“The cabinet in front of you. In the kitchen island.” The coffeemaker beeped, so I got up to pour a couple of mugs.
After heating the pan, Grayden poured the eggs in to cook, humming a quiet melody. I set a mug on the counter beside him and mainlined my first cup. I sighed as the caffeine made its way through my bloodstream.
He opened my fridge and bent to look around. Which gave me a great opportunity to admire his ass in his jeans.
“How about breakfast tacos?” he asked. “You’ve got tortillas and salsa.”
“Yes, please. There’s shredded cheese in the drawer too. And grab the salsa in the back. That’s the spicy one Ollie hates.”
“Excellent. I love spicy.” Grayden set everything on the counter. Now that I was feeling mostly human, I helped him warm up the tortillas and assemble our plates. Then he added a few sprigs of cilantro from a bunch I’d bought last week and had forgotten about.
“Cilantro. Look at you, Mr. Gourmet.”
“I’m no Callum, but I get by.”
We sat at the kitchen table, knees bumping from how close we were sitting. The tacos were exactly what I needed. Carbs, fat, and protein. A little spice and that hint of freshness from the herbs.
Grayden polished off his taco and sipped his mug of coffee. “There isn’t much to tell about my dating history. Never had a serious girlfriend in high school or when I was on active duty.”
Oh. So we were talking about this.
“Once I was in prison, I got extremely well acquainted with both my hands. There are women who are into dating inmates, but I wasnotinterested in anything like that. And after…” He tugged on his lower lip. “Life in general was rocky the first few years after my release. I wasn’t much of a catch.”
I pressed my knee firmly against his thigh. “How did you end up inSeattle?”
“Well, I didn’t have parole or anything like that to deal with. I was a free man, supposedly. Came back to Colorado at first. Showed up in Silver Ridge, and I think you know what happened. Callum told me to get lost.”
I frowned at my coffee. “I heard. Grace told me after she found out.” She hadn’t known until earlier this year.
“Cal changed his mind about wanting me here, of course, and I’ve never blamed him for what he said. But anyway, I decided on Seattle because the JAG officer who originally defended me lived there. He kept in touch with me over the years while I was inside. By the time I was out, he was working as a private attorney. Helped me get on my feet.”
“It’s great you had someone like that.”
“Yeah. Thank God. He was kind of a father figure, I suppose. Didn’t have many of those in my life.”
“Are you still in touch with him?”
“He passed last year.”
I reached for his hand. “I’m sorry. I wish I could’ve met him.”
“You’re sweet to say that.” He smiled easily, lifting my hand to kiss the back of it. “Sweet in lots of ways. I’ve never felt like this about anyone else, Piper. I want you to know that.”
No words came to me, my pulse going too fast.
“I’m going to fix your broken garage door,” he said. “I’ve got some pieces of wood at my place and an extra lock.Don’tsay I don’t have to. I know I don’t. I’d like to.”
I decided to be easygoing. “That would be very kind of you. Thanks.”
He smiled and kissed my hand again. “Can I spend some more time with you after that? I’d really like to.”
My face flushed, and I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. He was being so…formal, suddenly. “I thought you weren’t sure about your plans for this weekend.”
“Only said that because I wasn’t sure if Ishouldsee you more. I hate the thought of people judging you for your association with me.”
“We’re back to that topic again?”
“I will stop bringing it up. But only on one condition.”
