“Want some company?”
He wouldn’t mind if Zev tagged along. From his understanding, the brothers were very close. But Corbin hated that the brothers spent too much time together, according to what he read. Corbin felt Crevan took too much time away from him and Moressa.
“Nah, you should stay with your mates.”
“But we haven’t spent time together lately,” Zev said. “I miss my little brother.”
Fox sighed. “How about we go out to lunch sometime next week?”
“So now I’m being put on a calendar?” Zev scowled.
“It’s not like that, and you know it. I just need to figure out my surroundings and try to get some of my memories back.
Zev sighed after a few seconds seeming to understand what Fox meant. “All right, we’ll do lunch sometime next week. But don’t cancel on me.”
“I won’t, I promise.” Fox smiled.
“All right, drive safe.” Fox nodded just as Zev closed the car door.
Fox pulled out of the driveaway and enjoyed the scenery, letting his mind wander off. Vale instantly came to his thoughts, and he wondered what the man was up to. Other than thinking about Crevan Hannigan, Fox was thinking about ways to bump into Vale accidentally.
The family had all agreed to have Thanksgiving together, but Fox got the feeling that he and Vale won’t get any time alone. He wanted to pick the man’s brain and try to figure out who his mate had been. The more Fox thought about Vale being with someone other than him, the angrier he got.
It didn’t matter to Fox that they had never been intimate with each other. He’d had plans to pursue Vale once he’d passed the bar, and they no longer worked so closely together. Fox wanted to feel heartbroken that Vale lost his mate, yet all he could think was it was finally his time to love the man the way he’d wanted to in his past life. He acknowledged he was selfish, but he couldn’t help it—Vale should have been his long ago. It was only Fox’s stupidity that had kept them apart.
Fox slowed his car down when he realized he’d driven into town, taking in the stores, smiling that the buildings were a mix of old-fashioned and modern designs. He stopped in front of his parents’ wine shop and snorted when he saw the store’s name. Fox heard the story that the store was magical, and ever since it opened its doors, the store changed its name every year.
The year before, it was called theUtterly Uncorked, and this year it wasHannigans Won’t You Be Wine. Most people would find that a bit creepy, but the residents living in town saw it as an annual tradition. Fox thought about stopping to see his folks, who were working that day but changed his mind when he saw Vale sitting in Bella’s diner sucking on a milkshake.
Fox became more intrigued when he noticed that the captain wasn’t alone. Parking his car, Fox got out and made sure Genesis was very comfortable with blankets shielding her from the cold then walked into the diner. The restaurant was designed and decorated in a retro style; it gave off a 1950’s sock hop era feel with steel countertops and red stool chairs.
“Well, if it isn’t one of my favorite customers.”
Fox turned his gaze away from the decorations and towards the person that spoke. She was a beautiful woman with long black hair and gold eyes. If he remembered correctly from what Nafri showed him, the person standing in front of him was Elizbella, the owner of Bella’s Diner.
“Hi, Bella, it’s nice to see you again,” Fox greeted.
“And you too,” she smiled. “Your parents told me what happened, and I’m glad to see that you’re okay.”
“Thank you, Bella.”
Bella looked at the car seat in his hands. “And this must be the beautiful little girl you couldn’t wait to meet.”
“Yes, this is Genesis.” He beamed, pulling back the blankets back so that Bella could get a good look at his daughter.
“Oh, isn’t she just precious?” Bella gushed. “She reminds me of one of my granddaughters.”
If he remembered correctly, Bella’s son Quintus gave birth to sextuplets. Fox wasn’t sure how the man did it. Giving birth to one would have been hard enough, but six was too damn much to think about. Fox shook the thought away when his stomach grumbled, reminding him that not only did he need to eat, he also had a different purpose for walking into Bella’s.
“Hey, Bella. Can I get a burger with the works and a milkshake?”
“Coming right up. You find a seat, and I’ll have someone bring your order over to you.”
“Thanks, Bella.”
Fox made his way slowly over to Vale, who looked up when he got closer.
“Captain Vale,” Fox said, stopping beside their booth and giving Vale’s companion a quick glance out of the corner of his eye.
