And then she flicked her eyes over toward the customer, as if… Jason’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t mean…
Had she notseenthe guy who’d just walked in? Had she not seenhim? Jason was wallpaper. Beige and quiet and useful. The guy in the leather jacket belonged on billboards and yachts, in lives where people like Jason were just background noise.
He’d never even had a real date. What was he supposed to do—walk up and introduce himself like he was someone worth noticing?
“I’ll, er,” he said uncertainly, and she patted his hand before releasing him.
“You do that,” she said.
He bolted for the kitchen.
Chapter Two
RILEY
With a smile at the middle-aged blonde woman who was pretending to eat her meal but was really checking him out, Riley took a seat in the corner. From there, he’d be able to see everyone who came and went. Currently, the place was empty apart from him, the blonde, and a young couple who were whispering into one another’s ears without taking notice of anything around them.
The diner, with its worn vinyl seating and scuffed linoleum floor, was pretty much what he’d anticipated, though the specials the place offered had piqued his interest slightly. While there was plenty of the expected desultory diner fare, there were some rather more interesting dishes too.
At least he might not overdose on meatloaf if he ended up staying here the whole week, though God help him if he had to. Just so long as the cook was a bit more with it than the server had been. Without that slack-jawed blankness, he would have beenattractive—long, lean body, dark curly hair and brown eyes framed by thick, dark eyelashes.
Speaking of the server, he’d just come out again and was heading over toward Riley. That had been quick. Except, Riley noticed, there was no plate in his hands.
“Jason, dear.” The blonde was trying to get the guy’s attention.
“Just one moment, please, Ms. Taylor,” he said. His cheeks were burning a dull red by the time he got to Riley’s table. “I’m sorry,” he said. “But—er—I didn’t write your order down. Could you repeat it, please?”
If Riley really had been writing a travel guide, he wouldn’t have been able to recommend this place to anyone. “Baked pesto chicken and iced tea,” he said. And then he remembered he was here to make nice with the locals. “Please,” he added, and smiled, trying to look friendly and approachable and just the kind of person everyone would want to talk to.
The smile that lit Jason’s face in return was a fucking revelation. Those dimples—he was beautiful. If only the guy wasn’t unbelievably awkward, Riley would be hitting that so damn hard.
“Thanks,” Jason said, and retreated. He was waved down by Ms. Taylor, who seemed intent on speaking to him at some length. Jason gestured toward Riley and excused himself swiftly, leaving Ms. Taylor staring after him in disappointment. Just as he reached the counter, she tilted her head to one side. Riley was almost sure she was checking out Jason’s ass. Which, yeah, wasdefinitelyworth checking out.
Looking up once Jason had disappeared into the kitchen, he found Ms. Taylor’s eyes on him. Well, he’d had enough practice at fending off approaches from men and women over the years, and if he was going to find out about this town and their pack, he needed to start talking to people. He got up from his table and went over to her.
“Would you mind if I joined you?” he asked. “It’s kind of lonely, sitting on my own in a strange place.”
“By all means,” the blonde said. “I’m Nerissa Taylor.”
“Riley Clark,” he responded. A few moments earlier, speculation had been in her eyes as they’d raked over his body, but her gaze had now lost its sexually charged edge. He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or insulted.
“You’re new to Elk Ridge, then?” she asked. “I’d remember if I’d seen you before.”
He nodded. “Got into town an hour ago,” he said. “I’m staying at the motel on Avery.”
“Well, you picked the best place in town to eat,” she assured him. “Jason’s cooking is just wonderful, and if you want anything not on the menu, he’s always happy to oblige.”
Was he, indeed?
“Oh, not like that,” she protested with a laugh. “Jason’s not some back-room Casanova. But don’t let me stop you appreciating the view.”
He choked. At least that explained why she’d lost interest in him, but he wasdefinitelygoing to need to work on his game face if he’d been caught out so swiftly. In his defense, he hadn’t counted on someone like this Jason guy being around—he’d thought Elk Ridge would be full of rednecks and cowboys. Not that he objected to a cowboy in theleast,but in his experience they generally weren’t too keen on gay ex-models, ex-actors, or ex-singers. Or any of the other ex- things he was.
He refused to let the thought sting and turned his mind back to what he currently was—an investigative journalist with the possibility of the biggest scoop since Watergate. Or Taylor Swift’s next release. Whatever. It would make his career, and he needed to focus.
“So, Ms. Taylor,” he began.
“Nerissa,” she corrected.
