Page 26 of A Better Place

He pats his flat stomach and then looks around the room. “Looking for a new gym.”

I cock my head to the side and scrunch my eyebrows. “Here? In Liberty? But— It’s here. In Liberty.” Seriously. I should be nominated for a Nobel Prize for my speaking abilities around him. I even pointed to the ground to get my point across, feels like the first time I met him in my classroom all over again.

“Yes. That’s definitely a plus. Being as I live here again.” He winks.

“You live… I’m sorry. What? Where?”

“You’re looking at the new owner of Tony’s Diner.”

“Ew, why?” I say with, no doubt, a look of disgust on my face.

Oh, holy Hannah, save me from my idiotic mouth.

He laughs loudly and doesn’t even flinch at my words. “Well, I don’t plan on it staying Tony’s Diner. I bought it to give it a makeover, change it up. I’ll be renovating it and plan to reopen next year some time.”

“So, you live here? Now?”

“Yes. Well, I’m staying with Tess and Barrett at the moment but am looking at houses, already put mine on the market.”

“Really?”

“Yup.”

“Uh, I take it you two know each other?” Tate says, interrupting our intelligent conversation.

“Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry! Tate, this is James. James, this is Tate, my trainer.”

“Your trainer?”

“Yeah, I’ve been training Carly here for about three years now.”

“No shit?” James says oddly.

“No shit,” I reply.

Jack bursts out laughing. I don’t curse around him often, so when I do, he finds it the funniest thing he’s ever heard.

“Well, this place just became that much more appealing.”

“You box? MMA?” Jack asks.

“I do both, but mostly just boxing now,” he says, turning his focus and attention toward Jack. “I started about ten years ago as a way to stay in shape. I don’t do it professionally or anything like that.”

“Cool,” Jack says. “I can’t believe you bought Tony’s? Is it a disaster?”

“Well, it’s not in great shape, that’s for sure. But I plan to gut it and turn it around and run it.”

“You gonna cook yourself?”

“Yup. Well, at least in the beginning. For the past twenty years, I’ve only dabbled in cooking, helping out at a friend’s restaurant when he needed it. But it’s been my dream to own my own restaurant for as long as I can remember.”

“And Tony’s is the winner, huh?” Tate asks, laughing.

“Well, let’s just say there were other things that drew me to move back to Liberty,” he says, glancing sideways at me.

I swallow and look away, butterflies running amuck in my stomach.

“Can I stop by some time?” Jack asks him.

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