"Thank you, ma'am," Wilson said.
"Ma'am." The woman laughed, and very loudly, too. "Call me Dixie, sugar. I ain't no ma'am."
"Yes, ma—I mean Dixie," Wilson said as he grabbed his beer and started for the far corner.
"Can I get two more beers with our burgers?" Jayden asked when Dixie was within earshot. He handed the woman a couple of twenties. "And keep them coming."
The blonde nodded before moving away to get a beer for another customer. Jayden grabbed his beer and followed after Wilson. He slid into the booth across from Wilson and stretched his legs out.
"You mentioned you were in town to see some friends. You been here before?"
"No." Wilson's eyes narrowed. "Why do you ask?"
Jayden instantly knew he'd have to tread carefully with this man. Wilson was suspicious of too many invasive questions. "I was hoping you knew of a good coffee place in town. I'm shit without my coffee in the morning."
Wilson visibly relaxed. "No, this is my first time. I don't even know if Cade Creek has a coffee place."
"Oh, that would be bad."
Wilson chuckled. "Very bad."
"Excuse me," someone said as a shadow fell over the table.
Jayden glanced up to see a dark-haired man standing next to their table. "Yes?"
"I don't mean to interrupt, but I overheard you talking about needing coffee in the morning. Kapheri's Koffee Korner is the best place to get coffee and pastries. They're on Main Street across from the park in the center of town. They open at five in the morning, except on Sundays. That's the only day they are not open."
"There's actually a coffee place in Cade Creek?" It was a small town. Jayden was surprised.
"Oh yes. Kapheri el-Masri and his partner, Brennan, opened it up a few years ago. They import Arabic coffee and teas from around the world. Our local chef, Chester Helmond, he's married to the fire chief. He makes all the pastries for the coffee place."
"Across from the park you said?" Wilson asked. "My hotel is right across from the park."
The dark-haired guy grinned. "You're staying at the Manor?"
Wilson nodded.
Jayden tucked that bit of information away for later. It just so happened to be the place he was staying. He wondered if the senator had checked in under his own name.
"Go down one block to your right then cross the street. Kapheri's is right there on the corner."
Wilson pulled out his cell phone and tapped at the screen before turning the phone toward the dark-haired man. "Can you point it out to me? I have a terrible sense of direction. I could get lost in a broom closet."
"Sure."
Jayden watched as the man tapped at the screen then pointed.
"Your hotel is here. Kapheri's Koffee Korner is here."
"Great." Wilson smiled as he took the phone back. "Thank you."
"Anytime, and if you have any other questions, just ask for me at the bar. My name is Joey. My husband and I own the bar, so I'm always around."
Jayden's eyebrows lifted. "You and your husband own the bar?"
Joey's eyes narrowed, and his friendly demeanor disappeared almost instantly. "If you're going to be in Cade Creek very long, you might want to think about keeping your opinions to yourself. We're very gay-friendly around here."
Jayden held up his hand. "Please, I meant no offense. I was just surprised is all. This is a pretty…uh…country place. I wasn't expecting it to be owned by two gay men. Believe me, it's not a problem. I'm gay myself."
