Page 4 of Mistletoe Omega
His gaze softened. “It’s no trouble. I promise.”
“All right.” I laughed awkwardly. “Then I’ll just ring you up, and when you’re ready, I’m ready.”
He snapped his book closed and tucked it in his back pocket. Then he pulled out his wallet and tossed down some cash. I picked up the money, and he slid from the booth. “I’ll meet you outside.” He sauntered toward the door and I watched him leave.
Patty walked past, her arms laden with plates of food. “Good decision, kid. See you tomorrow.”
I cashed out his ticket, noticing the amount left over was indeed a generous tip. I tucked it in my pocket and zipped up my hoodie. Then I made my way out into the freezing night.
Chapter Two
Graham
I wasn’t sure what had made me offer the kid a ride home. There was something about him that got to me. He seemed vulnerable even though he had a tough exterior. His first reaction to my offer of a ride had made it obvious he didn’t like accepting help from people. Hell, I didn’t often offer help. But he’d looked so tired and the thought of him sitting there all night had eaten at me. Maybe he reminded me a bit of Ethan. But I didn’t want to think about Ethan. Not now.
I started the engine so the cab would be warm when he got in. After about five minutes the passenger side door opened, and he climbed in. He had a cup of coffee, and he braced it between his thighs as he hooked his seat belt. “Thanks again for the ride.” His voice was stiff, as if he wasn’t used to thanking people.
“Like I said, it’s no problem.” I pulled out of my parking space, flicking on the windshield wipers. It was still snowing, and I braked carefully before heading onto the main road. His scent was interesting; there was a hint of the food from the diner, his own unique musk, but also a grassy scent that I wasn’t familiar with.
He rubbed his hands together as if still cold. “Patty said I’d regret it if I didn’t take you up on your offer.”
“She’s probably right. Who wants to sit around for eight hours?”
“Not to mention Ralph would probably fire me if he noticed on the security tape that I’d hung around. He hates that.”
“Ralph’s been burned by employees. He’s a good guy, but now he’s untrusting.”
“You can say that again.”
I shrugged. “Hey, ‘Once bitten twice shy’, right?”
He pressed his cup to his cheek, probably seeking warmth. “Yep.”
We drove in silence for a while. There weren’t many cars on the road since it was around one in the morning, and bad weather to boot.
“I guess I’m lucky you came in for a meal.” He hesitated. “What are you doing out this late?” He gave a gruff laugh. “It’s an odd time to be eating eggs and bacon.”
“I just got back into town.”
“Vacation?”
“No. Work.”
“You said youusedto be a cop.” He squinted at me. “What do you do now?”
“I make furniture.” I gave him a quick glance.
“Really?”
“Yep. Custom stuff. Fancy tables and chairs.”
“You can make a living doing that?” He sounded surprised.
I smiled. I was used to people saying things like that. “I have my pension from before when I was a cop. The furniture supplements that money, and I love doing it.”
He studied me. “You aren’t old enough to be retired.”
“How do you know how old I am?”
