Page 51 of Wanted

I can only deduce that Jude is a nice guy, possibly the nicest guy I’ve ever met besides the whole grumpy-ass act, and he’s being a decent person by taking me out for a meal.

As he accurately pointed out, I’ve been cooped up too long. After the way my thoughts spiraled yesterday, I’m inclined to agree with him.

The problem is now I don’t know what to do with my hands. My fingers are numb from rubbing them together so hard.

“What do you want to drink?” Jude’s voice breaks through my turbulent thoughts.

“Can I have a virgin margarita, please?”

Jude nods his head to the bartender. The old guy wearing a bandana smiles, showcasing a few teeth missing. He grabs a couple of glasses and walks off.

“You can have a drink.” Jude licks a drop of water from his lip and sets his glass back on the coaster.

“I don’t drink alcohol.”

He tenses in his stool. I fight the urge to bump his knee with mine just to make sure he’s still breathing. After several quiet moments, he leans back.

“Is this a bad place for you to be?”

Something shifts inside at his reaction to my confession. “I’m used to the small-town dining options. Back home, nearly every good burger joint is a bar. I don’t have a problem or anything. Watching my parents drink away my childhood has kept me far away from the stuff.”

He rests his forearm on his knee, turning his stool slightly toward me. “Does it bother you if I have a beer?”

“Not at all.”

He nods once before looking away. “If it becomes a problem, you let me know.”

My fingers drift near his knee before I catch myself and let them fall to my lap. “I will, but it won’t. On the other hand, if anyone around here needs a designated driver, I’m your girl.”

“Don’t let my sisters hear that. They already want to drag you into their shenanigans, and that’ll only give them one more reason to.”

“Are you trying to protect me from your family?” I ask a little incredulously. They all were so welcoming last weekend, I can’t imagine I need a buffer from any of them.

“The girls can be a little overzealous. I thought I’d let you go at your own pace.”

“Well, they’re welcome to reach out. Like you said yesterday, I spend all my time at the Sanctuary even though I’m not really working.” I nudge him with my shoulder. The warmth from his arm remains even after I pull away.

The little half smile he gives in response flutters my heart.

“I’ll let them know. Don’t be surprised if you see a few of them while we’re here. This tends to be the hangout spot when any of us gets a night out.”

The bartender sets down our drinks. He pulls a white towel from his shoulder and wipes his hands. “You two eating tonight?”

“Yeah. Bobby, can you get her a menu?”

“That’s fine.” I wave my hand. “I’ll take a quarter pound burger on whatever bun you have, cheddar cheese, bacon, ketchup, and pickles.”

“You got it, darlin’. Fries okay?”

“Want to split them?” I ask Jude.

He pats his flat stomach. “I think I’d prefer a double serving rather than half. I’m hungry.”

“How about I give you half of mine, and you can have one and a half?”

“Give her a side of fries, and I’ll have the same,” he tells the bartender instead.

“I’ll have that out shortly.”

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