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“I can handle it. I’m just wondering what you’re doing.” He turned onto Rose and then took a right on Juniper.
“I’m looking for flaws.”
He wondered if he should be offended or flattered. Did Viv think he had a lot, or was she at a loss to find one? Old Red would have laughed it off and told her he didn’t have any, but he knew that wasn’t true. He was like one of those big yarn balls—every string was a flaw. Somehow rolled up together, he made a semi-functional human being. He never wanted to unravel himself and see what was inside for fear that he would never be able to put himself back together again once he did. But maybe that was the beauty of life - the unraveling, the discovery, and the transformation that comes with it. Perhaps it was time to let go of his fears and embrace the possibility that the untangling might help him become a better version of himself.
“You’ll need a longer ride than this.” He turned onto Main Street and pulled into an empty parking space in front of the Corner Store. He immediately killed the engine and raced around the truck. Viv was the kind of woman who seemed to be self-sufficient, but he opened her door anyway. “I don’t want to offend, but I like treating a lady like a lady.”
She slid to the ground, looking at him like he’d grown a horn. “You realize you’re giving me mixed signals, right? I mean, you’re basically a manwhore, and yet you’re acting like a gentleman.”
He couldn’t fault her for thinking so poorly about him. “They’re not mutually exclusive. I am a gentleman—who has had a lot of sex with a lot of women.”
“I’m sure all they talk about is your pillar of manners.”
She walked to the diner door and waited for him to open it. When they stepped inside, the smell of bacon and syrup wrapped around them like a warm blanket. It was comforting, familiar—like coming home. He glanced over at her and saw a smile spread across her face. At that moment, he knew they were both thinking the same thing—pancakes.
As they took their seats, he couldn’t help but feel grateful for her presence. He mostly ate alone in his kitchen, so this was special, and he wondered if they’d have anything other than Sarah to talk about.
Maisey strolled over with the coffeepot in her hand. “Hey, kids. What will it be today? Can I start you off with a cup of joe?”
With a puzzled look on her face, Viv asked, “Why do they call coffee Joe?”
Maisey set the pot on the table and touched her chin. “I have no idea. Since it’s a man’s name, I imagine he had to be bold and bitter.”
“Makes sense.” Viv turned her mug over and watched Maisey fill it to the brim.
“You new in town?” Maisey asked, then turned to Red. “One of your fans?”
Red chuckled. “I doubt she’s a fan. This is Viv. She’s Val’s sister.”
Maisey poured him a cup of coffee. “You two a thing?”
“Nope,” Viv answered far too quickly. “I’m his bodyguard.”
“Another stalker?”
“He’s had one before?” Viv asked.
Maisey laughed. “Girl, the line at his front door is longer than the bathroom line at the bar when it’s girls’ night out.”
Viv’s eyes popped open wide. “More than one a night?”
Red held up his hands. “Pleading the fifth.”
“You two ready to order?” Maisey pulled out her pad and pen and looked at Viv.
“I’ll have the hungry man’s breakfast.” She pointed to the item at the top of the menu.
Maisey wrote it down. “I like a girl who’s not afraid to eat.” She turned to Red. “What about you?”
He glanced over the menu. “I’ll have pancakes and a side of bacon.”
Viv stared. “I’m not sharing with you, so make sure you order enough. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”
He looked at the hungry man’s breakfast. It had three eggs, hashbrowns, two pieces of sausage and bacon, and a whole stack of pancakes. “You’re going to eat all of that?”
“Every single bite, and I might ask for more.”
“I can’t wait to see this.”
