Page 18 of Falling for the Wrong Guy

My chair scraped the floor, and I was out of my seat before my mind even registered what I was doing. Aria’s brown eyes looked at me, and the fear in them made my chest tighten. I’d brought this. This was my fault. The jerk still held onto her wrist. It looked small and vulnerable between his thick fingers.

“Problem?” he sneered at me.

“Big problem,” I said through gritted teeth. “Let her go or I will tear your arm from the shoulder and then I’ll shove the whole arm, stubby fingers and all, down your throat.”

“Maybe you should mind your own business,” he growled, but he seemed far less confident than a few seconds earlier.

“You want to do this, let’s go outside. Just take your hands off her, or I can’t be responsible for what happens next.”

He hesitated only a second before unwrapping his fingers from Aria’s wrist. He’d left behind red marks. I couldn’t stop myself from taking hold of her hand. “Did he hurt you?”

“I’m fine.” She pulled her hand free.

Ella, the woman I’d pegged as Aria’s sister, reached us, slightly breathless and with her phone in her hand. “Officer Tuttle is on his way back.”

I picked up their plates. “Wrap these burgers to go. These guys are leaving.”

“Never mind. I don’t like to eat my lunch next to garbage.” The man got up from his chair and gave the table a push to get his obviously concussed partner moving. They walked to the door.

“You ought to take your buddy to the ER. Seems like something bad happened to his head,” I called to him.

I walked to the window to watch them walk down the sidewalk and get into their truck. I turned around and immediately crashed into Aria’s harsh glare.

“You’re welcome,” I said.

“I was handling them just fine by myself.” She crossed her arms to make her point.

“Well, technically, Aria,” Ella started and stopped when Aria’s gaze turned her direction. “My sister was doing just fine without your help,” she added, reluctantly.

“Then why did you call back Deputy Shiny Badge?” I asked.

Ella looked at her sister for help.

“Because, frankly, this café was suddenly overrun by big—scary—troublemakers. I’ll bring you your fries in a to-go container.”

“Then I guess my next question is going to be met with equal scorn,” I said.

She stopped her march to the kitchen and swung back around. “I’m sure you’re right but go ahead.” She was working hard on that rage, but there was a glimmer of something else in her dark brown eyes. I just didn’t know what.

“Well, at the risk of being laughed out of the cafe”—I pointed to the sign taped to the window. “I was a short-order cook for three years after I left the army, and I’ve worked at a few restaurants. I could give you a list of references. You were running yourself ragged this morning. Thought maybe you could use a cook.”

“And you want the job?” she asked.

“No, I was just mentioning all of that for fun.” Her sister giggled, and Aria stopped it short with a sharp glare. It was easy to see that she was the big sister in the duo. I knew that look too well. “Yes, I’d like the job, especially now that I need to get my boat registered.”

“I didn’t tell you to come into the café, and if you recall, this morning, I lied to keep you from that predicament, and I hate to lie.”

Ella nodded. “It’s true. She does.” She seemed to be enjoying the whole scene as an enthusiastic spectator.

I rubbed my chin and realized my beard stubble had gotten heavy. “That’s right. You did lie to law enforcement for me this morning. Why is that? Maybe you aren’t as repelled by me as you pretend.”

“Well, we were all mentioning this morning how good-look—” Ella started, then she sealed her lips shut and pointed her thumb over her shoulder. “My grilled cheese is getting cold.”

“I couldn’t possibly hire you,” Aria said.

“Why not? Gus won’t tag along, I promise.”

“It’s not Gus. It’s—it’s—it’s that I hired someone already.”

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