Page 22 of No Love Lost

She smiled back at him while Nina leaned into the front seat. “Is that what happened? I didn’t even ask. Must have been fate putting you both here.”

Then she popped out of the car. Heath couldn’t tear his gaze off of Addy. She smiled at him, with her gaze flickering between his mouth and his eyes. Good to know the attraction wasn’t all one-sided.

Nina knocked on the window. “Come on, it’s cold. We need to get you in there quickly.”

Addy rolled her eyes at her daughter, who stuck out her tongue. While they both laughed, Addy pulled her scarf over her mouth and sent him one more smile before she got out of the car.

Heath hurried to round the car. He wanted to tuck Addy under his arm and protect her against the chill, but that would be pushing it. Instead, he walked beside her and tried to block the wind.

When they arrived at the diner, he reached around them to open the door and usher them in. Nina grinned her thanks at him and bounced into the restaurant. He put his hand on Addy’s lower back as they walked inside. The rush of emotion from that simple touch nearly knocked his knees out.

The door had barely closed behind him when the decor of the diner had him laughing softly. A huge Phail family crest covered the wall above the side booths. The booths and the cushions on the stools were both covered in the Phail blue and green tartan. But the delicious scents filling the small space were Mexican.

He leaned forward to whisper to Addy. “Is everything in this town ridiculous?”

Her answering smile had him grinning.

They moved to where Nina stood at the counter talking to a woman who had to be Troy’s cousin, Ginny. Their coloring and faces were so similar they could have been twins.

Ginny turned her steady eyes on him. “Hello, Heath. Welcome to Phail. I’m Ginny Phail.”

He shook her hand. “That was my guess. You’re a much prettier version of Epic.”

She laughed and gestured. “Take any booth you like. Are you a coffee guy, Heath?”

His girls moved to a booth, and he stayed to answer her question with a resounding yes. Then he spoke quietly. “I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. But I want to thank you for everything you and Nimii have done for Addy and Nina. You’re a spectacular friend, and if either of you needs anything I can provide, all you need to do is ask.”

Ginny’s face softened, and she tilted her head. “Those two are a joy. And I think you’re going to fit right in.”

She turned to get the drinks, and he slid into the booth. Addy had sat first, and Nina bounced in the seat beside her. Addy was still apparently more comfortable in the corners and shadows.

He checked out the chalkboard menu. “What’s your favorite thing to eat here? It smells incredible.”

Nina grinned. “Everything is fantastic. Manuel can cook anything. Do you like Mexican food?”

Heath nodded. “Love it.”

“Slick!”

He turned to find Troy, Sean, and two women walking in. He raised his hand in greeting, not surprised his buddies had shown up. They’d seen how wrecked he’d been last night and would have wanted to check on him.

“You’re Slick?” Nina’s voice was incredulous.

He swung back around to find her staring at him, mouth open. Addy had the same look. “What?”

Nina laughed. “You’re Slick? We’ve heard stories about you.”

“You have?”

Nina leaned forward. “Lots of stories. You were the one who helped stop those thugs from cheating the villagers. And you stopped that group of insurgents from wiping out those families by distracting them with bird calls. And you always helped every village with their financial stuff. We’ve heard about you, but we didn’t know it was you.”

Tears filled Nina’s eyes as she repeated. “We didn’t know it was you.”

Unable to stop himself, he moved around the table to squat beside her. She flung her arms around his neck, and he buried his face in her hair. He felt Addy’s small hand stroke Nina’s hair and then his arm.

When Nina sat back up, she wiped her eyes and smiled. “We liked you before we knew it was you. That’s pretty cool.”

Heath squeezed her hand and moved back to his seat, overcome with emotion. Pretty cool, indeed.

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