Page 19 of Burning Truth

Well, less people to stare, too.

“So, what do you like to eat,” she asked, pulling a cart from the line at the front of the store.

“Salmon, steak, chicken. Protein. I’m pretty indiscriminate. And you?”

She snorted, flashing him a smile. “You’ve seen how we eat at night.”

True. They’d had hot-dogs and fries tonight between calls at an old dairy ice cream place. It had been good, but certainly not good for them. And that was after the taco joint earlier in the day.

“I think my body goes into shock when I feed it something healthy,” she said, wandering through the fruit section. She grabbed some bananas and a few apples, and he grabbed a bag of red grapes. The Brussel sprouts didn’t look too bad, so he grabbed a bag of them as well. When he looked up at her, she had a weird look on her face.

“What,” he asked defensively.

“I thought only old ladies ate Brussel sprouts.”

He shook his head at her. “They’re good, and they’re good for you. I’ll cook them and you’ll enjoy them.”

He also added a container of white mushrooms to the cart, and some broccoli crowns. Then they started through the meat. Addie grabbed a flat of steaks, and he added some chicken thighs.

“I’ll cook the steaks, but it’s all you on the chicken,” she said. “I don’t mind eating it, but it makes me gag to cut.”

Frowning, he stared at her. “Seriously?”

She nodded. “I don’t even want to touch the package. I had food poisoning from chicken when I was a kid, and I’ve never forgotten it.”

Hm. Okay.

They wandered through the store, picking enough items to last them a few days, until they reached the snack aisle. Severn couldn't help but chuckle at the assortment of chips and sweets lining the shelves. Addie, on the other hand, seemed lost in thought, running her fingers along the different packages. “Do you think we should grab some snacks for the night?” she asked, glancing at him over her shoulder as she picked up a bag of kettle chips.

“I mean, if you want to break your healthy run...” he teased, crossing his arms and looking stern. He’d stood that way at every scene today, and people had steered clear of his big, glowering, crossed-arm form.

“Oh, come on! I need a little energy boost to keep me going.” She winked, tossing a random bag into the cart with a mischievous grin.

He huffed dramatically, pretending to weigh his options. “Fine, but only if we get some fruit leather or granola bars, too. Balance, you know?”

“Oh, now you’re a health coach?” she laughed, and they continued down the aisle, the tension of the day morphing into something lighter.

They spent the next few minutes debating over which snacks to choose, and somewhere between the popcorn and gummy bears, Severn found himself enjoying the way she argued playfully, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. He grabbed a box of dark chocolate-covered almonds and raised it as if it were a trophy. “These count as health food, right? Antioxidants!”

“Fine,” she said, rolling her eyes but unable to hide her smile.

As they made their way toward the register, Severn caught sight of a few late-night shoppers, their faces washed out by the too-bright lighting. He couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. It was partly the paranoia that had clung to him sincethe moment he’d agreed to help Addie with her situation, but also a gut feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

“Let’s hurry up before I get too tempted to add more junk to this cart,” he said, forcing casualness into his voice.

“Don’t fret, I promise I won’t let you turn into a potato,” she joked, but he noticed the slight shift in her posture as they approached the checkout.

Something was off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

"Aren't you Addie Kingston!?" a woman proclaimed, coming toward her from another aisle with her phone up.

Addie smiled, as she always did when the public recognized her, but Severn could see a resigned tiredness in her eyes.

"I am," she said, smiling at the woman. "Would you like a selfie?"

The woman shook her head. "No, I want a pic with you and your new hunk!"

"He prefers not to be pictured,” Addie said easily. “I'll take one with you."

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