Skye glanced around the nearly empty diner. “I see your cooking hasn’t.”
He fisted his hands by his sides. “Really? You leave with no warning and no one to cover your shifts for several days, and you think it’s a good idea to insult me?”
She gave him a sympathetic smile. “It’s a long story, a super boring one. One day, we’ll explain it. All we can say is…we’re sorry. It won’t happen again. To make up for it, I’ll make extra pies all week. And I’ll be sure to tell everyone you’re fully staffed again, so they can come back.”
“I should fire you, you know that?”
Skye nodded. “And I would deserve it.”
Reed stepped forward. “It’s my fault.”
She stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. Then looked at her boss. “If you don’t fire us, then you won’t have to cook anymore.”
His jaw flicked. He was giving in. He’d stew in his anger for a day or two, but then he’d get over it. “Extra pies all month.”
“Done.” She gave him a sideways hug. “And you did a wonderful job on the fall decorations, by the way. I’ll bring in some fresh flowers for all the tables, too.”
Ralph grunted and gave Reed the side-eye as he walked past.
The rest of the shift went by quickly. Word spread fast throughout town that Ralph wasn’t cooking, so the lunch rush picked up. Everyone was too busy to pressure her or Reed—still Guy to them—to explain what happened. She was grateful Ralph had given both of them the silent treatment for the rest of the day.
Despite the packed place, she’d make her way back into the kitchen any chance she had to see Reed. To touch him or give him a hug from behind. Probably her own subconscious way of making sure he was still real. That they weren’t still back in that Seattle motel room dead on the floor.
Customers kept asking her about her neck. Using a move from Reed’s playbook seemed like the best approach. “Had a fight with the curling iron,” she told Gloria and Victor. Then Tom and Sylvia brought it up, to which she replied, “A witch placed a curse on me for having a bad singing voice.”
Lynée arrived during her lunch break, as her normal routine. Skye nearly burst from every pore. She squealed through a huge hug that lasted much longer than normal. Ralph eventually cleared his throat loudly from behind the counter, and she went back to work. Her friend took her usual stool and perused a magazine while she waited.
Just after lunch, a motorcycle engine rumbled outside the diner. Skye was used to hearing motorcycles ride through town, but it was rare to see one shining so brightly in the parking lot that the glare would nearly blind her behind the counter. The rider didn’t look familiar either. All she could see from her angle was the black riding boot pushing down the kickstand.
Lynée held up her Windsor Fashion magazine at Skye. “Which one do you like better—this one or that one?” She pointed to two different tweed blazers on the page.
“Really, sweetie, don’t you think you can branch out a little? Something different from these conservative clothes? These are for old ladies.”
She furrowed her brows. “It’s scholastic. Makes one look distinguished and intellectual.”
“You mean, bookish?”
“Well, then that would be fitting for me, wouldn’t it?”
Skye wanted to roll her eyes but didn’t want to hurt her friend’s feelings. She flipped a few pages forward and pointed to a pretty V-neck sweater, much lower than Lynée would normally wear. “That one is beautiful. Care to be a bit more adventurous?”
Lynée frowned and looked over her reading glasses at Skye. She kept her voice lowered so others wouldn’t hear. “You mean adventurous like you? Running off with a vigilante DEA agent leaving behind gunfights and a mountain of rumors?”
Skye smirked. “It’s a sweater, Lynnie. Not a prison sentence.”
Lynée opened her mouth to fight back, but the man on the motorcycle strolled in.
Dark sunglasses matched his black leather jacket and boots. His brown beard and mustache gave him a rugged look that seemed to coincide with the personality of the chopper outside. He surveyed the rest of the tables throughout the room, taking his time to look at each customer. Then he sat at the counter, his large frame barely fitting on the narrow chair. Slipping off his leather jacket and draping it over the back, the tattoos on his arms accentuated his impressive muscles beneath the black T-shirt—biceps bulging and triceps flexing.
If Skye wasn’t so deliriously happy with Reed, she could see breaking a few of her rules with this man.
“Hey, stranger. Welcome to Rock Road Diner. What can I do ya’ for?”
He removed his sunglasses, revealing intense brown eyes. Confident, almost mischievous. But what struck her most was the intensity behind those irises, like he held a mountain range full of secrets. That was perhaps about to come crumbling down on someone.
With his forearm resting on the counter, he gave her a determined look, much too pleased with himself. “I’ll take a black coffee, a turkey club on wheat,” he paused and shifted his head to look behind her. “And that man right there.” He pointed at Reed through the kitchen window.
Skye froze.
Even Lynée looked up from her magazine in shock.
This man didn’t look like he was from the cartel. If he was here to hurt Reed, he certainly wouldn’t have made his presence so blatantly obvious to everyone in the room.
Reed stared curiously at the stranger.
She carefully moved behind the counter to pour the customer’s black coffee. “What do you want with Guy?” she asked him, sliding over the mug.
But his attention was wholly focused on the cook. “Reed Monroe, you’re under arrest.”
Read the continuation in Renegade
Thank you so much for reading Runaway!
We hope you read the continuation and finale of the series in Renegade.
* * *
If you enjoyed this story, please consider posting a review at one or more of your favorite retailers, as well as Goodreads. Even a short review, one or two lines, can be a tremendous help and encouragement to the authors. Your review is also a gift to other readers who may be searching for just this sort of story,
and will be grateful you helped them find it.
* * *
Thank you!
* * *
Mia London & Susan Sheehey
Cascade Mountain Manhunt Series
Runaway
Renegade
Other Novels By Mia London
Sweet Escape Series
Dry Spell
Hot Spell
Cold Spell
* * *
Undeniable Series
Undeniable Fate
Undeniable Love
Perfect Series
Perfect Seduction
Perfect Surrender
Life To The Max
Wanton Angel (Prequel to Life To The Max)
Beyond Lace (Hard Men of the Rockies 4)
* * *
Accidental Tryst
Other Novels By Susan Sheehey
Sweet Escape Series
Dry Spell
Hot Spell
Cold Spell
* * *
Royals of Solana Series Boxset
Prince of Solana
Jewel of Solana
Crown of Solana
Royal Wedding novella
Knights of Texas Series
Tell Me What You Want
Tell Me What You Crave
Tell Me What You Need
Tell Me What You Feel
Audrey’s Promise
* * *
Summer Heat: Imperfectly Yours Anthology
Mia London
Mia London loves to write.
After reading fiction for years, she decided it was finally time to put those images and scenes floating around in her head down on paper.
She is a huge fan of romance, highly optimistic, and wildly faithful to the HEA (happily ever after). Her goal is
to create a fantasy you will enjoy with characters you could love.
She lives in Texas with her attentive, loving, supermodel husband, and perfectly behaved, brilliant children. Her produce never wilts, there are no weeds in her flowerbeds, and chocolate is her favorite food group.
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Webpage
Email: [email protected]
Susan Sheehey
Susan Sheehey writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense adventure. Water plays a crucial element in all her novels, and she’s a strong advocate for autism awareness and acceptance. She squeezes in writing time between chauffeuring around her two boys and guzzling down French vanilla coffee. Her beloved husband keeps her relatively sane and full of laughter. She and her family live in Texas.
SusanSheehey.com
* * *
Facebook
Twitter
BookBub
GoodReads
Join her newsletter for monthly announcements, updates, and special giveaways!
Interested in Advance Reader Copies of Susan’s upcoming novels?
Let her know here
Runaway Page 20
