Page 9 of Five Minute Man
Chapter 6
Sunday dawned clearand bright, a perfect early summer day, ideal for doing a few minor repairs around the house. There were some shingles that had blown loose in the last Nor’easter that Adam needed to secure, the rotting step on the back porch he had to replace, and that leaky faucet in the kitchen he had been trying to find the time to fix for months now.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have what he needed on hand. It was a damn good thing that new home improvement center opened up in Covendale. He could drive into town and pick up everything in one trip without having to waste daylight running all over the county for roofing, lumber, and plumbing supplies.
After paying for his purchases, Adam loaded up his truck and breathed in the heavenly scent of grilled beef, which set his stomach rumbling. He decided to grab a bite at Lou’s Diner while he was in town. Everyone knew Lou had the best burgers, and chances were, he wouldn’t get around to eating again until much later that night.
The place was packed, but that was no surprise. Lou’s was a staple in the small, northeast community.
After waiting a couple minutes, Adam was shown to a booth along the window. Foregoing the menu since he knew just what he wanted, he waited for the server to come by for his order as he looked outside. He was mildly surprised when he realized his seat had a perfect view of the bookstore across the parking lot.
Or had he subconsciously ended up exactly where he wanted to be?
* * *
“I’M SORRY THE GUY DIDN’Tshow, Liz,” Holly said, clutching her bag of discounted paperbacks and her signed copy of the murder/suspense hardcover. She had hundreds of stories on her e-reader, but sometimes she just wanted to hold a book in her hand, feel the weight of it, smell the pages.
“No biggie,” Liz said with a casual shrug. She had a bag, too, but hers was nearly all historical, period type romances. “It was more for your benefit than mine, anyway.”
Holly stopped dead in her tracks, turning toward her friend in disbelief. “Excuse me?”
“Yeah, he was hot and everything, but too rough around the edges for me, you know? Definitely more your type than mine.”
“I have a type?”
Liz rolled her eyes. “Of course you do. Big, strong, alpha males with a white knight complex.”
Holly gaped at her. “Whowouldn’twant that?”
“Me,” Liz said matter-of-factly. “I mean, don’t get me wrong; I love to read about them. But in real life? Too intense for me. I prefer Armani to Eddie Bauer. Bruno Magli to Red Wings.”
“See a lot of Armani in these parts, do you?” Holly teased.
“No, but I can dream, can’t I?”
* * *
ADAM WAS HALFWAY THROUGHhis burger when he saw them. The blonde and the brunette came out of the bookstore, each carrying a bag with the store’s logo on it. He watched with mild interest as they walked out into the parking lot together, chatting for a few moments before parting ways.
When they split off in different directions, it was the brunette his eyes instinctively followed. She had a nice walk, a natural sway that was graceful without any attempt to impress.
On the far side of the lot, she stopped by a late model SUV, one of the smaller compact jobs, and got in. The fact that she had been discreetly scanning the lot and had the foresight to check under the car pleased him. Women couldn’t be too careful these days.
A minute later, he caught sight of her chocolate and cherry waves as the dark blue vehicle drove past the diner. Once the taillights were out of sight, Adam sighed and went back to finishing his burger.
On a sudden impulse, he ordered a refill on his cherry Coke and a slice of chocolate cake for dessert.
Thirty minutes later, his heart stuttered a little when he saw the navy Sportage listing off the shoulder of the road. Pulling up behind her, he caught the bob of a dark hair by the front passenger wheel.
Adam put on his flashers and got out to offer his assistance.
* * *
HOLLY POKED HER HEADup over the bumper when she heard the crunch of gravel and saw a late-model pickup pulling to a stop behind her vehicle. Then she stopped breathing entirely when the tall, male form eased from the truck. It was him! The guy from the restaurant!
“Hi,” he said easily. “Need a hand?”
Given the slight hint of amusement in his eyes, he recognized her, too. Thankfully, it seemed as if he was too polite to remind her of their previous encounter. It was definitely a plus in her book. And if the flannel hugging his biceps was any indication, the frozen lug nuts on the rim wouldn’t be a problem for him. Damn Jiffy Lube and their hydraulic tools, anyway.
