Page 13 of Her Honorable Hero

“Twenty-eight,” Griff answered readily.

“Respect your elders. We know what we’re doing. I know to park under the parking lot lights and have people walk me to my car.”

He didn’t like the ‘elders’ shot at all. “Does that always work out for you, Miranda?”

He saw she was opening her mouth for another retort and he wanted to kick his own ass. Really? This is how he was going about asking for a date?

Griff threw his hands up in the air. “Do you have a handkerchief?” he asked.

“What?”

Thank God he stopped her before she tore a strip off him. “A handkerchief. I want to wave it in surrender. Seriously, I swear to God I’m usually smoother than this, but thinking of you unprotected woke up my lizard brain.”

He continued to keep his arms in the air as she started to laugh.

“Oh for God’s sake, lower your hands,” she chuckled. “I forgive you and your lizard.”

“Do you forgive us enough to go out to dinner? A late dinner?” he qualified.

“You wouldn’t mind waiting?” He liked that she sounded as hopeful as he felt.

“Hell, Miranda, I’ve been taking this train for two months even though my truck has been out of the shop for the last seven weeks. I’d say I wouldn’t mind waiting,” he laughed.

“You’ve been really worried about your dad, haven’t you? That’s what’s been really holding you back, hasn’t it?”

Nothing got past this woman. Smart turned him on. A lot.

She was right, it had been because of his dad. For some reason he hadn’t felt right about pursuing a social life with his dad so sick from the chemotherapy. But now it was a whole new ballgame, his dad was on the mend.

“Yeah, I’ve been worried about him, but this last week he’s turned a corner.”

“I’m so happy for you and your family.”

“What kind of food do you like?”

“It really doesn’t matter.” Her blue eyes gleamed. “Food’s food. It’s the company that matters.”

It just got better and better.

“Hi, you two.” Griff looked up to see Betty, the ticket taker.

“How are you doing this morning, Beautiful?” Griff asked.

The middle-aged woman gave him a broad smile. She reminded him of one of his mom’s friends. She was a sweetheart.

“I see you’re still a big ‘ole flirt, Mr. Porter.”

“I know better than to flirt with a happily-married woman, Betty. How are the grandkids?” Betty looked around the car and saw that it was pretty empty, so she took a moment to answer.

“Colin is starring in the school play and Angela caught a fly ball in her first game.”

“That’s fantastic,” he and Miranda said simultaneously. They looked at one another, and chuckled, but it was Betty who laughed the loudest.

“You two are the best entertainment I have every Monday,” she said. Then she left to scan the next person’s ticket.

“So, where were we?” Griff asked.

“I was about to question you,” Miranda answered. She started to shrug out of her blazer. Griff helped her, admiring the pink silk blouse that she was wearing. There was something about a woman in a business suit that got to him. Then there was the fact that she was wearing pearls. God, half the time he was ready to swallow his tongue. He forced his brain back into gear.