“Do you really think this is going to work?” Kristen asked, not bothering to look up as she took in the milkshake menu.
“Yes,” Garrett said with absolutely no hesitation because losing her again wasn’t an option.
“Why is that?” Kristen asked, turning the page.
“Because you missed me,” he said as she took her time looking over the burger menu.
“What exactly are you basing that asinine assumption on?” she asked, closing the lunch menu and tossed it aside and focused on the all-day breakfast menu.
“Your books,” Garrett said, watching as she slowly looked up from her menu.
“What about them?” Kristen asked, leaning back in her seat as she considered him.
“You didn’t kill Tristan off,” he said, watching as her curious expression turned confused.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“You kept writing about him,” Garrett said, still wondering about that.
“And?” Kristen asked, absently toying with the edge of the breakfast menu.
“Since he’s based on me, I think it would be safe to say that the smart thing would have been to kill him off a long time ago,” he said, shrugging it off as he watched her.
“He’s one of the main characters,” Kristen reminded him.
“And you could have easily replaced him after the first book,” Garrett pointed out.
“I could have,” she murmured in agreement.
“But you didn’t,” he said, watching while she absently nodded as she returned her attention to the menu.
“And you think that means that I missed you?” Kristen asked, turning the page.
“I think it means that I have a chance.”
“A chance for what?” Kristen asked, only to go still at his next words.
“That’s what I’m going to find out.”
CHAPTER 22
“Is there a reason why you’re interrogating me?” Kristen asked, wondering about the sudden interest in Tristan and Emily.
“Is that what I’m doing?” Garrett murmured absently as he glanced to his left, drawing her attention to a small bookcase filled with what appeared to be boxes of crayons, markers, coloring books, and board games.
“It’s either that or you’re trying to piss me off,” Kristen said, watching as he stood up and made his way over to the bookcase to grab something off the top shelf.
“Probably a little bit of both,” Garrett said as he dropped back down on the bench across from her with a deck of cards in his hand.
“And the cards?” Kristen asked with a pointed look at the deck of cards in his hand.
“Will make this easier,” Garrett said, meeting her gaze as he deftly slid the deck of cards out of the box and into his hand.
“And what exactly is this?” Kristen asked, watching as he tossed the empty box on the table and began shuffling the cards, all while keeping his gaze locked on her.
“Catching up on old times,” he drawled as he finished shuffling the deck and placed the cards in the middle of the table.
“Is that what we’re doing?” Kristen asked, watching as he cut the deck and held it up, showing her the ten of hearts before putting the cards back on the deck.
