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Lois took off for the kitchen, and a glance around the diner showed Charley there were a couple of tables left. Dog put a hand on her back and led her to one with windows overlooking Main Street.
She probably should have ordered an egg white vegetable omelet, or some other tasteless, low-fat thing to make the neurologist happy, but not today. Today she was going to revel in the goodness that was Edwards. After all, Scarlett O’Hara always said, “Tomorrow is another day.”
Dog slid in the booth across from her. “After breakfast, I need to go by the clubhouse for a shower and change. Once that’s done, we’ll pick up your car and get the tire handled.”
Leaning forward, Charley laced her fingers on the table and quirked an eyebrow. “Have you got my whole day planned out?”
He quirked one back. “That bother you?”
She laughed. “In this case, no. You’re helping me out of a jam and, well, I happen to like your company.”
Work guilt threatened to shut down her resolve for a good day, but she shoved it away. She liked this new feeling of relaxation—she hadn’t felt this way in a long time. “What else are we going to do?”
He looked thoughtful for a moment, then the corners of his mouth turned down. “Shit. It’s Saturday. I’ve got something on for tonight I can’t miss. With the hospital and last night, I almost forgot. But maybe before that….”
His eyes got that predatory glint, the one Charley now associated with delicious things, and a tingle started inside her. Then his gaze shifted from hers and followed a dark SUV that was cruising slowly down Main Street.
She glanced out the window. “Is that Nate again? He seems to be everywhere we are these days.”
Dog’s expression turned murderous. “Fuck. Give me a minute.”
He whipped his phone out of his leather vest and typed out a text. Almost immediately, the phone rang, and he stood. “I gotta take this.”
Dog walked toward the diner door as Lois brought a tray holding their bounteous food, the smell of the French toast beating Lois to their table. “Where’s he going? Breakfast doesn’t stay hot.”
“He needed to take a phone call. Hopefully, he won’t be gone long.”
She set the plates on the table. “It’s all good. Gives us a minute for girl talk.”
Taking a seat across from Charley, Lois picked up her hand and held it tight. “I’m glad to see you with Dog, Charley. Known him his whole life, though I lost track for a while after his mom passed. I know he’s rough on the outside, but he’s a good man where it counts.”
Charley squeezed her hand. “I’m definitely seeing that.”
“Good. He’s got a story that explains a lot of his choices, especially the club, but it’s his to tell.”
Charley nodded. “I think I heard that story last night.”
Lois’s eyes widened. “Well, now. Is that so? He must care about you then because he doesn’t tell many people. I only know because it was big news back in the day. No little boy should see his mother die that way.” Her lips flattened. “Never liked his ass of a father.”
Wow. Charley had never heard Lois swear. Dog’s father must have been truly awful.
“Did you know his mom? Grace?”
Lois’s face became a mask of sorrow. “I did. She babysat my kids when she was in her teens. She met Dog’s father way too young. She didn’t have the sense to see what he was.”
She glanced over Charley’s shoulder and released her hand. The clomp of heavy boots announced Dog’s return.
Lois slipped out of the booth. “Enjoy your breakfast,” she said with a pat on Dog’s arm, and she moved on to the next table.
Dog slid back into his seat. Charley unfolded her paper napkin and placed it in her lap. “Everything okay?”
He frowned and picked up his fork. “Nothing for you to worry about.”
Dog’s voice sounded calm, but the lines of his body were tight with tension.
“Is it about Nate?” Charley asked. “You tense up every time he’s around.”
Dog stopped in the middle of scooping grits on his fork. They slowly dripped back onto the plate. He captured her gaze, and his words dripped with venom. “As long as he stays away from you, everything is fine.”
