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“The danish were for me.”
JD chuckles. “Right, well, make that two croissants, please.”
Doug nods and disappears out the back.
Tom raises his eyebrows at us. “He’s grouchy but he’s a good cook.”
“Pastry chef!” yells Doug from the backroom.
Both JD and I laugh as Tom waves his paper in the air.
Doug comes back with our orders. “Two for the lady, two for the man and two for the pain in my ass.”
More giggles escape me, and Tom tries to look angry but he’s staring at the croissants and I’m guessing he wants them more than he wants to insult Doug.
“How much?” JD asks.
“Twenty-two, forty but I’ll settle for an even twenty.”
“Highway robbery,” chimes in Tom.
Doug picks up his croissants and puts them under the counter.
JD grins, hands over thirty dollars and says, “I’ll pay for those as well and you can keep the change.”
Doug puts them back on the counter and Tom immediately picks them up.
“Appreciate that, stranger.” Tom nods at Doug. “See you tomorrow.”
“Not if I see you first.”
Tom frowns and walks out of the café.
“How long have you two been friends?” I ask.
“Friends?” Doug shakes his head. “He’s been a pain in my ass for close to ten years.”
JD with a grin, picks up one of the coffees and the box of pastries. “Thanks for this. You have a good day.”
I pick up my coffee, give Doug a wave and we walk back out onto the street. “I hope they taste as good as they smell.”
“Something tells me they will.”
JD walks across the street to a small park and sits on a bench. I hunker down beside him, sip my coffee a pick at the Danish. This all feels a million miles away from the life I’ve left behind, but it also feels so good.
“That looks good on you.”
Puzzled, I look at JD. “What?”
“Your smile.”
Laughing, I say, “Smooth, JD, very smooth.”
“It’s true.” He grins at me.
“Wait until you’ve tasted my cooking or lack of skills in that department, you’ll be running for the hills.”
The grin falls off his face and he says, "The day I met you, the day I saw what you've been through… I made my choice. I will protect you. I want to stand by you, no matter how bad you cook." JD winks at me. “You're worth fighting for. I believe in us—in you—and no past, no club, no danger can change that."
