“Gorgeous.”
He wasn’t looking at the flowers anymore, and Zac folded his arms to keep from bopping the guy’s hands away from her.
“Are you managing the restaurant now, Martin?”Maxie’s tone was open and friendly.No signs of shyness or hesitancy there.
“For the past two weeks.”He leaned in a bit too close to confide, “The cellular store was too slow for me.”
And the grocery store he’d worked for when he’d been running his campaign?The guy went through jobs the way Taylor Swift went through boyfriends.
Zac couldn’t take it any longer.Sidling closer to Maxie, he wrapped his arm around her waist.“You wouldn’t happen to have a table open so she can set those flowers down?”he asked.
With teeth bared like a tiger.
Shimwell wasn’t the only one who could reach out and touch.It was time he established his territory, especially if he was going to pull off his role of boyfriend tonight.If they were going to convince everyone, he might as well start getting into the act.
The smile on Martin’s face faltered.He looked back and forth between the two of them.When his smile returned, it was plastic.“Table for two, then?”
“For four, actually,” Maxie said.
Shimwell’s eyes narrowed with curiosity.“Wonderful.”He grabbed menus from the receptionist’s stand.“If you’ll follow me?”
He wasn’t the only one eyeing them as they crossed the restaurant.The sheriff and Maxie Miller,Zac could practically hear them whispering.It sounded pretty good to his ears.He was fine with gossip starting about the two of them, as long as she was.He sent a quick look at her.
He almost pulled up short.
She was so oblivious to everything she didn’t even notice people’s speculation.
Zac reined himself in.He needed to remember why they were here.This wasn’t all fun and games to her.She’d asked him to be at her side for a reason.
Shimwell led them to a table near the back.It was close to the bar, but away from the bathrooms and kitchen.In this place, it was in as low of a traffic area as possible.
“Thanks, Marty.”
The host stiffened, his posture yanked upright as if by a string.Setting their menus in front of them, he turned on his heel.“I’ll keep an eye out for your dinner companions.”
Zac pulled out a chair for Maxie.
“He doesn’t like being called Marty,” she said.
“I know.”
She frowned as he sat next to her.“He’s not such a bad guy.”
“To-may-to, to-mah-to.”
Leaning back, Zac watched her.She was fiddling with the bouquet again as she kept an eye on the entrance.He couldn’t see anything out of place in the arrangement and wasn’t sure there was.She was nervous, though, and he couldn’t blame her.She was a private person and being out with him was drawing attention.What would happen when Lexie and Roxie walked in?That’s would surely knock all the gossipers for a loop.
Maybe meeting here hadn’t been a good idea.
“Do you think they’ll have trouble finding the place?”She pulled her hands away from the flowers and folded them in her lap.
“You’ve got their number if they don’t show up.”
“I hope they weren’t bored today.”
“They’re big girls.They can entertain themselves.”
She couldn’t keep her hands still.She drummed her fingertips together and twirled her thumbs.“I’m not sure what they’re going to expect from me.”
