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I smiled. It took little effort with her. “It’s a relief there’s someone else out there who loves her food.”
“What can I say?” Grace shrugged. “I’m all or nothing. Sometimes I get lost in the cars and don’t eat all day. But then I stockpile for like a month.”
“Now that I get. Thanks for asking me out tonight. I’ll pay for this.”
“No, you won’t. You’ll get the beers and leave the tip. The rest is on me.”
“I’ll pay half—”
Grace put a hand firmly on her arm. “I’ll get it. No arguments. You’ll need your money to pay for the repair. I’m crazy overpriced.”
I relented. “I’m sure you’re worth every cent. But thank you for the food. And the hospitality.”
“As my mama says, being kind and polite costs nothing. And I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling right now, traveling alone, to another state, on your own. And to break down …”
My cheeks reddened. I didn’t know where to look. But I had a part to play.
Why does this hurt?
Usually, this was the part I was good at; the playacting, getting under people’s defenses to gain information. But with Grace, it felt disloyal, and I felt every sting of the lie. “You could say that,” I replied lamely.
“Hey. Don’t look so sad. At least you got stranded close to us. We’ll look after you.”
“You already have.” I took a sip of her beer. “So, tell me about the place.”
“The creek?”
I nodded.
“Sure.” She fidgeted in her seat. “We’re a small town, as you’ve seen already. We have pretty much everything we need here. It can stifle some of the younger ones, but few leave. Some go off to study, but they always find their way home again. And we’re a close unit. We look out for each other.”
“That’s nice. Have you ever left?”
“Me? No. The idea never crossed my mind. I don’t mind driving out sometimes, checking out what they have in the other towns and the shopping malls, but it always feels too fast-paced for me. Everyone focused on their own journey. Others so off their radar it hurts. I’m always glad to return home.”
“I can understand that,” I replied. “I always feel so lonely the more people are around. I get why you’d feel more comfortable with fewer, more beneficial connections.
Grace tilted her head, studying me, and I realized how lonely I’d sounded—something that wasn’t part of the act. I asked her another random question, keeping it light, keeping her from digging too deep.
Grateful when the burgers came, we thanked Lianne and dug straight in.
“Ho-lee-shiiit,” I groaned after taking a bite. “This tastes so good!”
Grace laughed, pointing at my face. “You’ve got half of it on your cheek.”
I didn’t care. It tastedtoodamn good to care. But I rummaged for a napkin to retain some level of decorum and wiped it clear. I pointed at Grace’s mouth. You’ve got ketchup on your chin.” I took another mouthful of the piled-high deliciousness.
Grace snorted with laughter, and that set me off. I tried not to spit the food on the table, almost choking on it. That made Grace snort some more, and I almost lost it.
But then she stopped, looking behind me, her face turning from happy to pissed in a second. I turned around, wiping my mouth and swallowing my food.
Two muscled men stood there. Two good-looking men stood there. One had a raised eyebrow in Grace’s direction, a twitch to his lips. The other stared at me. No—he eye-fucked me to the point I had to blink hard to break the connection. He looked familiar. Sexy as hell with his sun-kissed hair and kissable lips, but also familiar. How could I have seen him before with him this far out of—
Thud. Hit. Wallop.
The sketch.
The fucking sketch Gideon had given me.
