When we step inside, the bell above the door gives a cheerful little jingle totally at odds with Nolan’s growly vibe.
Spur and Spoon is Clover Canyon’s one-stop for comfort food. Pies rotate behind glass like edible trophies, the burnt-orange booths have softened with time, and the coffee is strong enough to wake up half the town.
Wanda, a server with a gray bouffant and cat-eye glasses, does a double take when she sees Nolan, and her eyebrows shoot up when she notices me trailing behind him.
“Well, I’ll be,” she says loud enough to be heard three counties away. “If it ain’t Mr. Lone Wolf himself, and he’s brought the lovely Sally.” Her grin could light up Vegas. “Date night?”
I open my mouth to correct her.
Nolan beats me to it.
“No,” he says, flat and immediate.
Ouch.
Her eyebrows climb higher. “Right. Sure. Two menus, or should I just bring you your usual, tough guy?”
He mutters something that is probably not polite and heads for a booth in the corner. I follow, half dying of secondhand embarrassment and halfweirdly charmed.
“It’s fine,” I say as we slide into the booth. “I didn’t think this was a date.”
Liar, liar, hair on fire.
He doesn’t respond, which… doesn’t help.
Wanda gives me a wink as she returns to drop off two glasses of water.
“I like Wanda. She’s one of a kind,” I whisper once she’s gone.
“She’s nosy,” he counters.
“It’s called being friendly.”
“It’s called meddling.”
I grin. “You say tomato, I say social skills.”
He glares at me. “I have social skills.”
I wait.
Two whole seconds pass. He says nothing else.
I raise an eyebrow. “Okay.”
Something flickers at the corner of his mouth. Thetiniest tug as if his lips are testing the concept of smiling after too many years of forgetting how.
Wanda returns with her pad at the ready. “What can I get you kids? And please don’t tell me salad. It’s late. Live a little.”
Nolan doesn’t hesitate. “Double cheeseburger. Fries. Extra pickles.”
She scribbles, then looks at me. “And for you, sweetheart?”
“I’ll have exactly that,” I decide. “Except no pickles.”
Nolan gives me alook that sayswho doesn’t like pickles?
Wanda totals the order and squints at him. “You okay, hon? You’ve got that look. Like you just found something you didn’t know you were missing.”
