Page 12 of Joy
Silas’s head snapped up, and he honestly looked taken aback. “I’m not,” he said quickly. “Friends, I mean. The owner hired me to remove a dead tree from his yard. I came by to get paid.”
That was the most he’d spoken in two days. And Silas seemed… not insulted, but definitely defensive.
I frowned. “Oh. Uh—okay. Sorry.”
Silas shrugged a shoulder. “A job is a job.”
“Why don’t you both kiss?” Drunk Guy shouted before both him and his friend started laughing again.
“Yeah? You want front-row seats to that?” I called back.
“Don’t encourage him,” Silas said quietly. “He’s drunk.”
“Whoever the fuck he is, he’s an asshole.”
“I know.”
The guy hurled one last insult, and with that Silas turned and walked back to the bar. He towered over both idiots, and I couldn’t hear what he said, but the drunkards immediately went inside without another word.
“Wow,” I said as he looked at me. “You’re the Homophobe Whisperer.”
That got a tiny smile out of Silas as he returned to the sidewalk. “Sorry they bothered you.”
“Not a problem. I can defend myself,” I replied.
“This is a nice town,” he continued.
“It’s okay.”
“Don’t let a few bad apples ruin it.”
“Aren’t you wordy tonight,” I answered, grinning.
I watched Silas swallow hard. He didn’t say anything for a minute. Then it all clicked in my head. Straight, decent, awkward as hell, andinsanelyshy.
“Can I walk you back home?” Silas asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Wh-what?”
“Never mind.”
“N-no—I, uh—I guess so,” I answered.
Okay, that came out of left field.
As I turned back in the direction of the B&B, Silas fell into step at my side. We walked for a bit, passing by Eatery, the theater, and dark windows of the clothing stores closed for the evening. Silas didn’t say anything the entire time, and when I looked at him, he seemed content to do nothing more than walk.
Maybe Silas wasn’t so straight. But he was still shy andhellaawkward.
“You got a haircut,” I finally said, because not talking was making me nuts.
He nodded.
“You looked much less tame yesterday.”
Silas cleared his throat. “I guess.”
“It looks good.” I caught his sideways glance.
