Page 46 of Thanks for Coming Along

He grabbed the syrup bottle and passed it to her by the handle, their fingers brushing for just a moment. When she took it, her eyes met his.

"You are the greatest person I have ever met," Ronan whispered softly. Eden's smile brightened, and a soft blush spread across her cheeks. She looked away shyly and dumped a generous amount of syrup on her pancakes.

They stayed tucked together on Ronan's side of the booth. He used to roll his eyes at couples who shared a side at restaurants, but now? He got it. With Eden so close, her leg almost touching his, it felt like they were in their secret world where no one could find them.

"Hey, why is your pancake stack bigger than mine?" Eden asked, around a mouthful of pancakes, her fork pointing accusingly at his stack. There were two extra pancakes on his plate. He looked over at Lola, and she winked from behind the counter.

"Oh, come on!" Eden huffed and stabbed her pancake with her fork. "One little comment about the coffee and I'm chopped liver. By the way, you are a total suck-up! You were totally batting your eyelashes at Lola."

"Don't hate the player. Hate the game. I will be enjoying my earnings to the fullest extent." Ronan stabbed into his own stack of pancakes, cutting into the stack eagerly. For the first time in ages, he felt lighter, like some invisible weight had finally lifted off his shoulders.

"The game is rigged. You flashed those pretty green eyes, and Lola was toast." She stabbed her fork into Ronan's stack. He blocked the jab of her fork with his own fork.

"Ah, I don't think so, Miss Percy. Forks off my stack, don't be a sore loser,” Ronan teased her gently. Eden huffed in mock annoyance as she took a sip of her coffee. Ronan plopped one of his pancakes on her plate, and she beamed happily at the addition.

"What an absolute gentleman. You are a beautiful man inside and out," Eden said, then her eyes widened slightly, like she couldn't believe she had said that out loud. She proceeded to shove a big bite of the pancake in her mouth. Ronan looked at her with a slight smile and hummed.

"I am inclined to agree," a nasally voice replied. Ronan looked up and saw Lola grinning at the edge of the table. She winked as she placed the check at the end of the table and then sashayed back to the kitchen.

"Should I challenge her to a jello wrestling contest? This is unbelievable. Is she trying to steal my...?" Eden trailed off, her cheeks still flushed. Her gaze drifted down to the table, avoiding eye contact.

"Your?" Ronan grinned, leaving the statement hanging in the air. Her friend? Boyfriend? His stomach flipping slightly at the thought. Did Eden see that possibility there? He knew that he did. He could see being with her easily, more diner dates. He could cook her dinner every night, and she could pick the music on her vinyl record player. She could even trip on the rug every night if she wanted.

"Uh... companion? Groupie?" Eden said faintly, digging through her purse rapidly. She slapped a fifty from her wallet on the table.

"Groupie?" Ronan mumbled.

"Ready to hit the road?" She didn't wait for a reply. "Great, let's go." She stood up quickly, so quickly that her hip collided with the chrome corner of the table, causing the plates and the coffee cups to bounce on the table. She muffled a curse, holding her hip more in frustration than pain based on her reaction. Ronan stifled a laugh at her clumsiness.

"Wait a minute," Ronan said as he stood up in front of her. He gently placed his hand on her hip where she had bumped into the table. His fingers moved in slow, soothing circles over the ridge of her hip bone, and she drew a quick breath at his touch. Eden looked up at him, her gaze wandering over his face. He leaned forward slightly, his face coming hazardously close.

"Let me go grab Lola's number before we head out," Ronan said with a throaty laugh. Eden rolled her eyes and slapped his arm softly. "You are such a piece of work!" she hissed at him.

“And you are adorable when you are jealous," Ronan said as he ran his fingers through the ends of her hair. She trembled slightly at the sensation. His smile widened at her reaction to his touch. This attraction definitely was not as one-sided as he initially thought.

"Not jealous," she mumbled, pulling away from his touch. She grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the diner's exit.

"Tell those Starbucks baristas I say 'Hi!'" Lola called out cheerfully.

"Don't worry, I will!" Eden said as she pressed on the door handle with a little more push than necessary.

"Thank you for the exceptional service!" Ronan chimed in, waving to Lola as the waitress blew him a kiss. Eden stomped over to his motorcycle and shoved her hot pink helmet over her head as she grumbled, "The audacity! Starbucks? I am a Dunkin's girl through and through."

30

Ronan

Much to Ronan's disappointment, they had made it to Lake Tahoe with no further run-ins with any sassy waitresses or foul-mouthed gas station attendants. As they drove up the winding road to Quentin's cabin, Ronan marveled at the sight of the snow-capped summits against the lake's crystal-clear waters. The air was crisp and refreshing, infused with the scent of imposing pine trees.

They approached a massive iron fence with a keypad. Eden punched in the series of numbers, and the fence slowly retracted. Ronan pulled the motorcycle up the long driveway to the cabin. Had Eden called this a cabin? Ronan wouldn't label this estate as a cabin. It was a sprawling mansion with a wood facade. Was the wood facade what labeled it a cabin? Rich people are ridiculous.

"Damn," Ronan said after he took his helmet off, his eyes staring at the impressive residence. Surrounding the estate was a stretch of green pine trees with a beautiful view of the snow-dusted mountain range with the cerulean blue lake.

"Yeah, this is that 'Mr. America' money," she replied as she grabbed their belongings from the motorcycle. They entered through the grand hall, which had colossal vaulted ceilings and a panoramic window that framed the mountainous terrain. Cozy couches with a stone fireplace adorned the living room. The open concept led into the marble kitchen equipped with top-of-the-line appliances. Wow, he could make some killer dinners on that impressive oven range.

"I'll show you the guest rooms," Eden said, and Ronan followed behind her as they navigated the winding hallways.

"This is my room," she said, opening the door to reveal a spacious bedroom. A large, inviting bed took center stage, accompanied by a guitar and a large amplifier.

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