“Yes, please,” Free said, smiling gratefully.
She turned toward Kasey, inclining her head just the slightest. Her gaze swept over his face, as if trying to place where she recognized him. He shifted in his seat, dropping his eyes to the menu. He didn’t want breakfast to turn into an autograph fest. He placed his order of a skillet breakfast and extra slices of whole wheat toast without raising his eyes to the waitress again, thanking her as she sidled away.
“How was your flight?” Free asked and leaned back against the padded booth seat. He draped one arm along the back of the booth, his other hand wrapped around the small, tangerine orange mug.
“Crowded. That plane was tiny,” Kasey grumbled.
“Don’t you fly first class?” Free asked, teasing.
“Ha,” Kasey muttered sardonically. “If it’s a sponsored flight, sure. On my own dime, economy is just fine. Even if my legs do get cramped.”
Free motioned to the ball cap still on his head. “Do you get recognized more often now?”
“Eh, sometimes. When I travel, I try to dress down; wear ball caps, sunglasses, and grow out my scruff. That sort of thing,” he said and shrugged. “Though it didn’t help much at the gas station this morning. I still got recognized by a fan. Had to take a selfie. Hazard of the trade, I suppose.”
Free laughed out loud. “I didn’t see Shaun as the type to ask for a selfie. Maybe to throw darts at.”
Kasey’s eyebrows jumped in surprise. “How’d you know about that?”
Free chuckled again, pouring himself another cup of coffee from the carafe the waitress had left for them. “She was already at the house this morning, all in a huff. You spilled her coffee, you know.”
Kasey grinned. “Oh yes. She let me know.”
“You enjoy pissing her off, don’t you?”
Kasey shrugged again, though he grinned behind another drink of his coffee. “It’s entertaining, for sure.” That buffoon fiancé of hers came to his mind and his lips drew into a thin line. He couldn’t remember if he’d seen a ring on her finger. He made a mental note to double check when he saw her again. Not that he expected a change in her relationship status. If that idiot had any kind of smarts, he’d never let her go.
He knew he wouldn’t, if he ever got the chance.
There was a hideous green monster that seemed to crawl under his skin whenever he thought about that jackass. Touching her. Kissing her. He’d give his left leg to have those long legs of hers wrapped around his head, his face buried in her—
The waitress was back just then with their platters of food, and he shifted in his seat, adjusting the stiffening of his cock in his jeans. Freeman had warned him once about the Kendall women. And he hadn’t listened. Nope. He’d gone ahead and tumbled right off the deep end. She was too beautiful. Too spicy. Too fuckingeverythingto resist.
He noticed the waitress staring at him again, as if still trying to place him. He smiled, but again angled his face away as he thanked her. She walked away, but glanced over her shoulder once more as they dug into their food.
“Are you guys going to get along this weekend?” Free asked as he took a bite of toast.
“Probably not,” Kasey replied honestly.
“Can you try? For Jodi, please?” Free asked, stabbing his fork into a sausage link. “I want this weekend to go well for her. She deserves it after not getting a wedding when she married that douchebag ex of hers.”
“I’ll behave,” Kasey muttered sourly as he shoveled a forkful of hashbrowns into his mouth after smothering them with ketchup. Then he amended, “For the most part, anyway. She just makes it too easy to rile her up.”
“You’re a menace,” Free chuckled and took another bite of egg. “I have to work today, but my evening is open. Roxy will be in later today, too. Actually, Jodi said she’s kicking the three of us out for the evening so we can catch up.”
“She does know the trouble the three of us can get into together unsupervised, right?” he asked, laughing. He pushed his plate away and leaned back in the booth.
Free laughed, nodding. “I think she knows if we’re out together getting into trouble, you won’t be able to bother Shaun.”
Kasey rolled his eyes but grinned. “She may know me too well already.”
“What will you do today?” his cousin asked then, mopping up the last of his egg yolk with his toast.
Kasey shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest as he fought a yawn. The waitress was back with their check. “I didn’t sleep much on the plane; would it be alright if I head to your place and crash for a few hours? The hotel won’t let me check in until after three.”
“Sure, not a problem. Jodi will be there for a bit, she doesn’t go into the bookstore for a couple more hours,” Freeman said as he pulled out his wallet, but Kasey handed the waitress his credit card, waving his cousin off.
“I invited you out for breakfast,” he said as the waitress walked away, looking at his credit card.Dammit.Over at the counter, she whispered something to the middle-aged woman at the register, their faces lighting up. “And I’ve got about thirty seconds before this place explodes.”
