“Hey, are you demoting me already? I thought I was a prince?”
“And the toad is back.” I give him a small smile as I pull out of his embrace. “Thank you, Tucker.”
“No problem, Patience,” he said softly, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. “Can I have your keys, please?”
I was still shaken, so I handed the keys over to him. Tucker walked me around to the passenger side of the Jeep and opened the door for me. It was odd. I’d never had any guy treat me with so much respect and chivalry, well, except for my family. He was different in so many ways from anyone I’d ever met, and it made me want him even more.
As he was walking back around the hood of my Jeep, my eyes tracked his movements and his body. I finally admitted to myself I was in so much more trouble than I originally thought. I was already falling for this man—quick and hard, and there was no hitting the brakes on what I felt was happening. If he left Brook Cove, he’d take my heart with him, and that terrified me even more than Grant did.
Chapter 6
TUCKER
“Are you hungry?” I asked Patience as I pulled out onto the main road. “I’m starving.”
“I could eat,” she answered as her stomach growled loudly.
“I guess that means I should feed you. What’s good here?” I deferred to her knowledge of the town, giving her the option to tell me where to go.
“You like Italian?”
“Who doesn’t? It’s one of my favorite food groups.” I gave her a smirk.
“Mine too. We can go to Nonna’s.”
“Alright, point me in the right direction.”
I followed her directions as she took me away from Main Street. When we pulled up to the restaurant, it looked like an old, large, single-story home that was converted into a restaurant. If I was just passing by and there had been no cars in the parking lot, I would have thought it was just someone’s home.
“You come here often?” I joked as we walked in the front door and people called out to Patience by name with smiles and greetings. More than one of them sent curious looks my way, but I ignored it.
“Yes.” She grins. “My best friend’s family owns it. Speaking of—” I watched as another woman shorter than Patience with dark brown curly hair and skin that seemed kissed by the sun, came over and wrapped her up in a hug.
“I heard about Grant,” I overheard her say as she pushed Patience back to have a look at her. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m good. Griff and the boys were at the bar when everything went down, so they would have stepped in if Tucker hadn’t gotten there first.” She nodded toward me over her shoulder, and the woman she was hugging swung her gaze toward mine.
“Hey.” She gave me a big smile and a dimple in her right cheek appeared, giving her a mischievous look. “I don’t believe we’ve met yet.” She held out her hand to me. “I’m Giana Lombardi.”
“Tucker Roth.” I accepted her hand and gave her a small nod of greeting.
“Let me get you guys seated.” She turned and led us toward the back of the restaurant dining room.
Patience shuddered subtly when I placed my hand on the small of her back, guiding her through the den of the restaurant. My own palm felt warm with an electrical current at the touch. When we got to the back, she slid into the curved booth first, and I moved in beside her, putting my back to the wall.
“What can I get you guys to drink?”
Patience smiled. “Sweet tea for me.”
“Same, please.”
“Sure, coming right up. Patience, you want the calamari or the spinach artichoke dip today?”
“You know me so well.” She grinned cheerfully. “I think I’ll let Tucker decide the appetizer.”
“Both.” I shrugged. I’ve never been a picky eater, and I had no idea which one Patience would prefer. She left it up to me, but I wanted to make sure she got what she wanted.
“I’ll get that put in and your drinks.” Giana laid two menus on the table in front of me.
