“Still, it works better when you drink.”
She finally took a long swallow, savoring the hot liquid. “Hmm. Good and strong, just like I said.”
The waitress returned with the jelly and jam caddy and their own carafe of coffee. “I’ll be right back with your food order.”
“That’s fast service,” Grimm said.
“Well, if you haven’t noticed, there aren’t many people in here yet this morning. We are kind of early.”
“The better time to come I think. We should make a note to get up and do it again sometime soon.”
“You have been the one who has wanted to show off your cooking skills,” she reminded him.
“Did it work? Have I impressed you?”
She smiled. “Was that your objective?”
“Depends on if it worked.”
She laughed and played with her flatware before she finally spoke. “You have a way around my kitchen like you belong there.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“It’s been a little unnerving watching you this week if I’m honest, Grimm. You’ve come into my life even though I didn’t want you there, and you’ve made yourself right at home.”
“I won’t apologize.”
“For someone who claims he’s a lone wolf, you’ve made yourself part of my life easy enough,” she said.
“And I can leave just as easily,” he said.
“Can you?” she arched a brow, studying him for a moment.
He stared back at her but then looked away. “I’m supposed to. That’s what lone wolves do.”
She didn’t like his response. She’d come to count on him being there far too much in the last few days, and she was beginning not to like that either. She’d prided herself on being able to take care of herself just fine, but now that she’d had him there with her, she found it was nice to have someone to lean on. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be alone again. Not that they were a real item. They were only playing at being a couple if anyone asked. And they’d really only shown that side that first night in town at the Creamery, but still, had she somehow bought into it a little too much?
“Here you both go,” the waitress arrived with a large tray filled with plates. She set them on the table in front of them. “Can I get you anything else?”
“Looks like we have it all,” Grimm said.
“Thank you,” Quinn added.
They ate in silence. She stewed over the thought that she was getting a little too comfortable with Grimm being at her house. And now that Bathsheba was gone, would she find herself gravitating more and more toward him in the days to come?
She’d have to check herself and make sure that didn’t happen. He was her protector, her bodyguard. He was there to do a job. He would be leaving once his assignment was completed. That was all.
She needed to remember that she hadn’t wanted him there in the first place. She was more than capable of taking care of herself regardless of how many threats were thrown her way. Yes, she’d keep reminding herself of that until she believed it, even if tasting firsthand what those threats really meant did leave a sour taste in her mouth.
Pushing her empty plate away, she reached for her coffee cup and drank it down. Then she filled it again and drank that as well.
“I’ll be back.”
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“The ladies. Unless you think you need to scope it out before I go in there?” she said.
“Two minutes and I’ll be coming in,” he said.
