Page 1 of Between Brothers

Prologue

Hayley

The bell above the door rang and I heard Melody say, “Hey guys!” We had regulars, but none of them brought the level of affection and familiarity that whoever walked through the door did to Mel’s voice. It made me turn around. The men who’d walked in belonged to her new husband’s motorcycle club which explained it.

I took the plates of food from the warmer and brought them to the table they went to, setting them down for the two older gentlemen who came in occasionally for lunch. They smiled up at me with murmured thanks and I gave them a nod, slipping my hand into my apron pocket for my pad and pen, heading over to the pair who’d seated themselves at one of my tables.

Strange, you’d think they’d want to sit in Mel’s section…

Cool, liquid gray eyes followed my every movement as I came up the line of booths. I could see the fiery red of the back of his companion’s head and when I stopped at their table and smiled, brown eyes with a fire of their own looked up at me. I asked, “You know what you’ll have to drink?”

The redhead cocked back his head, those deep brown eyes appraising and he said, “I’ll have a Coke; he’ll have water.”

Strange that he would order for the other one, but I didn’t comment. Instead, I nodded, writing it down and asked, “You know what you want to eat, or do you need a little more time?”

“Give us a minute,” the redhead answered and I nodded and went to get their drinks. He leaned forward and talked to the silent one with the eyes and I watched them a moment, while they were otherwise engaged.

“I think Blue likes you,” I startled and Melody laughed lightly.

“Which is which?” I asked.

“Duracell’s the copper top; Blue’s the quiet one.”

“Don’t they have regular names?”

Mel shrugged, “In their world that is their regular name.”

I pondered that a moment and took them their drinks, setting them down asking, “Know what you’d like?”

The redhead, Duracell, smiled up at me and said, “What’d it take to get your number? Because I think we’d both really like that.”

He winked and I blushed and looked away from him, straight into those beautiful, if sad, gray eyes of his partner? Friend? I didn’t know what they were but the vibe between the two of them was unlike anything I’d ever encountered… Duracell’s friend, Blue, smiled at me and my heart fluttered, which only made me color a little more.

“I don’t give that out,” I murmured to Duracell and asked Blue, “do you know what you want?” The intensity behind his gray gaze unnerved me, but his smile put me at ease, he pointed to an item on the menu and I looked.

“Do you want ranch, honey mustard, or barbecue sauce with your chicken strips?” He held up a single long elegant finger and I blinked.

“Option one,” his friend said. “The ranch.”

“Does he not speak?” I asked.

“Only when it matters, and usually only to me.”

Curiouser and curiouser…I thought to myself, smiling slightly. I loved Lewis Carroll and a number of other classic authors, and it was rare that a term fit as well as this one did now.

“And what about you? What will you have?” I asked.

“I already said, I’ll take your number.”

“I don’t give that out, and I hardly think it’d be that appetizing,” I said.

Duracell tore his eyes from mine and I fought not to shiver, although for a very different reason than what Blue’s gaze did to me. I swallowed hard and the two of them stared at one another for a long hard moment, something passing between them, silently.

“Burger and fries,” Duracell said finally. “No onions.”

“Cheese?”

“American.”

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