Page 9 of Griz's Edge

Before I can ask my next question, Deloris is back with Marley’s loaded fries.

“Here ya go, suga.” Setting them down, she glances between the two of us before locking in on Marley with a grin. “The ol’ coot back there even gave you extra ranch to dip ‘em in.”

“Tell him thank you and that it won’t go to waste.” If Marley’s face could brighten any more with the smile she gives my aunt, I swear she’d light up the damn diner blinding everyone.

“Sure will,” Deloris says, stepping back. “I’ll let him know once I check on my nephew here’s friends. Gotta get their orders. Your food should be coming up here shortly.”

“Take your time, Deloris.” I give her a wink and shift forward to grab one of the cheese and bacon-coated fries, only to have Marley swat my hand away. “What’s that for?” I ask, surprised she’s gone and smacked my hand.

“Get your own fries.” She glares and plops one of the fries in her mouth and chews before finishing. “These are mine.”

“There’s more than enough to share.” The plate was piled higher than what they normally serve to customers. This means the old man in the back likes Marley.

“So? They’re mine, and I don’t share when it comes to my food.” She stares at me for a moment before shocking the hell out of me as she mutters, “Or anything else.”

“Didn’t your momma and daddy teach you to share?” I chuckle.

“They did, but I also have a brother and sister. I’m the middle child. I learned quickly if I wanted something to stay just mine, I didn’t share. As much as I love them, they were pains in my ass.”

“Let me get this right, because of your brother and sister, you don’t like to share?”

“Because of them and other reasons.” She shrugs. “Let’s just say I learned quick what happens when it comes to sharing, and I don’t do so well.”

My cock thickens more than it already was as I read between the lines. She’s not one for sharing or being shared.

Damn this woman, why couldn’t I have met her before being burned by Hattie?

I follow her movements as she plucks another fry into the ranch and plops it into her mouth. Thoughts of other things she could be doing with her mouth filter through my mind, and I have to readjust my jeans.

“You going to answer my question about the envelope?” she asks, going for another fry.

“I’ll tell you if I can have one.” The response is out of my mouth before I can stop it. What the fuck is up with this woman that I’m saying shit I shouldn’t.

“Fine, you can have one,” she says, scooting the plate marginally.

Grinning, I take one, dip it into the ranch, and toss it in my mouth. Once I finish the fry, I give her the answer. “It was a protective order. Complete bullshit if you ask me, considering that it’s for a woman I ain’t seen in a while.”

“How long is a while?” she asks, cocking a brow.

“About three months now, I suppose.”

“Let me guess. She’s scorned and didn’t want to end things.”

“Something like that.”

Marley shakes her head. “Women who put out bullshit protective orders get on my nerves. They make it even harder for the ones who actually do need them to be granted.”

“You actually believe me when I say it’s bullshit?” You’d think she’d be running for the hills to get away from me, that she’d believe the woman.

“Do you know how many times I’ve seen men accused of something they didn’t do? What a woman will do when scorned is more vindictive than any man could think up. I mean, women are tedious when conniving to get what they want. Granted, there are men who do the same thing, but I’ve learned to tell theliars from the real thing.” Marley points a fry in my direction. “You’re not lying to me.”

“How do you know I ain’t lying?”

How the hell is this woman sitting across from me?

“It’s your eyes,” she says simply and shrugs, putting that damn fry in her mouth.

“What do my eyes have to do anything?”

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