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Chapter 11
Texas and I stepped into Alex's Diner and a waitress flitted by, the smell of fries fresh out of the fryer drifted over to meet me. I could almost see the steam rising from the basket as I licked my lips. Texas took one look at my expression andlaughed.
"Hungry?" he asked. I hadn't been before, but I certainly was now. I nodded as we headed for the counter and found spots next to each other on the stools. A waitress I didn't recognize met us and asked us for our drink orders. I watched her walk away with a puzzled expression. I had just been in here a week or so ago...but before then, I had hardly been in at all. I remembered a time when this place had been my home away fromhome.
Texas reached over and took my hand. "What's wrong? Was it yourmom?"
I shook my head. "No," I said absently, "just thinking." About how much time had changed since I first met the Iris Boys, how much my life had changed, how muchIhadchanged.
"Okay." He released my hand and reached for a plastic menu. "Are you thinking about what you're going toget?"
I shrugged. "Probably a burger and fries. Something easy for Carl, I don't want to make him work too hard." I gestured to the rest of the restaurant. "It looks like there are already a lot of people here. He's probably backedup."
Texas grinned and leaned back. "I think you'll find that Carl has an extra hand these days," he said. "I'm sure even if you order the most difficult thing on the menu, he'll give you whatever youwant."
"Huh?" I understood what he meant, however, when a moment later Grayson stepped out of the kitchen. I froze and blinked at him. How had I forgotten? I knew he had been going off to do something some days—coming back smelling like grease and sugar. I had suspected...but suspicions were different when they were finally confirmed. It was odd to see the boy that I had adamantly complained about several months ago, walk out of the Alex's Diner kitchen with a grease stained apron looking tall and wide andmanly.
"Yo." Grayson raised his hand in greeting and Texas did the same, keeping his eyes locked on my surprised face. "Everythingokay?"
Texas tore his gaze away. "Just a little trouble on the way over," he admitted. "But it should all be cleared upnow."
Grayson's winter blue eyes narrowed on him before switching to me. "Tell me," hecommanded.
My mouth went dry, but I shook my head instead of answering. "It's not abig—"
"We were followed after we left the mall. Harlow was worried about her mom so we stopped by the Care Center," Texas said, cutting meoff.
I shot him a look, but he wasn't paying attention. Grayson looked less than happy. "Marv taking care of it?" he askedcoldly.
Texas nodded and, finally, the tension in his shoulders leached away. "Good, that'sgood."
"How long have you been working here?" I asked, switchingtopics.
Grayson shrugged. "A fewweeks."
“I was just here last week.” It was a statement, not a question, but he answered as though it wereanyway.
“I was working at one of Knix’s construction sites.” Well, that explained how he was building muscle rapidly, too. It wasn’t just the workouts—or rather, not just the pumping iron he did athome.
"You don't have to work here,” I said. “Or with Knix. Why areyou?”
"I need something todo."
I eyed him, but watching him move and clean up the counter, though I knew from experience that wasn’t part of his job, I kind of got the feeling that he needed to feel useful. I relaxed in my seat andsighed.
"I'm taking Harlow on a date," Texasannounced.
A blush rose to my cheeks, the heat spreading outward like wildfire. I turned my eyes away in embarrassment, but not quickly enough to miss the jerk of Grayson's head as he glanced my way before returning his gaze to Texas. "Oh?"
I felt more than saw Texas nod his head. "Not sure where I want to take her, though. Anyideas?"
It was odd how calm they were about it—dating me, sharing me—but they were. I had a feeling that if it was any other way, it wouldn't work. I slowly allowed my face to turn back to them. Grayson kept his eyes onTexas.
"What were you thinking?" Graysonasked.
"I mean, I thought about taking her to dinner and dancing. I know a nice seafood restaurant on thebay—"
"No," I said quickly, drawing both of their attention. Grayson's eyes met mine, shining in a way that reminded me of that night such a short time ago. The way he'd danced with me under the night sky and how he'd kissed me. That was our memory and, though I was sure Texas probably wasn't considering the same restaurant, a part of me didn't want to share that memory with anyone else, not even him. That was mine—mine andGrayson's.
