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Cal shakes his head in dismay.
“What?” I ask.
“She used to be terrified of me. Hell, everybody did. Now look around.”
“You mean the whole diner with their eyes on us since the second we walked in?”
“Figured you hadn’t noticed. You didn’t say nothing.”
“I always notice.”
“Rumors about us have been swirling around for a while. Now they’re seeing the two of us together, it’s breaking fucking news or something.”
I chuckle. “Cute.”
“Cute? You’re kidding, right?”
“No, it’s nice, very small town like. Everybody knows everybody, they’re up in their business, watching out for them.” I lay my hand over his on the table. “And, don’t worry, everybody is still scared of you. Why do you think they’ve been hanging back and just watching?”
Cal’s gaze catches on something behind me over by the entrance to Sarah’s Place. “Here comes the one person who ain’t scared of nothing or nobody. Even when he should be.” He shakes his head to himself. “Coming in hot.”
The next thing I know, Runner is standing at our booth, giving Cal a chin lift, then beaming at me in wonder.
“Sarah texted me that you were here. We didn’t get to talk during that whole Brockford shitshow and you been holed up at Ax’s the rest of the time, so I figured now were a good opportunity.”
“While we’re eating lunch?” Cal growls.
“Thought you and me were cool after Brockford?” Runner questions.
“We are, but you’re bulldozing your way into something here.”
“Like a date?”
“Nobody’s calling it that. But something, yeah.”
“All right, shit. Weird-ass place for a date that you want no interruptions to, seeing as though the diner’s right in the heart of town, but whatever.”
I hold up my hand. “It’s fine, Runner.” I toss Cal a look. “Right, sweets?”
He grunts, but relents, leaning back against his seat and looking on resignedly. “Fine,” he says, concentrating on eating his sandwich.
Runner snatches a chair from a nearby empty table. He catches Sarah’s eye across the diner and grimaces, then tells me, “She hates when I do this, messing up the tables. But it’s only for a few.”
He takes a seat on the chair, between me and Cal.
“So, what’s up?” I ask when he just stares at me starstruck for a few awkward moments.
I’m aware that I do have fans out there who are impressed with my career and some of my more infamous feats. But I rarely ever encounter them, because I keep to the shadows. Being out here in the open and right in broad daylight too, is a far cry from my usual way of doing things. But a combination of the Priest situation and being with Cal has changed things.
And I have to admit, it’s not unpleasant, not like I thought it would be. It’s peaceful and I didn’t think I would be able to handle peaceful, considering it’s synonymous with boredom. But it’s actually an experience and a half. Enlightening and… dare I say it… fun.
“First off, I just wanna tell you how much of a legend you are to guys like me, in our world. For real. I can’t believe, after all these years, there’s finally a name and a face to Kingmaker. It’s surreal.”
“Jeez,” Cal mutters under his breath. “Laying it on thick.”
Runner ignores him and holds out his hand to me. “It’s a real honor meeting you.”
As I take his hand and give it a firm shake, Cal says, “If you weren’t real happy with your wife, I’d be thinking you were flirting up a storm with my woman, kid.”
