Page 115 of Bones

“Felt that it was empty before I brought us here.”

“Oh.”

With a hand on my lower back, Deke guided me the short distance to the exit and down the block. He remained tense and silent the whole way. When we neared a row of businesses, he finally whispered, “It’s okay.”

I didn’t have the chance to ask what he meant because he opened a glass door to reveal people. A lot of them. It wasn’t dinnertime yet, but the restaurant was already packed. Not an empty table or barstool was in sight.

I was comfortable with Deke. And, thanks to a few days in their company, his family.

Strangers was a different story, though.

I stayed quiet and pressed to his side.

Despite the busy day, the hostess had a genuine smile as she hurried over. It made a matching one spread across Deke’s face.

“Hi,” she greeted. “Sorry, we’re booked for the night. If you’d like, I can set you a future reservation.”

“Not needed. Is Monica here?” Deke asked.

“One moment.” She disappeared into the back, and I wanted to ask Deke who Monica was, but it would have to wait.

A minute later, an older Black woman came out, wiping her hands on a towel. It didn’t help the puffs of flour—or maybe powdered sugar—that’d mixed with the gray in her curly hair.“Someone’s looking for…” Her words and her steps both faltered as she spotted Deke.

I had the same reaction to him, but hers wasn’t because of how hot he was. Her mouth dropped open, and she looked like she’d seen a ghost.

“Daniel?” she shakily whispered.

“Was my grandfather,” Deke said.

It was a lie, but so smooth and undetectable,Inearly believed him.

“I’m Deacon.” He held out his hand. “Deke.”

She took it and forced a laugh that was no less shaky than her whisper. “Right. Of course. That was… Sorry. I knew him when I was a little girl. Before my daddy took over Limos. God bless both their souls.” Seeming to realize she still shook his hand, she released it and nervously fluffed, folded, and refolded the towel. Her gaze was stuck on him the whole time. “You just look so much like him.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“I should have a picture around here of the two of them. My daddy and your granddaddy. I can get you a table and see if I can find it.”

That time when Deke smiled, it didn’t reach his eyes. “That’s okay.”

“Right. You know what Daniel looked like.” She cleared her throat. “What can I do for you?”

“Wanted to let you know that my girlfriend and I will be staying up in the apartment. So if you hear anything, it’s not raccoons that broke in again.”

The woman’s expression turned panicked even though she tried to hide it.

That was okay. Mine probably looked the same.

Girlfriend.

He just called me hisgirlfriend.

It was a silly thing to freak out over. Obviously, girlfriend would garner fewer follow-up questions than calling me his fated-by-the-universe soulmate.

Less of a tongue twister, too.

And a girlfriend wasn’t even that powerful of a title compared to the whole mate thing.

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