Page 23 of Stolen Kisses
Jack looked at his watch. “What do you two say we change back into our regular clothes and go grab a bite at The Landing? I’m starving and it’ll be good sport to watch Abby throw daggers at you with her eyes,” he told Sam.
Sam heaved a sigh. “Or poison my food.”
“She’d never do that.” Noah was glad that the teasing had bounced back to his older brother. “I’m all for Abby’s cooking. That always makes things better. Missing a day of fishing and trying on suits with the likes of you two all morning demands a good meal.”
Jack nodded. “Great. Let’s change and get out of here.”
Twenty minutes later, they sat down at a table in the popular Blushing Bay restaurant, menus in hand even though they’d been eating here since the place had opened. They all knew the menu nearly by heart. Abby switched things up every now and then and created some fancy seafood dish that no one could pronounce. The brothers usually stuck to the basics, though. Fish: fried, grilled, poached, raw, didn’t matter. They loved it all. Add in a side of hush puppies and they were made.
“Hey, guys,” Abby said, addressing Jack and Noah only. Sam may as well have been invisible. “Hungry?” she asked.
“Always.” Jack closed his menu and handed it up. “My usual,” he said.
Noah did the same.
Abby nodded. She knew what their usuals were. “And for the other one,” she said, still refusing to look at Sam.
“You could ask him,” Jack suggested, knowing he was walking dangerous ground with her.
She narrowed her eyes. “Noah, will you please ask the other one what he wants to eat?”
Noah cleared his throat. “Um, sure, Abby…Sam, what do you want?”
Sam’s jaw ticked. “I want my usual, too,” he said.
Noah nodded. “He wants his usual,” he told her.
She placed one hand on her hip. “I don’t remember that one’s usual. He’ll have to be more specific.”
“Oh, come on,” Jack complained, lowering his forehead into the palm of one hand.
Abby didn’t waver.
“Um,” Noah started. He looked over at Sam again. “Can you tell me what your usual is exactly?”
Sam shook his head. “Grilled trout with two sides of vegetables. Green beans and a potato. Abs knows that.”
She cut her eyes to look at him now. “Don’t call me that.”
Sam looked up, meeting her eyes, maybe for the first time that year. “Sorry.”
The tension was thick. Noah fingered his butter knife between his fingers, betting he could cut the tension between them all with one quick swipe. This was one reason he didn’t do serious relationships. If Abby and Sam could end up like this, then anyone could. In his mind, they’d been the couple most likely to make it—and they’d failed. It was depressing, really.
“Got your orders. They’ll be right out,” Abby said, turning and walking off.
Sam blew out a heavy breath.
“Yeah. That was brutal,” Jack agreed.
“Then why do you keep picking this place to eat at?” Sam asked.
“Because Abby is the best cook in town,” he said.
“In the state,” Noah added. “Her food’s been in all those big, fancy magazines. And we eat for free here.”
Sam laughed. “You two do, but she still bills me.”
Jack and Noah chuckled. It might have been depressing, but it was also hilarious.
