Chapter 28
J ericho
“Nora, are you okay?” I ask as I walk toward her and the town inspector who’s sitting at the counter across from Nora, looking utterly smug. I try not to sound worried but can’t help it. That woman is a menace as I’ve come to learn. And seeing her fixated on Nora flares up my protective instincts.
“Oh. Hey, Jericho.”
I have three more steps before I reach them.
Three more steps before I determine the course of my future.
Fear of being rejected is strong. And it’s not because half the town is watching, but because I don’t think I’ll have the guts to go after her again.
Because this is what I want—to go after her.
The course has been set.
I beeline to the right, through the opening in the counter on the side, and right to her.
The closer I come, the wider her eyes become. Her delicious-looking mouth forms an o while her body is frozen like a deer in headlights .
“What are you—” she starts asking as I step close to her, place my hand on the back of her neck, and pull her to me.
When my mouth lands on hers, she lets out a surprised sigh. The kiss is quick but full. I feel the goosebumps on her skin under my palm. Her warm lips under mine. Hear her loudly beating heart.
When I pull away a little to look at her face, I rasp, “Hi.”
“Hi,” she squeaks.
“I came to take you up on your offer.” My eyes dart between hers as I speak.
“That’s—” she clears her throat before continuing. “That’s good.”
That’s good. I really managed to stun her into almost silence. That’s not the comeback my Nora would usually come up with.
My Nora?
What the actual fuck? I’ve known the woman for what? Two months? Three?
Feeling a little conflicted with this new discovery, I give her neck a gentle squeeze before letting go of her and walking back to the other side of the counter. There are only two seats left, both are next to the inspector. I take the furthest from her while her fuming eyes follow my every move.
Fuck. I hope I didn’t get Nora in trouble with this stunt. Even though I wouldn’t take it back for the world, especially considering I haven’t been kicked out of here or smacked on the head, which can be called a success.
“Well, hello Jericho,” the woman says quietly. I only hear her because the silence in the diner is utter.
A quick glance around confirms that every pair of eyes is trained on us and on the show that might unfold.
Through the kitchen window, I even spy Roman who’s frozen with a spatula in hand.
Perhaps I might have drawn a lot more attention than I bargained for.
This will become the talk of the town for the next few weeks.
Plus I’m sure I’ve sealed my fate with all current and future permits from now on if this inspector stays in her position.
Not to look like a complete asshole, I reply to her with a short nod and return my sole attention to Nora who finds her footing and springs to action. Placing a mug that says It’s a full moon on it in front of me, she turns to the coffee machine and grabs a pot.
“Black?”
“Do you have any of that witch brew left you gave me this morning?” This is my attempt at flirting.
It also should remove any ideas from the inspector’s head about anything possible happening between her and me since I’m clearly establishing the wistful possibility that Nora and I spent the night together.
And that seems to work because Nora’s cheeks suddenly pinken as if my thoughts are true. The inspector must notice it too because I feel her heated stare on the side of my face.
“No,” Nora laughs nervously. “It’s reserved only for mornings.”
“Can’t wait.” I wink, surprising the fuck out of myself and Nora apparently. She hiccups and starts moving around like a squirrel on a wheel, knocking down salt and pepper from the counter as she goes.
Someone coughs. Someone snickers. Someone smacks me on the back with a small, gentle hand.
“Promise to tell me all about that morning brew.” The waitress Karina walks up to my side. “ All about it,” she adds with a wink.
I laugh in response, and the sounds slowly come back to the room. Forks start clicking on plates, chatter rises above the previously charged air.
Then the door chimes, and Karina’s loud displeasure silences the diner all over again. “You must be shitting me. Is there a wicked coven summit today? ”
I glance at the entrance and find the person who seems to cause such strong adverse reactions in everyone around here.
“Jaqueline,” Dick starts with a slippery smile. “I thought I’d find you here.”
“And why is that,” Karina wonders loud enough for the folks in the bathroom to hear.
The newcomer’s gaze slowly shifts to her. “Well, hello Karina. Are you still being salty over your rejection?”
“What rejection?” She doesn’t look bothered even in the slightest.
“C’mon.” He smiles. “It’s okay. Rejections happen. Don’t be so mean about it.”
A loud clatter of dishes from the kitchen draws my attention. The cook’s red face and hard eyes trained on Dick give away a suspicion that he’s about to rip him a new one—during our evenings, Nora told me how Roman is protective of everyone in the diner, especially his own kid.
I don’t know Karina at all, but during those few times I’ve seen her, she’s always tried to stand up for Nora. And this is how I find myself standing up and moving to shield her from the dickhead. She automatically goes under my protection.
“Let me help you,” I say, taking two plates from her hands. They’re not heavy, but now I can’t exactly knock Dick’s teeth out for being a douchebag. Putting myself between her and him seems like the best idea so far.
“Thank you.” Her voice stays strong—maybe she didn’t need my help after all. After securing the dishes in my hands even though the counter is a foot away, she turns to Dick. “I don’t know how I’ll survive being rejected by a miserable little pissboy.”
So she decided to push this line. Okay. Knuckles probably will get bloody since he’s clearly insecure, and I won’t stand for him insulting the girl.
Sure thing, once her words register in his brain, his nostrils flare and fists clench, and I see the same person who was waiting for Nora at her car. I’ve seen plenty of guys like that to know he’ll throw fists around eventually at anyone who makes his little feelings uncomfortable.
Acting on emotions, he steps forward while I take a step backward to cross paths with him, and he bumps into my shoulder. I turn to him and say in a low voice, “I wouldn’t do that.”
His angry eyes dart between mine while he’s clearly contemplating if he should follow through with what he really wants to do.
But even though I’ve dreamed about rearranging his face since I heard the story of how he treated Nora and then seeing with my own eyes how he still does, the place and time is not ideal.
It shouldn’t be here at the diner or after his interactions with any of the girls.
Otherwise, he’ll hold grudges against them.
No, this is between me and him going after women.
Not on my fucking watch. I’m even ready to break my own rule about getting involved in anything violent. One of my main rules.
But it would be worth it.
“Richard.” The inspector’s stern voice takes us both out of our testosterone-filled standoff. And for the first time, I’m grateful she spoke because I might have gone too far into my own rage judging by how fragile the plates in my hands feel.
Dick gives me a slow blink before placing a smile on his annoying as fuck face.
“Let’s go, Jaqueline. This place doesn’t have any decent food. We will get you something at my place.”
“Or coffee,” she adds, standing up. “They can’t even make a decent latte around here.”
“Hillbillies,” Nora chimes in with a shrug and the widest smile I’ve ever seen on her.
I follow them with my eyes until they disappear beyond the door, making sure neither of them are coming back, and only then do I walk around the counter and place the dishes on the windowsill between the kitchen and the diner itself.
Roman returns to a slightly burnt meal, but not before giving me a nod.
When I’m walking back to my seat, Nora stops me by grabbing my arm. Then she rises on her tippytoes and places a quick kiss on my cheek before retreating to the cash register and fidgeting with a stack of receipts.
My hand jumps to touch the spot her lips landed on when I notice the silence in the room. Again. Stopping myself halfway because it would be too sappy, and I need to maintain a tough guy demeanor if I want to scare Dick and the likes of him off, I ask loudly, “Where’s my meatloaf?”
A few chuckles here and there dissolve the heavy air.
“It’s fish and chips day,” Nora replies with a cheeky smile, looking the most relaxed I’ve seen her since I came in.
“I’ll take that.” I take a seat at the counter, feeling curious stares on myself with my every move. There goes my plan of lying low in the new town.
Looks like it’s time to detour.