“Booth,” Nick answered.
“Sure thing, handsome.”
They followed Nadine to a booth at the back of the diner. Nick sidestepped Grace to get the seat that faced the door. No self-respecting ex-Marine would ever sit with his back to the door. Grace glanced at him with a question in her eyes, but didn’t seem to mind too much as she took a seat across from him.
“Drinks?” Nadine asked as she handed them two laminated menus.
“Coke,” Grace said. “Regular, please.”
Nick ordered the same and turned his attention back to Grace when Nadine shuffled back to the kitchen.
“So,” Nick began, “tell me who I’ll be meeting this week.”
“Well, other than my brother and cousin, my mom and dad, Sarah and David, will be there. They live out in Seattle. She’s an accountant and he’s an actuary. They’re, um, well-meaning.”
He leaned forward. “Interesting choice of words.”
She blew a wayward curl off her forehead. “Oh, don’t get me wrong, they’re great people. They’re just unique.”
She didn’t explain and he didn’t push. He supposed he’d figure out what she meant soon enough.
“Then, I imagine dad will dig up Grandma Ruthie and drag her out here,” she added. “She’s a joy.”
Her tone dripped sarcasm, but as Grace spoke, it became clear that she adored and was exasperated by her family in equal measure. He envied her that. His own family was a bit of a joke, as Grace would soon find out. If any of them bothered to show, that is.
“Well, Sadie is really impressed with everyone she’s met,” he said. “In fact, she can’t stop talking about them. I’ve heard more about your family than I’ve heard about Michael.”
A frown line creased her smooth brow. “That’s kind of weird, isn’t it? Wouldn’t you think she’d be talking about Michael nonstop?”
He shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. Never been married or engaged.”
Nadine returned with their drinks. “You kids decide what you’d like?”
Nick nodded to Grace. “Go ahead, angel.”
She paused for a moment, giving him a look he couldn’t interpret. Then, she sighed and turned her attention to Nadine. “Okay, I’ll have a bacon double cheeseburger with fries…no, wait, onion rings…no, wait, fries and onion rings. And a side salad with a cup of chicken tortilla soup. And a large chocolate shake.” She shrugged sheepishly, then added, “Please.”
“Okay,” Nadine said, dragging the word out a few extra syllables. She turned to Nick with wide eyes. “What about you, doll?”
“Uh, I’ll have a cup of beef vegetable and a turkey club, please. Thanks, Nadine.”
As Nadine shuffled back to the kitchen, Nick looked back to Grace, who was gnawing on her thumbnail. “What’s the matter?” he asked her.
For a moment, he thought she’d avoid answering, but eventually, she said, in a low voice, “I have a really fast metabolism, so I’m hungry all the time. It’s embarrassing, okay? I try not to eat in front of new people if I can help it. But I get sick if I don’t eat every few hours, so I didn’t have a choice this time.”
Nick had seen her drunk, pissed off, and throwing attitude at him like a major-league pitcher, but seeing her looking all nervous and vulnerable sucker-punched him.
He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “Hey, you don’t have to be embarrassed about anything with me, okay? Just be yourself. I like everything I’ve seen so far.”
She blinked at him, then glanced at his hand on hers. “Thanks,” she whispered.
And as her eyes lifted to his again, the air around them shifted. In that moment, Nick wanted nothing more than to lean across the table and find out if her lush pink lips were as soft as they looked.
Grace broke eye contact first, gently pulling her hand back to her lap.
Too intense too fast, Nick thought. He’d made her uncomfortable. Nicely done, asshole.
Time to lighten the mood.
“Besides, your body rocks, so if you need to eat 5,000 calories a day to keep it, I’m all for it.”
Her surprised laughed ended in a snort, and Nick chuckled as she slapped a hand over her mouth. “Relax, Grace. It’s just you and me.”
Grace really wanted to relax, but she just didn’t see how that was possible when one touch from Nick sent electricity through her whole body. Okay, maybe not through her whole body. More like from his fingertips straight to lady land. There was just no relaxing around a man that, well, manly.
And for a moment, right before she totally wussed out and broke eye contact, she’d been sure he was going to kiss her. She now knew his eyes darkened to midnight blue when things got intense. Damned if she wasn’t stupid enough to want to see it again, too.
Nadine arrived, almost staggering under the weight of the tray she carried. Nick jumped up immediately and helped her distribute the plates. She thanked him profusely before heading up front to greet a young mother and child who’d just walked in.
Grace dug into her food enthusiastically, partially because she was starving, but also to distract herself from thinking about how hot Nick had looked when he brushed off Nadine’s thanks. He’d looked almost embarrassed by her gratitude.
Everything was a lot simpler for her when she thought he was just a good-looking, smug jerk who took pleasure in making her uncomfortable. The fact that he was a nice guy who just happened to look like a god was a little more than Grace could handle.
Grace grabbed the ketchup and created a little moat around her fries and onion rings. “So, you’ve heard all about me. What about you?”
“What do you want to know?”
His tone could only be described as cautious. If they were in a deposition, she’d say he was hiding something. She decided to lob him a softball question instead of leading with her wicked curve. “How did you become an air marshal?”
He shrugged. “Job options are somewhat limited for a guy fresh out of the Marines with no college degree and a questionable skill set.”
“That’s an interesting word choice. What is a questionable skill set, exactly?”
“The things I’ve been good at in my life, you can’t make money on legally.”
She paused with a fry halfway to her mouth. Did he mean…?
He chuckled. “Get your mind out of the gutter, angel. I wasn’t talking about sex.”
“Oh.” Well, that was vaguely disappointing.
“But now that you mention it…” he trailed off, winking at her before taking a bite of his sandwich.
Grace popped the fry in her mouth so he wouldn’t see her with a slack jaw. Again.
“Seriously, though,” Nick continued, “I was a sniper. There’s not much market for that here in the States.”
She chewed thoughtfully for a moment. “I find that hard to believe. Marine snipers are some of the best in the world. I’m sure SWAT teams would fist-fight over you.”
“Maybe before this,” he said dryly, tapping the scar on his temple with his index finger. “Now? Not so much. I lost a little peripheral vision in the explosion, which means I wouldn’t make a good sniper.”
“Oh. Sorry,” she muttered. She felt awful. This was the second time she’d brought up his injury.
“It’s OK,” he said, snatching one of her fries before she could object. “My overall vision is still good, and my marksmanship is better than most.” He shrugged. “I like my job. I get to travel to places I’d never be able to otherwise afford. Meet the most interesting people.”
Nick grinned at her again. He really needed to stop doing that, Grace decided. If she got any hotter, she was bound to set off the sprinklers in the building.
“What about you?” he asked. “What made you want to become a lawyer?”
She broke an onion ring in half and dragged it through the ketchup moat. “When I was in the third grade, my teacher told me that Christopher Columbus discovered America.”
His brow furrowed as he stirred his soup. �
��And that made you want to be a lawyer?”
She frowned at him. “Do you want to hear this story or not, Mr. Impatient Pants?”
He chuckled quietly. “Sorry. Continue. Please.”
“So my question to her was, how could Christopher Columbus have discovered America when there were already people living here?”
He smiled. “That’s a great question. What was her answer?”
“She told me to stop being sassy and made me stand in the corner for the rest of the class.”
He shook his head and winced. “I’m betting she regretted that.”
“You know it. I went directly to the library after school and checked out every book I could find about Christopher Columbus. It didn’t take long to find out that Vikings had landed on American soil long before Columbus.” She popped the onion ring in her mouth and chewed it up before continuing. “So even if it was possible to ‘discover’ something that already belonged to someone else, Christopher Columbus certainly hadn’t been the first.”
“And I’m guessing you laid this all out for your teacher.”
“Yep. And not only did she admit she was wrong, but I made her apologize for sticking me in the corner. It was my first victory, and let me tell you, it felt good.” Grace shook her head, grinning. “I’ve been arguing ever since. Becoming a lawyer was the most natural career move in the world for me.”
He leaned forward and she mimicked his action instinctively. His voice lowered as he said, “So, Grace Emerson Montgomery, just how good are you?”
Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and she felt the blush start somewhere around her toes and shoot right up to her hairline.
He studied her for a moment. “Right to the gutter again, huh, angel?” He shook his head. “I do love the way you think. But I was asking how good you are as a lawyer.”
She instantly relaxed. “I’m the best.”
“Yeah?” he asked. “So, you always win in court? Get people to confess and shit, like A Few Good Men?”
She laughed at the enthusiasm in his tone. “No, nothing like that. I’ve never done any criminal work. My clients are big companies, and if they have to go to court, it probably means I really failed them.” She popped another fry into her mouth. “And I do my best to make sure I never fail them.”
“And you’re happy?”
Grace blinked. She wasn’t sure anyone had ever asked her that before. People asked how much money she made, or mentioned how proud her parents must be of her accomplishments, but never if she was happy. She thought for a moment before answering quietly, “Yeah. I am.”
“Then that’s all that matters.”
“What about you?” she asked.
His gentle smile stole her breath. “I am today, angel.”
Chapter Five
Grace and Nick finished their meal in companionable silence. When Nadine asked if they were ready for their check, Grace ordered a piece of apple pie to go.
“Mommy, can I have pie, too?” the little girl at the next booth asked.
The mom sighed. “I’m sorry, baby. I have just enough money for our dinner and gas. If we spend any more, we won’t make it to Grandma’s.”
The little girl nodded solemnly. “That’s okay, Mommy. I understand.”
Grace glanced at them under her lashes. The mom looked young, no more than twenty, and haggard in a way no one that age should ever be. The little girl had waist-length braids of golden blonde hair and an adorable gap between her front teeth. She was maybe eight. Way too young to understand a budget and not having enough money for a lousy piece of pie. This obviously wasn’t the first time she’d had to do without.
Grace’s first instinct was to have Nadine send her to-go pie over for the little girl, but something about the mother’s tight expression and defeated posture told her charity might not be welcome. Grace made a mental note to pay their tab anonymously when she paid her own on the way out.
“You ready?” Nick asked.
She nodded, reaching for her purse. “I’ll take care of the check.”
He raised a brow at her. “No, you won’t.”
Nick made a grab for the check as they stood, but she was faster. “Don’t be a Neanderthal,” she said. “We’re not on a date. I won’t let you pay my way.”
Nick took a step toward her, then another, until she was forced back against the wall behind their booth. Grace lowered her arms and pressed her palms back against the wall with the check still held loosely between her fingertips as he towered over her.
And he really towered. Jesus, had he always been this much taller than her?
She sucked in a sharp breath as he leaned into her and planted a palm on the wall next to her head. Her thoughts scattered until she was left with nothing but the ohmyGod ohmyGodohmyGod variety.
His gaze fell to her lips and that was all it took for her body to completely override all common sense. Her nipples leapt to attention as his chest pressed into hers.
And holy hell he smelled incredible. If she could bottle that combination of soap and heat and man, she’d probably carry it around with her and take hits off it all day like a junkie.
“Grace,” he whispered in her ear, sending shivers through her whole body, weakening her knees.
Her answer was a combination moan/sigh, completely unintelligible and completely embarrassing.
“When you’re with me, I pay.”
And with that, he plucked the check from her limp fingers, pushed off the wall and swaggered toward the register.
It took every bit of strength Grace had to not slide down the wall. She glanced over at the young mother who was staring at her open-mouthed, obviously having witnessed the whole show. “Wow,” she mouthed.
Grace nodded, still shell-shocked. “I know, right?”
The woman gave her a thumbs-up when Grace found her knees and managed to walk toward the register. “I’d go for it. Good luck, girl,” the woman said, shaking her head, looking awed. The little girl giggled. Grace gave her a finger wave.
At the register, Nick was talking to Nadine in low tones. Curious, she sidled up behind him.
“So, you’ll send the pie over after we leave?”
“Sure thing, sweetie,” Nadine said. “But are you sure you don’t want her to know? I’m sure she’d want to thank you.”
Nick visibly grimaced. “God, no.” He handed her his credit card. “Go ahead and add her tab to mine, while you’re at it. Plus whatever her gas total is.”
Nadine finished the transaction and Nick grabbed Grace’s to-go bag. He turned on his heel and stopped short when he saw how close she was.
A slight pink tint lit his perfect cheekbones, making Grace realize just how uncomfortable he was to be caught doing something nice for someone. Typical alpha male, she thought. Didn’t want anyone to go around thinking he was anything other than a great big jerk.
Then it occurred to her that the balance of power in their relationship had just shifted in her favor. If she wanted to, she could make him regret the little stunt he pulled to snatch the check from her.
But she just couldn’t do it. Because the impossible had happened.
Grace had officially developed a crush that wasn’t solely physical on her soon-to-be brother-in-law. She hadn’t had such mushy, girly feelings since Jaime Lannister battled a bear—one-handed—to save Brienne of Tarth on Game of Thrones.
But unlike Jaime Lannister, Nick O’Connor was very real and about to be related to her. Which made her life more like an episode of The Jerry Springer show than Game of Thrones. Although, the Lannisters had a decidedly Springer-like relationship themselves, she supposed, so either example would work in her current…
She gave herself a mental pinch. So not the point.
“What?” Nick grumbled as she stared up at him.
“Nothing,” Grace said as mildly as she could manage, given the circumstances. “That was just a really nice thing to do.”
He frowned. “Anyone would’ve done the s
ame.”
She didn’t argue the point, but she was pretty sure her ex had never donated so much as a penny to the take-a-penny tray at the Gas-N-Sip.
Nick mumbled something about filling up the Escape and stalked out the door.
“You got yourself a good one there, hon,” Nadine said, nodding to Nick’s retreating form.
“Well, you’re half right,” she muttered. “He is a good one.”
Too bad he wasn’t hers.
Chapter Six
Grace ignored Nick’s vehement protests to wait for him to finish pumping their gas before she jogged across the street to get a room at the Sleep Tight motor lodge. She wasn’t trying to be contrary, she told herself. She just needed a little space. Some fresh air to clear her head.
But as she stepped into the motel office, Grace instantly regretted her independence.
It wasn’t the décor of the office that bothered her. She was, after all, one of a very small group of people who didn’t mind ‘70s décor. Grace thought green shag carpet and gold-flecked Formica counters were funky and retro, and so uncool they were cool again.
What truly freaked Grace out was the leering greeting she received from the motel’s night manager, who looked like every serial killer she’d ever seen on Criminal Minds.
“How can I help you, beautiful?”
The emphasis he put on “I” and “you” was disturbing, as was his greasy mop of thinning, dishwater-blond hair. He grinned at her, revealing that he had parsley—at least she hoped it was parsley—stuck between his two front teeth. Grace suppressed a shudder.
Okay, she told herself. Don’t be shallow. So he looks like a deranged mountain man from Deliverance. He might be a perfectly nice guy. Give him the benefit of the doubt.
“I just need a couple of rooms for the night,” she said.
His gaze fell to her breasts and he licked his lips.
Grace crossed her arms over her chest. So much for the benefit of the doubt.
“Well, now, that can be arranged, little lady.” He held out his hand. “I’m Cletus.”
You Complicate Me Page 3
