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Gingerly sliding the box back toward him, I shook my head. “I know I’m new to town, but even I know how valuable a gift like this–”
“Packed full of local favorites and not packaged for resale, so it’ll be on your porch whether or not you want it.”
Cheeks flushing, I smiled as I swallowed my nerves down. Hell, could I eat that much fish in ayear?! “Well, then, I guess…thank you.”
“Anything for you, sweet stuff.” A rough throat clearing cut off our conversation. “Oh, Rhodes! My bad. You get your order in. Just wanted to set that down.”
Wally stepped back into line, motioning Jameson forward. Okay, now IknewI wasn’t imagining it. When my eyes came back to Jameson, his tongue was running over his teeth with a special kind of irritation, shooting daggers at Wally. What was his freaking problem? I was just doing my job, and judging by the overflowing glass jar and the box of filets, I was doing it damn well.
“Everything okay over there?” I asked, brows hiking.
Jameson shrugged one of his broad shoulders. “Yep. Lived here my whole damn life, and never got a fifteen-hundred-dollar tip before.”
I sighed, rolling my eyes and shoving the box over toward the other register. Not like I’d asked for it. Leveling him with a glare, I said, “What can I get for you, Rhodes?”
His cheek twitched, but he wouldn’t grant me a smile, instead opting for a nondescript nod of acknowledgment. “Large black coffee, please.”
“Well. I could have guessed that one,” I said, smiling sweetly as I snagged another to-go cup.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, nothing.” I smiled, pouring the steaming brew into his cup. “Axel’s drink of choice; just makes sense that you’d like it too.”
“S’pose.”
“Anything else?”
“Actually, I think I’ll take it for here, Lizzy.”
“Of course. But it’sElizabeth,” I corrected, cursing the way my stomach flipped when the corner of his lip twitched. The sensation of attempting to parallel park while people watched washed over me, like I would suddenly be incapable of running the point of sale or pulling shots.
“I’ll take a menu, too.”
I glanced pointedly at the enormous chalkboard over my shoulder but reached for the laminated menus, anyway. “Doesn’t yourbrotherown this place?”
“That he does.”
“But you still need a menu?”
“Thought I’d try something new.”
“What are you in the mood for? Maybe I’ll have a suggestion.”
Brinleigh drew both of our attention as she came in the back door, radiant in that sweaty but sexy way expectant moms were so famous for. If my sister hadn’t already gone through it, I’d still think it was a beautiful maternal glow. Behind her, the rain pattered against the asphalt alleyway.
“Hey, boss,” I said just as the Rhodes all echoed a chorus of, “Hey Brin!”
“Wow! Full house,” she said, beaming and batting those fair lashes as she stripped her jacket. It seems that Alaskans are morally opposed to umbrellas. “You all taken care of?”
“Just waitin’ on a menu,” Jameson grumped back, glaring in my direction like I’d been withholding it.
Brin canted her head, blonde brow arching skeptically as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.Hah. I wasn’t the only one who thought the request was stiff and out of sorts. Take that,Wolverine.
“I’ve got him handled.”
She smirked, insinuation thick in her eyes as she rotated to the men waiting patiently behind him. “What’ll it be, Wally? The usual?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Wally shifted to show his new allegiance to Brinleigh. Which was fair, I supposed, as Jameson Rhodes currently manipulated my attention. Their chatter faded beside me as Jameson’s lips pulled up in a slow, agonizing smile that popped his dimples into existence. Dammit, those were cute.
