Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Hank
After breakfast, I headed back to my place and spent the morning checking off tags in my Watusi herd.
Given their rarity, I was surprised the research facility renting my pasture hadn’t opted for weekly inspections rather than just a monthly tag and headcount.
Even with Mac's cutting ability, it still took us several hours to get through the entire batch.
By the time the afternoon rolled around, the last thing I wanted to do was figure out how to feed myself lunch.
I toyed with the idea of showing up at Jasper’s place because I could almost guarantee he’d have something in the kitchen.
But I didn’t want to interfere with his plans to be a responsible, non-procrastinating adult.
And if I showed up for lunch, I couldn’t guarantee I’d keep my hands off him.
And if I didn’t keep my hands off him, I knew damn well where we’d spend the entire afternoon.
Which sure as shit wouldn’t be in a barnyard chasing animals or in the main house scrubbing toilets.
So I stuffed away the urge and packed myself into the truck for lunch at DeeDee’s.
While I was there, I ought to stop by the grocery store and the post office, but neither held much appeal.
Jasper had become a serious distraction.
When I should’ve been working, I’d spent my time staring off into space, thinking of excuses to be around him.
I’d mooned less in high school than I was now.
“Hey, Selena, how’s it going?”
“It’s going good. How about yourself?”
“I can’t complain, and nobody would care even if I did.” Selena grinned and pulled her pad out of her apron. “True story. The usual?”
“If it wasn’t so good, I’d get something else once in a while.”
“Patty melt with crinkle fries, it is.” Selena paused and looked back at me. “Chess pie for dessert?”
“You know, I’m gonna live dangerously today. I’ll have the lemonade pie instead.”
“You feelin’ all right?”
“Trying new things is good for the soul or some shit.”
“Ha! So says the guy who’s ordered the same lunch for a decade. Do you, boo.”
“Boo? I’m gonna tell Sammy you’re flirtin’ with me.”
“He’d tell you to take the kids too,” she answered with a small laugh. All three of us had graduated from high school together, and she and Sammy had been dating since seventh grade. Sammy wasn’t worried about a damn thing.
Selena snapped the top of her pen, tapped her pad, and said, “Sit tight. I’ll get it put in.” She finished writing it up, slid it over to the cook’s window, and then grabbed silverware from under the counter to slide in front of me.
“I hear you’ve got a new friend.”
Shit.
Jasper and I had woken up early because he knew I needed to get out there and start feeding the animals, but then we got distracted.
I didn’t end up pulling out of his driveway until close to nine a.m., which meant everybody and their goddamn brother saw my truck from the road—and it sure as shit was not in my driveway.
“Don’t try that crap with me. I was your first kiss, and I’ve been able to read you like a book since,” Selena said as she leaned down close.
“Does Sammy know?”
“We were on a break, and it’s none of his business.” Her arched brow went higher. “So…he’s cute?”
“Did it occur to anyone that maybe I went over this morning?”
“Nice try. Old Man Niemand saw your truck there last night.”
“Why the hell is everyone tracking my damn truck?”
“Because it’s never anywhere but your house.”
From the booth behind me, I heard Earl mutter to his wife, “Told you that was Hank’s truck at Sissy’s place.”
“Mm-hmm,” she said, like that settled a bet.
Dammit. This conversation would get back to Faust before I finished paying the bill. Right on cue, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Faust
You naughty boy!
Hank
Ew, I don’t think I like that phrase from you.
Bert
Don’t make it weird.
Hank
Tell Faust. He’s the one who called me naughty.
Faust
I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t.
Bert
Faust, love, get to the point.
Faust
So I was talking to a friend.
Hank
A friend named Deanna?
Deanna, Earl’s wife, was in the garden club with Faust, and they worked on the Christmas parade committee together. They spent every fall going on winery tours while Earl and Bert stayed home and watched football.
Faust
That’s not important right now.
Interesting that you stayed the night at Sissy’s place.
Hank
Is it though?
Bert
Faust and Deanna think so.
“Y’all need a new hobby,” I said it louder than necessary, but I wanted it to carry across the diner. My phone vibrated again.
Faust
Be nice.
Bring Jasper to dinner at the barbecue next weekend.
Selena glanced up from wiping down the counter when the door chime gave notice of a new customer.
She gave me a face-splitting grin before she pushed herself off the counter.
I heard her direct someone to a booth near the back.
Their murmured response was too faint for me to eavesdrop.
The part I could hear was about where to sit.
I must’ve been here longer than I thought because I hadn’t realized the restaurant wasn’t “seat yourself” anymore.
After helping the new customer, Selena returned to me at the counter. “Hey, Hank, I’m sorry I have to do this to you, but Sammy’s fixin’ to do some work under the counter, so I’ll have to move you.”
I glanced around at other diners, who weren’t being moved. “Why—”
“Did I say counter? I meant stool,” Selena quickly interjected.
“Here, let me get your silverware and drink for you. It’s the least I can do since I’m making you move.
Thanks for understanding. Did I mention we have a big group coming in for lunch, so you’ll have to share a booth?
Sorry about that. But you’re such a friendly guy, I know you’ll make the best of it. ”
Selena abruptly prattled on about some town gossip that, blessedly, wasn’t me—without taking a breath. The lung power was impressive. As we approached the booth, she stumbled a little and dumped water on the bench on the far side. The physics of the move seemed…odd.
“Gosh, I’m clumsy. Here, sit on this side,” she said in a rush. Selena plunked down the items in her hand and managed to shove me into the booth in a single move.
“What the hell?” I turned to her before I even registered that a small, lithe body was pushing against my bicep.
“Sorry. It’s so busy in here. Introduce yourselves,” she said hurriedly, and with a breezy wave, she was back to the kitchen.
“Hey, Daddy.”
Jasper scooted down the bench to give me more room, but I wanted to haul him closer. The warmth was gone when he wasn’t crammed into my side. The biddies in town were gonna have a field day dissecting every part of our lunch today.
“Fancy meeting you here.” Jasper’s smile was as bright as ever, but after yesterday, I recognized the shadows flirting around the edges. He was nervous.
“They’ve got the best burgers and shakes in town, so you picked good.”
“What the heck? How did I miss that?” Jasper pulled a plastic menu from behind the napkin dispenser and homed in on the shake section.
Before I could answer, Selena popped up next to the table with her pad. “Hank, I told the kitchen to hold off on your order. I knew you wouldn’t want to eat in front of your friend.”
Her innocent smile wasn’t fooling anybody, least of all me. On a hunch, I glanced over my shoulder. Yep, someone was sitting where I’d been. I looked back at her, at my old spot, then at her again. She followed my gaze before giving me a quick wink.
“I’m Selena, by the way. There’s a rumor going around that you’re staying at Sissy’s place.”
“Hey, yeah, I’m Jasper.”
“She was such a cool lady. I’m real sorry for your loss. She’d come in every Friday, sit in the back with her book, and treat herself to a chocolate shake. I thought she might be feeling better with all the renovations she was doing out there.”
“Yeah, we were related, but we didn’t get the chance to meet in person before she passed.”
Selena nodded like she understood. “I’ve had a few friends I never met in person—only online—and I think we were closer than some I see every week.”
“Then you get it.”
“Yeah, I do. But before I make my new customer cry, how about I take your order before the boss man starts yelling?”
“Since when is Sammy the boss man?” I cut in. Everyone knew Selena ruled the roost at home and at DeeDee’s.
“We let him think so now and then. It makes him feel better.” Her voice softened. Everyone also knew she was head over heels in love with her laidback husband. “Jasper, you ready?”
“Could I get the Bruno Curve Burger and fries? And if Sissy’s chocolate shake was her reward, I’ll do the same.”
“Sounds good. I’ll get your orders in.”
I waited until Selena was gone before leaning in close to Jasper’s ear. “Do you deserve a reward, sugar?”
The temptation that was Jasper was too much. I kissed his earlobe, slow and sweet.
“Hank!”
“I like Daddy better.”
And because no one could see us in the back booth, I kissed him again. Selena might be nosy and interfering, but she was getting a damn good tip for this stunt.
It hadn’t occurred to me until now that the quickest way to get a blushing, flustered Jasper was a little PDA.
If that was all it took to see the heat bloom across his cheeks, I’d do it every damn day.
For all his sass, it seemed like he wasn’t used to being publicly claimed.
If I thought too much about that, I’d get pissed, so I forced myself to stay in the moment.
Right now, Jasper was waiting to see my next move.
“Sugar, why didn’t you tell me how good you look when you blush?”
I reached down, put my palm next to his, and entwined our fingers. Then I pulled our hands out from under the table and laid them on top. Anyone walking by would know exactly what was going on in the back booth.
Let ’em talk.