“We didn’t have plans to meet,” he says.
She taps her menu on the table, gesturing to the seat across from her. “Sit.”
Ed’s carrying a small paper bag in one hand, and he holds it out to her. “I’m only hereto bring this to you.”
“I didn’t ask you to argue,” Mae says. “I asked you to sit.”
Hovering near her booth, Ed scrubs a hand over his white-stubbled jaw. “Are you trying to drive me out of my mind, woman?”
“Short drive, Ed.”
A laugh bursts out of me before I can contain it, and I’m not the only one. Grizz ducks his head over his plate and chokes on his own laugh, while Atlas’s mouth twitches. If I didn’t know Viper as well as I do now, I’d think he didn’t hear the conversation, but small movements of his eyes and facial muscles tell me something different.
Ruth arrives with Mae’s milkshake and sets it down like an offering. “Want a menu, Ed?” the waitress asks.
Mae waves her hand before he can answer. “He’s not eating today. He’s brooding.”
“Why are you always so pleasant?” Ed asks Mae. To my complete surprise, he slides into the booth across from her.
The woman bats her eyelashes, which I’m pretty sure are too long and thick to be real. “Why waste my charm on people who already know me?”
A leg nudges my knee under the table, and I realize I need to stop eavesdropping.
“Everyone says they’ve been dancing around each other for years,” Grizz says. “Whole town’s taking bets.”
“On what?”
“Who caves first.” When I arch a brow, curious,he says, “My money’s on neither.”
I can’t help but look their way again a couple of minutes later, and this time, Mae catches me looking. The woman’s red lips twitch into a smile as her eyes crinkle at the corners.
Atlas asks about my salad, and I keep my focus on our immediate table while we finish our lunches. When the men are nearly done with their meals, they start speculating about what desserts will be available today.
Grizz is about to flag Ruth over when a child’s voice calls out. “Hey, Ruth! Can we sit by the window?”
It’s T.J., along with his mom. Elena’s scanning the room for an available table, and waves when she spots me looking their way.
“Who’s that?” Viper’s alert level, which is always on ten, notches up.
“Kid who almost ran into … Jennifer,” Grizz says. “Name’s Elena Ramirez.”
Viper eyes her as she stands near the doorway. “New principal at Moon Ridge Elementary,” he says. When Atlas and Grizz both look at him, surprised, he says. “It’s my job to keep up with news.”
“Husband was a SEAL,” he continues. “Died in a training accident three years ago.”
My mouth falls open as I wonder, not for the first time, what it’s like inside Viper’s head. He’s a walking search engine sometimes.
“Want to invite her over?” Atlas asks me.
When I nod, Grizz takes the lead. He stands and waves at Elena. “Want to join us?”
She heads over, calling out a greeting to Mae, who waves back at her.
All three of the men stand as Elena and T.J. approach. Atlas pulls over two extra chairs, and we all shift to make room.
“Only if we aren’t intruding,” Elena says.
“You’re not.” He holds out his hand. “I’m Andrew. This is Silas, and you’ve already met Jennifer and Boyd.”
