Lynx’s gaze slammed into mine. I shrugged. I would let my cousin figure this one out.
“That’s negotiable,” Lynx told her. “But if you’d like to stop by the shop, I’d be happy to talk to you more about it.”
Amy placed the bill on the table. “I’ll … uh … think about it.”
That was a lie, I could tell. Since I was suddenly interested in finding out what this woman was running from, I decided to help Lynx out. “How about this afternoon? Three o’clock?” I grinned. “Lynx’s not pullin’ your leg, darlin’. We’re looking for someone to manage the office.” I waved my hand to encompass the diner. “I assure you, it pays a helluva lot better than this place.”
Amy’s eyes locked with mine and I held her stare.
To hell with Lynx interviewing this woman.
I had every intention of handling Amy Smith myself.
Rhys
I walked into the diner as Lynx was walking out. I didn’t think I could’ve timed my arrival better if I'd tried.
When I stepped inside, I found Wolfe sitting at a table, two empty plates in front of him. He was staring at his cell phone with a frown on his face.
Figuring luck was on my side, I nodded at Amy, then took one of the empty seats near Wolfe.
“Abandoned so early in the mornin’?” I said by way of greeting.
Wolfe spared me a brief look but then turned his attention back to his phone. “What do you want, Sheriff?”
You. I refrained from admitting that though.
For the better part of the weekend, I had given thought to Wolfe’s warning on Friday night. The man had referred to my sexual proclivities as a game. I had to wonder just how much thought he had given to me previously. I'd wondered about it so much I found myself thinking about what it would take to seduce the sexy cowboy.
Having known Wolfe a long time, I was convinced the man was as interested in men as I was in women. Sure, he had done a relatively decent job of keeping his preferences under wraps, but still, people talked. I'd heard a few things over the years that made me think there could be a chance to get the cowboy with the scarred knuckles and raspy voice right where I wanted him. Not to mention, I had seen the way he looked at me. It was the same way he looked at pancakes and bacon.
Then, while I had been fantasizing about Wolfe, my mind had conjured up some pretty hot images of a sweet little…
“Can I get you something, Sheriff?” Amy offered, her voice soft as she moved to stand beside me.
Yeah. Her.
My fantasies were never simple. They involved some smoking-hot interactions with the sexy cowboy and the cute little waitress. Of course, I hadn’t even realized how interested I was until last Friday night, but hey, I wasn’t going to fight it.
“The special would be great,” I said, keeping my expression masked. “And a cup of coffee, if you don’t mind.”
Amy didn’t meet my eyes, and a quick nod was all I received before she darted back behind the counter. Unable to help myself, I stared after her. The way she filled out those jeans should’ve been a crime.
A rough growl drew my attention back to Wolfe. I turned my head and lifted my eyebrow, waiting for the man to offer up another warning. Instead, I found him staring back at me with what looked a hell of a lot like lust in his eyes.
Based on that look, I didn’t think I was the only one who’d imagined the three of us rolling around in my big bed.
For all the time I'd known Wolfe, I'd never witnessed anything to confirm that the man did swing both ways. Sure, there’d been some rumors over the years about the Caine cousins. They were known for their wild ways, which, if the stories were true, had included some rather interesting exploits.
Then again, most people didn’t share those idiosyncrasies with the world. Especially not in a small town like ours. A man could be persecuted for his desires in a town like Embers Ridge. I knew firsthand. The fact that I was bisexual was something I had to keep on the down low. Not that I ignored my desires, but I was careful about who I was with.
Sure, the world was changing. People’s acceptance was changing. Hell, not too long ago, the town had been overwhelmed by some untraditional relationships when some of Wolfe’s family had opted to have a family reunion over at Dead Heat Ranch. From what I had seen, there were some successful polyamorous relationships going on in that family. It gave a guy hope, sure.
Not that I would ever be able to go public with a relationship of that nature. Nor did I expect to end up in one. However, there was one man I'd wanted for longer than I could remember. And I knew that Wolfe was into sharing. I wasn’t entirely certain the man was as open to sharing the way I had in mind, but hey, it was a nice fantasy.
And there was only one way to find out.
“Did you need somethin’? Or were you offerin’ to pay for my breakfast?”
