“Everything okay?”Derek asked, his smile fading, which made Harm sad because he lived for those smiles and the way Derek’s eyes sparkled at the same time.
He watched out the window as he considered what to do about what he’d witnessed.“I need to call the police, but I—” Harm wrote once he pulled out the small notepad he carried.“It’s not like I can tell them what happened.”
Derek’s eyes widened.“Okay.”He stood, and that smile was back.“Officers always come in here because they have the best pizza.There’s one out front.”Derek was gone in an instant, and he came back with a uniformed officer.“This is Harm.He isn’t able to speak, but he has something he needs to tell you.”
“All right.Let’s start with your name.”
“Harmon Wheeler.”He also wrote down his address and phone number.Then it took him a few minutes to write down what he had seen in the parking lot.“There were four males,” Then he went on to describe each of them, giving the men a number for reference.He was able to include not only clothing, but also hairstyles and even piercings and a tattoo on one of the guy’s necks.
“That’s very thorough,” the officer said as Harm tore the sheet out of the tablet and handed it to him.“What did they appear to be doing?”
“Boosting the BMW,” Harm wrote.“One was a lookout at the corner close to the church, and the others were watching as well, while the fourth was going for the car.”He added the license number of the target car.
“Thank you.I’ll have this checked out,” the officer said and left, probably to get his food.
“That was pretty cool,” Derek said.“Do you want to learn the signs for some of what you just explained?”Derek went over a few of the important movements until their server came to the table.Harm ordered the pasta with vodka cream sauce by pointing, and Derek ordered the same.
Harm growled under his breath when he saw a familiar face approaching the table from behind Derek.He met William’s gaze immediately, baring his teeth.The guy stopped as Derek turned around.“Jesus, why won’t he leave me alone?”
“I thought that was you,” William said with fake sincerity.Harm was aware that he had probably followed Derek here.
“Please leave me alone,” Derek told him.“I’m really not interested in whatever it is that you seem to think is going on.Harm and I are having dinner, and stalking me is not the way to get my attention.”Derek’s firmness was hot.It sent a shiver up Harm’s back, and he smiled but maintained eye contact with William, this time purposely looking threatening.It was time this guy learned to keep away and that Derek was not for him.Harm was starting to believe that Derek might be interested in him, but even if not, he still wanted him to be safe.
William finally backed up and then scurried out of the room.
“Thank you.”
Harm shrugged.
Derek leaned over the table.“Don’t give me that.I know you were giving him the ‘I know how to kill people’ look.You had that one down pat whenever you came into the library a while ago.You don’t do it anymore, but it’s nice to know that you still can.”It was uncanny sometimes how Derek could read him so easily.
“What’s with that guy?”their server, a college-aged girl, asked.“He comes in here all the time, and we all hope he doesn’t sit in our section.He’s kind of creepy.”She shivered.
“Yeah.You could say that,” Derek agreed.
“Your meals should be out in a few minutes.”She offered drink refills and then went to another table to check on them.
“It’s been an exciting evening so far,” Derek said.Harm signed “yes” before asking about work.It was a question he had been practicing.
“The board is meeting next Tuesday.I usually attend, but they specifically asked me to be there.I think they want to know how the class went.I’m a little nervous.I tried to manage their expectations, but I don’t know what they’re thinking.”
Harm pulled out his pad.“It will be all right.This is a small town, but you had ten people, which means that there is a need for this.So please don’t give up.”He handed the sheet to Derek.
“I don’t intend to.”Derek folded the sheet and put it into his pocket.
Their food arrived, and Harm tucked into a huge plate of pasta with an amazing sauce, ham, peas, and a touch of bacon for smokiness.Yumminess on a plate.There was no way he was going to be able to eat it all, but he managed a little over half.Derek gave up after less than him, and they both got containers to go.
Harm paid this time, and they walked out into the cold night air.Harm put his food on the passenger seat of the truck and then turned to Derek, who had come in his own car.He took Derek’s food, placing it with his, and looked into his eyes.
Derek smiled and then nodded slowly, drawing nearer.How he always seemed to know what Harm wanted to ask was a mystery, and maybe sometime Derek would explain it to him, but right now he was too interested in Derek and closing the distance between them.
Harm slipped his fingers along Derek’s cheek, loving the warmth.He drew closer, and Derek tilted his head to one side, then parted his lips.Harm pressed their lips together lightly.
It was electric.In an instant, Harm knew he could kiss this man for a very long time.But they were outside, and this sort of thing, especially with how Harm wanted to wrap Derek in his arms and kiss Derek’s breath away, probably should not happen in such a public place.
Derek backed up, the fog from his breath giving away just how affected he was.Not that Harm could deny the kiss either… in many ways.
“I should get home,” Derek said softly.Harm nodded, trying to hide his disappointment.“But maybe you could come over tomorrow and I can try to cook.I’m not a chef or anything, but I can make chicken.If it doesn’t turn out, we can have the leftover pasta.”
