Page 29 of Return By Fire

Her eyes flit back and forth, not saying a word before abruptly announcing, “Yeah, I see it. Got to go.” She disconnects.

Intuitively, I know she plans on calling Kara. I tip my head back and say, “I hope you’re ready to be outted.”

Dean leans down and presses his lips briefly against mine. “Does that give you your answer?”

Breathlessly, I reply, “It does.”

He strokes his hand over my hair before murmuring, “Grab some shoes. I want to take you to one of our favorite places to eat. Kevin can’t get enough of it.”

I point down to my ratty T-shirt and jeans. He flips his hand back and forth. “You’ll fit right in.”

I stand to my full height and grab him by the front of his button-down. After I quickly brush my lips against his, I agree. Even as I slip my feet into flip flops that are never far away, and as distracted as I am by Dean’s kiss, a small part of my mind can’t help but be excited to find out what kind of food Kevin likes to eat.

CHAPTER TWENTY

We drive down the same roads Jed took to get to the firehouse the other day. After he remarks on that, I nod. “Yeah. This place is just over the intercostal from my job.”

“Do you eat here a lot?”

“Not as often as I want to.”

“Why not?” Out of the corner of my eye, I see him give my outfit a once-over. Jed’s similarly dressed to me in ripped jeans and a T-shirt with sandals—casual obviously not being a problem.

My shades protect my eyes, but I smile broadly. “Because you want to eat here—and eat outside—for the entertainment value. We don’t have a lot of time to grab food when we’re on shift.”

After turning into the parking lot of Barbara Jean’s, I scour the packed lot with a practiced eye. Seeing a couple leaving the restaurant, I hesitate before moving forward and immediately put on my signal when they point at their spot. Jed remarks, “That was awfully nice of them.”

“If we’re not nice here, it’s worse than a Christmas BOGO rush at the mall.” Expertly, I back in my truck into the spot the couple pulls out of. “How am I on that side?”

Jed cracks his door. “Clear. This place is that popular?”

I open my side and hop down. “You have no idea. Wait a second, and I’ll come around.”

When I reach Jed’s door, he’s frozen in the same position he was when I asked him to check my clearance. I reach for the handle and his hand simultaneously. “Are you ready?” When he doesn’t move, I prompt, “Jed? Is everything okay?”

He blinks at me repeatedly before admitting, “I’ve never been out with a guy where he came around and opened my door for me.”

Tipping my chin down so he can meet my eyes, I give him my opinion about that. “Then it’s high time you were, wouldn’t you say?”

His smile turns to that deranged villainous one that sets my abs quivering. Fuck, he has to stop smiling like that or I’ll push him back into the cab and have my way with him. Then he places his hand in mine, and I get my priorities straight. It’s all about Jed. “Damn straight.”

After he hops down, I don’t relinquish his hand. I hold it firmly as we walk up to the entrance of the restaurant.

* * *

Jed hoots again as he chucks a French fry over the rail, and there’s a bloodthirsty war between the bass congregating at the edge of the restaurant’s deck. “It’s like BattleBots but with fish!”

I snicker. “I said the exact same thing. Then Kevin made me show him an episode. Thus, a scientist was born.”

He relaxes against the rail before forking a bite of the crab cake we’re sharing as an appetizer. When I ordered a basket of fries to go with it, Jed gave me a curious look that equaled the waitress’s knowing one. “He likes this place?”

“What’s not to like? Good food, relaxed atmosphere, and the restaurant staff doesn’t get pissed when... oh! But the parents might.” I’m in stitches at the outrageous behavior of a kid, I’d estimate around four, who was quite obviously done with her dinner.

Jed’s in awe as the fish swarm over en masse, no longer appeased by his measly doling out of fries. “Did she just throw her whole meal over the rail?”

“Yep.”

“Did Kevin ever do that?”

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