Page 20 of A Little More

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Aburger that was better than sex. A phrase like that would sell something in Atlanta, but probably cause a riot in the small town of Statem. She’d laughed when Nash had placed their order for two double cheeseburgers. No way on earth she’d be able to pull off eating even half of it, despite what the owner, Ms. Iris, had said.

Now, all she saw on her plate were a few fries she’d not eaten, a smear of ketchup, and an empty place where her burger had been. She wouldn’t eat for a week.

“Are you going to be okay?” he asked. “You haven’t spoken since you took your first bite.” He grinned, turning her heart as gooey as the melted cheese had been. “I’ve never seen a woman look that good eating a burger.”

“I’ll give credit to the burger.”

“No, it was you enjoying the burger.”

He probably didn’t realize how different his non-date was from her date with Charlie. Charlie’s looks fell flat compared to the open attraction in Nash’s. She toyed with a fry. “I enjoyed it. It was a really good burger.”

“Told you.”

Lexi took in the small-town diner. Vinyl stools filled with patrons eating at an original counter. The two waitresses hustled in and out of the swinging doors in some type of coordinated dance. Ms. Iris, the owner, had taken their order, given her a hug, and immediately declared her too pretty for a dirty farmer like Nash before suggesting like a General that he go wash his hands despite the fact he’d taken a shower not fifteen minutes earlier.

A few people sipped old fashioned milkshakes that, if she had even an ounce of room left, she’d had gone for.

“Mind if I join you?” Gina stood at the end of the booth, on Nash’s side, with her hair pulled into a high ponytail resembling a cheerleader.

“This is a business lunch.” Nash leaned back, giving Lexi a look that told her he’d never considered it a business arrangement. They both needed to remember to keep it professional. She wasn’t getting involved with a client, no matter how many different interpretations she’d given his comment about providing for a woman’s needs.

On paper, she loathed the caveman approach to a relationship. A man deciding he’d take the lead, toss her over his shoulder, and she’d fall right in line. Until Nash had said the words. The images he provoked made a warm flush crawl across her skin.

Gina swayed side-to-side, her go-to, fake pout in place. “Please.”

The chords along the side of Nash’s neck jumped. He rolled his shoulders in the smallest way, the red polo shirt looking a little snug across his broad chest. Everything about him seemed tense. Those blue eyes drilled into Lexi’s. What did he want her to do?

“Hi, Gina. How are you?” Lexi asked, trying to help.

“Fine,” she said, but her eyes were locked onto Nash. Gina appeared to be president of his fan club. Nash linked his fingers together on top of the table, focus still on Lexi. Did he want her to be a bouncer and kick Gina out of the restaurant?

“We were having a private conversation,” he said.

She leaned her hands on the table, giving them both a view of her cleavage. “Have you started taking applications for your store? You know you could trust me. Daddy said he was planning on talking to you about it.”

Lexi didn’t have the slightest ounce of a jealous feeling toward Gina. Did Gina not have any aspirations aside from trying to ensnare Nash? College? A job? Had no one ever shown her that there was more to life than throwing yourself at a man?

Nash studied the straw wrapper, twisting it around his little finger. Gina glanced away to wave at someone. He mouthed “help me” before taking a sip of his sweet tea.

Fine. If Nash didn’t want to hurt Gina’s feelings outright, then she’d have to throw him under the bus instead.

“Nash and I were just talking about his arthritis.”

His fingers paused in their destruction of the wrapper as his eyebrows shot up.

Surprise!

Gina’s forehead wrinkled. “Arthritis?”

Lexi nodded her head, sad and slow. “Yeah. Did you say both of your knees hurt going up and down stairs or only the left one? I sure hope that doesn’t happen to me. Can you believe we’re already thirty-four? You should consider some joint supplements or something. My mom said that really worked for her.”

He pressed his lips together. The big flirt didn’t seem to know what to say.

“Silly me.” Lexi giggled, the fake laughed turning real from his unamused expression. “You said that both your knees hurt. It was your left hip that still felt bruised from when you fell.” She pressed her lips tight, locking in her laughing fit that threatened to ruin her plan. The only sign that Nash was still alive was that he blinked every few seconds.

Gina’s hand fluttered over her chest. “Oh, no! Did you fall this morning at the barn fire? Daddy told me how everyone showed up there and kept it from spreading to the house or catching the field on fire.” She batted her eyelashes. “I knew you’d be that brave.”