Win and looks at me, pushing his empty glass aside. “I just want to get to know the guy. That’s all.”
I cross my arms. “Then why don’t I believe you?”
“You’re paranoid?”
I’m scowling at him as Nico approaches our table, significantly calmer than he was when he threatened to burn the diner down and start over in a new town. “I forgot to ask earlier, but do you have a place to stay, Sam?”
Sam shrugs. “I was going to hit the motel or stay with Rose.”
I wipe all expression from my face. While I’d love for Sam to stay with us, the way he was eyeing Win makes me seriously concerned that Win might not live through the night. And I’m not being dramatic.
Nico fishes a small set of keys from his pocket and offers them to Sam. “Stay at my niece, Lora’s apartment. There was a fire a while back, but it’s been cleaned out, and we’ve replaced the smoke-damaged furniture. It’s the least I can do for your help, since you refuse to let me pay for saving my sanity.”
Sam tilts his head to the side. “A fire? Sounds exciting.”
Nico frowns. “Maisie, an old waitress, had some problems with her ex-husband.” He shakes his head, his troubled expression melting away. “Anyway, all that’s been taken care of. She still makes all my pies, though. That’s why she’s no longer waitressing.”
“And Lora?” Sam asks.
“In grad school in Arizona. She won’t be back until after she graduates this summer, so you won’t even meet her. It’s yours if you want to stay.”
Sam sits back in his seat. “But you don’t know me.”
Nico sets the keys down on the table and pushes them toward Sam. “My instincts are rarely wrong, and they say I can trust you.”
Sam studies him for a beat, then looks at me. His lip twitches as if he can read how desperate I am for him to accept Nico’s offer. He turns back to Nico and nods, pocketing the keys. “All right, I accept. Thanks. What’s the address?”
As Nico writes the address and instructions on a piece of paper that he tears from the small notebook in his white half-apron, I take the opportunity to slip out of the booth, telling Sam, “I’ll be right back. Just want to check on Ben and talk to Win real quick.”
He’s too distracted by Nico to stop me, which is exactly what I’d hoped for.
I swing by Ben and Harry’s table, say a quick hi to Frank, Harry’s dad, kiss Ben’s hair, and am ignored as Ben happily continues chatting with his new best friend.
On my way to the counter, I smile at a couple of the parents from Harry’s birthday party and at one of the firefighters who waves and calls out a greeting.
This town is so friendly. I’ve been here a couple of weeks, and Ben seems to have completely forgotten we’re supposed to be on a road trip. Most days, so have I.
I pull myself up onto an empty stool at the front counter. “Win, can I talk to you for a sec?” I call out to him through the hatch.
He glances over at me, unsmiling. “Give me a second to finish plating this.”
While I wait, I twist in my seat, peering over my shoulder to find Nico and Sam chatting it up. They’re probably discussing plans for the office. Nico is moving his arms as if explaining something, and Sam has his concentration face on as he listens.
As if he feels my attention, Sam looks at me, then at Win, and raises an eyebrow as if to say, "Are you bringing the man over so we can talk?"
I will, just as soon as I prepare Win and make sure you won’t kill him.
I turn around as Win steps through the swinging door.
He looks tense, his eyes briefly meeting mine, then darting away again. “Something wrong?”
“No.” I check on Ben, shaking my head at how much fun he’s having with Harry. “I’m going to need a crowbar to separate those too.”
Win doesn’t respond. He doesn’t so much as crack a smile, which is… not like him at all.
