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“Want to grab lunch?” Archer was eyeing the diner a couple doors down. He put a warm hand on the small of my back. “It’ll be fine. Cat’s outta the bag, might as well commit.”
I stared up at him and his square jaw. There were worse things than to admit I was married to a handsome man who made my mouth water, whether he wore a suit and tie or blue jeans and cowboy boots. A successful man with a respectable job, Archer had never been the reason I didn’t tell anyone I was married. It was telling them I’d had yet another failed relationship with a Barron. The whispers of “What did she think would happen?” I’d been through all of that once. I didn’t want to do it again.
But the truth was running wild in the insurance office behind us. Archer had seen the real me, yet he was staying another three weeks. I was getting to know the real him, and I wanted him to stay for those three weeks.
So I’d have to deal with Ma later. “All right.”
He pushed open the door to the diner. The tinkling of silverware on plates resonated throughout the place.
I stepped inside, my heart lurching into my throat. The age in the diner trended older. Mostly farmers and some of the professionals who worked in the businesses downtown and didn’t give me more than a second glance—until their gazes landed on Archer.
I moved through the café, avoiding eye contact, until a deep voice laced with accusation stopped me. “Laney, who’s your friend?”
I inwardly grimaced. Holden Barron. His dirty-blond hair was brushed to the side, and he had an arm slung across the back of the booth with a half-empty glass of water in front of him.
Holden was Archer’s cousin, and from the suspicious look in his eye, I assumed Cameron had told him about Archer and Holden knew this was him. His real question was what was Archer doing with me.
“I feel like you have a good guess,” I said as Archer stopped next to me, his hand settled once again on the small of my back. I was tempted to lean into the heat and strength of his touch, but we were in the middle of the aisle and a waitress would be bustling past us any second. “Archer, this is your cousin Holden. Kira’s boy.”
Holden slid out of the booth and straightened, as tall and broad as Archer. I felt my husband tense more than saw it. No one would look at his affable smile and think he was uptight about anything. Archer stuck a hand out. His go-to good-guy move. “Nice to meet you.”
Holden clasped his hand. “Well, this isn’t what I was expecting when I stopped for lunch.” His gaze jumped between the two of us.
I took a deep breath. This was it. “Archer and I are…married.”
Holden gawked at me. “Since when?”
“Our third anniversary is coming up soon,” Archer answered casually.
Holden sputtered. “Three years? What the hell, Laney?” He cleared his throat and glanced around. The café was silent. Even Jocelyn, the waitress who’d worked here for decades, wasn’t doing a damn thing other than watching us. “Why don’t you join me? I haven’t gotten my food yet.” He woodenly folded himself into his spot.
I dumped myself into the booth and scooted over until my shoulder was smashed against the wall. Archer did the same, not stopping until we were hip to hip. The only way out was to crawl over him, but the secret was out. Now I had to weather the reactions. Was Archer ready?
“Seriously, Laney,” Holden hissed. “You couldn’t keep your claws in Derek, so you went to Texas—”
“Don’t ever talk to my wife like that,” Archer growled. I was as bad as Chad, wanting to preen under Archer’s defense of my character.
Holden snapped his mouth shut and inspected his cousin. “You’re okay with it?”
I held up a finger, and Archer paused as he was about to speak, letting me go first. “One—and actually there’s only one—my marriage is none of your business, Holden. Got it?” He gritted out a curt nod because he’d always been more reasonable than the rest of his family. “But I’ll grant you it wasn’t a coincidence we met. I heard about a job fair and saw his name listed with one of the companies involved. I went out of pure curiosity. If it had been you, after growing up here, would you have skipped it?”
I glanced at Archer. His gaze was speculative, but my admission didn’t seem to bother him otherwise.
“Depends on why you went to Texas after graduation.” He quirked a brow as if to ask,another coincidence?
So much for it being none of his business. I was letting it all out, partly because Archer needed to hear it too. “It was as far away from Coal Haven as I could get, but also affordable. Look, I didn’t plan on meeting any of the long-lost Barrons and then having one of them talk to me. It’s not like I’m buddies with any of you.”
He nodded likeyou got me there.“You’ve been back for a while.” He switched his attention to Archer. “Why are we only seeing you now?”
“As you probably know, she’s not the type to put up with bullshit, and I’m learning that I was dishing it out.”
I appreciated Archer taking the blame, but communication goes both ways and he was working on limited information. We both had been.
Holden thought about it for a moment, then nodded. I could’ve sagged with relief. I didn’t owe Holden an explanation, but I hated for Archer to meet his family full of secrets.
Holden’s food was delivered, and Jocelyn studied Archer. She’d seen a lot in her day, but this had to liven a dull week for her. “We’ll get your usual, Laney,” she said without taking her gaze off Archer. She’d probably served his dad when he’d been a teenager. “What can I get you, hon?”
My chest squeezed. I’d ordered the same thing at this diner since I’d been eight and decided I liked the Denver omelet and hash browns. Was Archer going to ask for poached eggs or nitrate-free sausage? Was this where he realized our worlds didn’t mesh?
