Page 8 of ELITE Justice
She reached down to her waist and confusion was chased by the realization that she wasn’t wearing an apron. With a self-deprecating smile, she stood and slid around the corner of the counter. Grabbing an order pad and pen, she looked at him expectantly.
“I like my steak rare and my eggs sunny side up.”
“Home fries, French fries, baked potato, or one of those?” She pointed to a list of sides on the board above the kitchen window where a Latino man watched them carefully.
Jonathan didn’t bother looking. This was breakfast for him. “Home fries.”
“Coffee?” Gwen’s raised eyebrow was one of the sexiest things he’d seen.
“Definitely.” He looked around for a coffee cup, but they sat ready only on the set tables. She reached under the counter and pulled out a mug.
Leaning back, she reached out to the machine behind her, then turned around to him. “Leaded or unleaded?”
“Fully leaded, please.” He smiled when she grabbed the black-bottomed pot and filled his mug. “Sweetheart, you have just earned my undying gratitude.”
Just as she slid the order under the clip and spun it toward the kitchen, the restaurant phone rang. She snatched the portable handset from beside her computer. Frowning at the display, she said, “Excuse me.” She disappeared into the back, leaving him alone to enjoy his surprisingly delicious coffee.
Jonathan glanced around the nearly empty diner. A middle-aged couple sat in a booth along the back wall, hardly talking, concentrating on their pie. They’d probably been married for over a decade, catching a late supper together after a long day at work if he had to guess given the man’s suit jacket lying on the seat next to him and her dress pants, flattering blouse, and short heels. He’d been taught to sum up people and situations quickly. They were no threat.
As he swept his gaze over the restaurant, his eyes fell on Gwen’s computer. Three words jumped out at him.Big like 9/11.
What the fuck?
Put Ams in their place.
Holy shit. What was she into?
The lid suddenly closed, and very feminine fingers splayed over the blue case.
“Your order should be up soon.” At Gwen’s terse words, his eyes met hers. Yeah. He’d been snooping, and he needed to dig further.
He hoped his smile put her at ease. “Writing a book?” It was a plausible explanation.
She slid the laptop off the counter, placed it underneath, and drew out a mug. She turned her back on him and poured a cup of decaf. “I’m no author.” She came around to his side and, once again, took her seat. “I hated writing papers in college.”
“Where did you go to school?”
Any information she was willing to give him would help. She just stared at him for the longest time, as though trying to read his mind or decide if she could trust him.
To start the give and take necessary to build a solid foundation for a friendship, he offered, “I graduated from the University of Florida.”
“You’re a gator.” She smiled.
“Yes, ma’am.” He sipped his coffee. “I wanted to get out of Miami but not too far from my folks.” He shrugged. “Besides, the school had Navy ROTC and I had a scholarship.”
“You were in the Navy?” There was more than a spark of interest in her question.
“Marines.” He was used to women gushing at this point and mentally prepared for the onslaught of military questions.
“I was Army.”
She couldn’t have shocked him more if she’d said she was an alien. He set the cup down and stared at her. Really looked at her, as though seeing her for the first time. It was there. That hard edge that saidI’ve seen too much.
Jonathan wanted to take her in his arms and protect her. He’d hold her until all the sharp angles melted into smooth, round curves, erasing the bad things she’d seen, replacing those memories with the sweet life she deserved.
And, maybe she’d do the same for him.
“When did you get out?” He managed to ask.
