Right. He did have a business to run.
“After dinner?” he suggested.
“Dessert. My favorite meal. Where?”
“Who’s open after nine now?”
We’d lost the Sweet Dreams restaurant that opened late and closed early. It had been surprisingly successful selling specialty desserts and drinks. But when Ganesha had decided he was done with his vacation last year, he’d shut the business down.
The loss of our all-night dessert shop had been mourned by everyone in the town, and nothing had taken its place yet.
“Besides the bars and grocery store?” I thought of canned pudding and stale donuts.
“Curly’s?” he suggested.
Curly’s. I hadn’t thought about the homemade ice cream and dessert parlor for years. It was almost an hour’s drive to Netarts, where the little shop lorded over the tiny town’s boat launch next to the bay.
“I haven’t been there in ages,” I said with longing. “It’s too far, though. Maybe the casino? The dessert bar there is decadent.”
“You go out there a lot, don’t you?”
Every week to pick up god mail.“Off and on.”
“What I think you meant to say was every Friday.”
It was true, but it was also, actually, a weird thing to say.
“Are you stalking me, Ryder Bailey?”
“Just paying attention. You like to gamble?”
“I like to get out of town every once in a while.” It was the excuse I thought up when I’d become the courier for the gods. “They have good food.”
“And a nice hotel.”
I paused before answering that, wondering if he’d just accused me of what I thought he’d accused me of. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Nothing.” He ran his hand back through his hair, mussing up the dark waves. “I shouldn’t have. I didn’t mean anything by it.” The tension was back in his heavy shoulders, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think he was embarrassed.
What could embarrass the easygoing, big-city, own-my-own-business, open-the-door-naked Ryder Bailey?
Hotel room.
It clicked, and I had to swallow down a burst of laughter. “You think I’m going up there to sleep with someone?”
“I did not say that.” His eyes flashed in warning. I was not intimidated in the least. I had the upper hand here.
“But that’s what you meant, isn’t it? You think I have a weekly booty call.” I grinned. “My, my, Mr. Bailey. How quickly your mind slips to the gutter.”
Ryder grew more uncomfortable, hazel-gold eyes squinting like it was suddenly too bright out. “Delaney. I didn’t—”
“Iamsingle. I don’t see why Ishouldn’thave myself a little weekly dessert on the side.”
“Are you done? It was a stupid thing to assume. And none of my damn business.” He still looked uncomfortable, but his body language was loosening, and that shadow of a smile was back. Good. I liked a man who could laugh at himself.
“I don’t know. Is there anything else you’ve been dying to ask me?”
“How about what that kiss this morning with Cooper was all about.”
