Page 19 of Old-Fashioned

Since the bar was closed on Sundays, I found myself sitting down with Baker, Caelan, and his two kids at the local diner in town for lunch.

And for some reason before we ordered, Caelan was talking non-stop about Birdie.

I hadn’t liked it. Not one fucking bit.

Ever since Birdie had watched Caelan’s kids for him, they had gotten even closer, and it made me want to spit nails every time she saw him, and him, the fucking bastard immediately jerked his phone out and showed her what antics his kids had gotten into.

And yeah, a lot of it was hilarious, but did he need to monopolize her time like that?

He had just shown us a picture of his daughter with fingernail polish all over her fingers and not the place it was supposed to be, which was on her fingernails when the door opened.

And since we were all sitting where we were, we had complete visual of the front door.

But it was almost as if my eyes didn’t need to see her to know that she was there.

The current in the air shifted, little hairs on my arms rose, my breathing started to get a little choppy.

Immediately, I felt my hackles rise. There were a lot of men in here and I didn’t want them to be undressing her with their eyes.

She looked fucking gorgeous.

She had on short white cut-off jean shorts, and a fitted long-sleeved shirt, her black hair was thrown atop her head in a messy bun with little whisps of hair sticking this way and that way, and fuck me, but she had black framed glasses on.

Yet, I had never seen anything more beautiful.

Isla looked around the diner, and the moment her eyes landed on where we were sitting, she tagged Birdie’s hand and pulled her with her.

“Hey Boss, what are y’all up to?” Isla asked the moment they reached us.

I was about to open my mouth to answer her when Caelan stood up and hugged Birdie.

Thankfully, the top of the table hid my clenched fists resting on top of my thighs.

He needed to get his fucking hands off her before I leaped out of my seat and beat his ass.

Thankfully, he chose the right moment to take in my narrowed gaze, and he let her go so fast that I was sure she would have face-planted on the floor.

It was just my luck that I had offered her my hand for support because of the feel of her soft skin on mine… It was the best feeling I’d ever had.

Birdie slowly pulled her hand from mine and whispered, “Thank you.”

I winked at her and looked at Isla, “Just catching up for lunch, y’all?”

Birdie moved in and gave Caelan’s two kids hugs just as Isla said, “We were planting flowers in my front yard. I want it to look like Birdies.”

I could feel Isla speaking to me, and looking at me, but my eyes weren’t on her, no, they were on where Birdie was standing and speaking quietly to Caelan’s kids.

I knew Isla saw something on my face, because she gasped, which caused all eyes to turn to her, “Speaking of that, I forgot to grab something at the store. Birdie, eat lunch and have a good time. I’m sure Abel won’t mind keeping you company.”

And before anyone could say another word, Isla took Baker’s hand and said, “I could use your muscles to help load it all in the back of my car.”

Baker’s eyes came to me and then went to Birdie, and I knew he also got Isla’s meaning. That woman deserved a raise.

“Oh crap, I forgot, I left the oven on at home, come on kids,” Caelan said, and yeah, that wasn’t obvious or anything.

Baker followed them out, and I heard him whisper, “Smooth, real freaking smooth.”

Shaking my head, I looked at Birdie, “Well since we haven’t ordered yet, and I’m starving, take a seat. We’ll give the old biddies in the corner table something to talk about.”

---