Page 18 of Can't Fight the Moonlight

"Burgers and wings are pretty fantastic at Micky's Brewery, and if you like beer, they have a lot of choices. Italian at D'Amico's. Mexican at Taco Pete's, Mediterranean at Kabul is awesome, and there's a new Indian restaurant named Roti's if you like spicy curry."

"Sounds like I can go around the world and never leave Whisper Lake," he said, a little surprised at the choices.

"Our food scene has improved the last several years. We've had a lot of new housing developments and big estates going up around the lake, as well as celebrity visitors, and wealthy individuals who want to escape the touristy mountain resorts. All that traffic has brought some very talented chefs our way. We're still hoping to start providing dinners here at the inn, but we haven't quite gotten there. However, we do have a fantastic breakfast, which I hope you'll check out while you're here."

"I will definitely do that. The cookies were amazing, so I'm sure breakfast will be as well. I think I'll head into town and see what I want to eat."

"Do you need directions?"

"No. I'm just going to play it by ear."

"When you leave the inn, go to the right. You'll find the downtown area and quite a few of the restaurants I just mentioned within about a ten-block area. You can also use one of the online restaurant apps."

"I've got it."

"Have fun."

After a quick stop upstairs to grab a jacket, he walked out of the inn, heading toward downtown. It was a Tuesday night and while the sun had gone down, the temperature was still in the sixties, making it a nice evening for a walk. When he got to the Indian restaurant, he saw a line out the door, so he kept on moving. The Blue Sky Café was just as crowded, and also not that big. But when he got to Micky's, there were plenty of barstools available as well as small tables. He also liked the friendly, somewhat noisy, and cheerful atmosphere. This was the kind of place where he could blend into the crowd and not feel compelled to be friendly.

He slid onto a stool and asked the bartender for a menu. A few minutes later, he ordered a grilled spicy chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries and a deep gold ale called the Bombay Bomber. While he was waiting for his order, he checked out the basketball game on the screen behind the bar. The Denver Nuggets were playing the Los Angeles Lakers, but were behind by sixteen points. It wasn't much of a game.

He reached into his pocket to grab his phone, realizing belatedly that he no longer had a phone or a computer. Tomorrow, he would need to replace both. It felt strange to be without his phone. He couldn't remember a time when he hadn’t had it. It was his tether to his business, his life. But he was on his own now. That felt both freeing and terrifying. He liked to be in control. Without his phone, he felt a little lost, and somewhat off-balance. Although, those feelings might have something to do with his quirky innkeeper and this admittedly charming small town.

He smiled as the female bartender set down his beer and his sandwich. At least he could distract himself with food. And that food was very good. The chicken was hotter than he'd expected, but the mix of spices was delicious, and it didn't take him long to clean his plate.

As he finished everything off with a long draught of beer, he heard a commotion behind him. Turning on his stool, he saw a big group of people at a large table on the other side of the room. They were laughing and talking, all at the same time. His heart skipped a beat. There in the middle of the group was Lizzie.

Her hair was out of its ponytail, falling in soft light-brown waves past her shoulders, the blonde highlights sparkling under the lights. Her smile was as big as ever. When she laughed at something the man next to her said, he felt a squeeze in his chest, almost as if he were a little jealous. But that was ridiculous. He barely knew Lizzie. And, of course, she would be with a guy. He would have been more surprised if she were alone.

But as he watched the group, he wondered if she was actually with the brown-haired guy next to her. When that man put his arm around the blonde sitting on the other side of him, an odd relief ran through Justin.

He shouldn't care that she wasn't with that guy, but he did. And that was bad.

He was only going to be in Whisper Lake a few days, and while most of his relationships didn't last past a few days, he didn't think messing around with Lizzie was a good idea. While they might share a passion for business, she was emotional and talkative and a little chaotic. But she was also fun and friendly and sexy as well, with curves in all the right places. He'd felt a spark back in her office, and he was sure she'd felt it, too. But that was one fire he should probably not light.

As he took another sip of his beer, Lizzie suddenly looked in his direction and caught his gaze. Surprise moved through her expression. He tipped his head. She hesitated and then got up from her chair.

His gut stiffened at her approach. He hadn't thought she'd leave her friends and family to say hello, but she was probably just trying to be a good innkeeper.

"Hi," she said, her pretty green gaze meeting his. "I didn't see you here. It looks like you ate."

"I did. It was very good."

"Micky's is always great."

"So, which one is your brother?"

She turned and waved her hand toward the table. "The guy sitting at the head of the table, brown hair, blue eyes…"

"Giving us a curious look," he finished.

"Adam is a detective. He was born curious."

"And your sister? Is she next to Brodie?"

"Yes, the woman with the long hair, the gauzy top, and the soulful eyes."

"She's pretty."

---