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chapterthirty-seven
Andi ordered a burger,fries, and a soda. Then she also ordered some chicken wings with a side of onion rings.
Duke looked at her with wide eyes as if trying to imagine how she was going to eat all that food.
Truth was, she probably wouldn’t. But she was ravenous, and it all sounded good—even if the inside of this place smelled like grease and cigarettes. She could look past those things for now.
At least, they had a catchy sign on the wall: You’ll never get cold food in Coldfoot.
“Well, if it isn’t Duke-a-licious.” Another waitress appeared and draped her arm around Duke’s shoulders. The woman was probably in her twenties with long dark hair, a sultry figure, and flirtatious eyes.
Andi raised her eyebrows. Duke-a-licious?
Wait. Was Duke dating while he waited for his missing fiancée to return? That didn’t fit what Andi thought she knew about him. The possibility of it . . . well, it somewhat disappointed her.
Had she gone from not trusting the man to putting him up on a pedestal?
It was a possibility.
He politely shrugged off the woman’s arm. “Hi, Bunny.”
Bunny’s gaze fell on Andi. “And who is this?” She glanced at Ranger. “I know who you are.” She winked.
Yes, this woman was a total flirt.
“I’m Andi.” She made sure to keep her voice strong. This woman represented everything that Andi didnotwant to be—someone who used sex appeal to get what they wanted or to define themselves.
She’d been told she was pretty, but she preferred to be known for her brains and character.
“So . . . what brings you by . . .Andi?” Bunny leaned on the back of Duke’s chair, one hand on the chair and the other on her hip.
“We’re actually looking for Joe Grunfeld,” Duke piped in. “Any chance you know where he might be?”
“Joe?” She tilted her head, almost looking bored at the question. “Sure everybody knows where he is.”
“And where is that?” Andi tried not to lose her patience, but this whole interaction almost felt like a game of sorts.
“He started a new job only a few weeks ago. He’s working at the post office.” Bunny shrugged. “We were all surprised. But it’s hard to find workers up here.”
“Why are you guys looking for Joe? Is he in trouble?” Bunny popped a hip out and waited, making no apologies about her nosiness.
“No,” Duke quickly said. “We’re just trying to find some answers about something.”
“Well, I can give you some answers about Joe.” Bunny straightened. “He’s been married four times. Even proposed to me once. I said no. He’s not my type. When you’re one of the only single women within ninety miles, you can afford to be kind of picky.”
“I can imagine,” Andi muttered. This place was similar to the Wild West in that way. Without very many choices, dating became a whole different playing field.
Bunny locked gazes with Andi. “If you’re looking for a husband, then you came to the right place.”
Bunny nodded a little too seriously.
She wasn’t joking, was she?
“I don’t need a man to complete me,” Andi told her. “I’m perfectly happy single.”
She knew her words probably sounded harsh, but she got so tired of people thinking that she needed a man in her life. She wasn’t opposed to having a man. But there was a lot to be said for being happy with yourself and comfortable in your own skin.
Andi had learned that through years of experience and repeated disappointment.
