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“Salt in your coffee? This seems a bit of an over the top response for salt in your coffee.”
Suzie’s one to talk. She has a college degree in over the top responses. “Because you’ve never overreacted.”
She ignores me and points to Wally. “Explain.”
“Have you ever had a rough night where you barely got any sleep? The one thing you know is going to get you through the day is a cup of coffee. You can practically taste the caffeine goodness. But then when you take a sip, it’s undrinkable because someone put salt in it.”
“Okay. When you put it like that.” Suzie easily gives in. “But Pops is going to get you back after this. I’d sleep with one eye open if I were you.”
“Wally always sleeps with one eye open,” Lenny says. I can believe it. The man is on high alert all the time. It doesn’t matter that we’re sitting in a bar having a drink and not on some mountaintop on the lookout for rebel soldiers.
“Here.” Pops sets a martini down in front of me and a Guinness in front of Suzie. “The rest of you fuckers can wait in line at the bar.”
“Good to see you, darling.” He kisses my hair and warmness fills my body. No one, absolutely no one, has ever been happy to see me. And no one has kissed my hair and made me feel welcome and part of the family.
“Will you adopt me?” The words pop out before I can stop them.
I expect everyone to chuckle at my faux-pax. Instead, their gazes zero in on me like they’re trying to read my thoughts. Oh god. Please don’t tell me the military has perfected mind-reading.
“Where’s your family, darling?” Pops asks.
I look him directly in the eyes and straight-up lie. “I don’t have one.” Not one I claim at least.
“Pops!” Hailey shouts from behind the bar. Phew. Saved by the bell.
Pops squeezes my shoulder before sauntering off. I watch him leave and release the breath I was holding. I look up to find the uncles are still studying me. Guess I’m not saved by the bell after all.
“Where did you grow up, Phoebe?”
“Is Adams your real last name?”
“Have you been married before?”
“Are you an orphan?”
“Did you grow up in care?”
I’m bombarded with question after question. Even if I wanted to keep up, I couldn’t at this point. If there’s such a thing as attack by question, this is it.
“Nope. Stop. You’re making her uncomfortable.” My mouth falls open at Suzie’s words. Considering how much the woman has been bugging me to tell her my life story since we met, I didn’t expect her to be in my corner.
Suzie winks at me. “I got your back.”
“Moving on then. How are you doing after the knife incident?” Lenny asks.
“Knife incident?” I pretend I have no idea what he’s talking about.
“Don’t play innocent with us, Doll. We can sniff a lie from a mile away.”
“But how do—” I stop when I notice Suzie squirming in her seat. So much for having my back. Someone is a blabbermouth.
“Come on.” She shrugs. “It’s the most exciting thing to happen this month. Well, except for the guy who thinks aliens stole his sperm. Talk about hilarious.”
“Dead serious now, Doll. How are you doing?” I can tell by the look on Lenny’s face he is not letting me get away with evading the question, but I’m not about to tell him I’ve been having nightmares of a giant rottweiler chasing me with a knife. And yes, I realize dogs do not have opposable thumbs and would never be able to hold a knife.
“I’m okay. The self-defense class helped.”
“Sure. It helped you. I didn’t get anything out of it,” Suzie complains.
