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My whole face twists before I look up at our waitress, Sherry, and she’s practically swooning at our table like she’s watching one of those romance stories play out on her television.

Adeline and I are eating breakfast.

Not kissing in the rain or making out like a bunch of horny teenagers.

Even though the latter I’d be alright with.

“For what?” I hedge, starving and not looking to have a twenty-minute conversation with anyone who doesn’t have green eyes and brown curls with a mind of their own.

That’d leave Sherry out of the running.

“Well,” she professes, ping-ponging her index finger between us. “This seems like a special moment.”

“Special?” I repeat with a forkful of banana pancakes. “What’s so special about it?”

Sherry steals a look at Adeline, who’s paying more attention to her waffles and fruit than the fantasies that are living rent-free in Sherry’s head right now.

Nonetheless, there’s no one to blame for why because I know what I was doing this morning when I told Adeline to wear my clothes out and come to breakfast with me.

Me.

The man who hasn’t had a date in years and, even if I did, it wouldn’t have been in Magnolia Ridge at first until I was serious about the relationship.

But I’m serious about Adeline, and I’m marking my damn territory for all to see.

And that means looks, like the one Sherry is giving off, and gossip will be through the whole town by the end of the hour over the manner.

It’s fine, even though it makes me a little uneasy with all the unwanted attention and all eyes on us.

“Nuthin’,” Sherry finally says, more than likely catching on that Adeline and I aren’t going to shout it throughout the whole town, and she doesn’t want to be the reason why she’d make things awkward between us. “Can I get ya anything else?”

“More coffee, please. And orange juice for Adeline.”

“Comin’ right up.”

Sherry turns from our table, and I can't get the pancakes on my fork into my mouth fast enough because another female voice interrupts our breakfast again.

“Well, Adeline Kerrigan,” Agnes Campbell greets at the head of our table. “Glad to see you were found safe and sound. Ya scared us, child.”

Glancing up, I find Magnolia Ridge’s infamous and number one town gossip with her best friend and partner in crime, Maebelle Mitchell.

And, honestly, they both take the number one spot because they are meticulous and savage with how they obtain their information. And some of it lands right in their lap, like what’s happening right now between Adeline and me.

“Nothin’ to worry about,” Adeline says, covering her mouth while she chews her food. “I was just tryin’ to get⁠—”

“Thank goodness for our talented and fearless sheriff,” Maebelle adds, buttering the skillet of feeding Adeline my available status. As if no one in this town doesn’t know it. “Ya get home okay?”

Alright, let’s not get into that.

“She got home just fine,” I mutter before shoving my food between my lips and leaving it at that.

Bad move.

Because it gives Agnes and Maebelle all the ammo they needed to confirm what I was doing all along.

Claiming Adeline Kerrigan.

“Interestin’ choice of clothes,” Agnes points out, running her index finger in the air at Adeline’s choice of one of my Sheriff’s Department shirts.