Page 25 of Her Silver Fox Mountain Men

“Oh, Oliver. Are you sure? It’s still a diner uniform.”

“And this is still Rustic, Colorado. We’re not going to Balthazar in New York,” I say with a laugh.

She allows herself another smile, letting her hair loose. I marvel at how the sunset captures the subtle copper highlights in her blonde mane. I also marvel at how hard I get just from looking at her for a second too long.

“Ever been?” I ask as she hands me the apron. I toss it in the back seat, then lock the truck and offer her my arm.

“Ever been where?” she asks, staring at me with curiosity and slight confusion.

“Balthazar.”

“No, I rarely traveled outside Chicago,” she admits, and I capture the temperature drop of her voice. Roman was right. She’s quite guarded about her past. It’s not an easy subject. “Where are we going now?”

“I was thinking we’d go for a walk down the street. They’ve got a new fall menu over at Candy’s. You’ve mentioned you loved eating there more than once.”

“And you remembered.”

“I remember everything you tell me. So, shall we?”

Elise thinks about it for a moment, then hooks her arm through mine. She smells of strawberries and cream and a hint of coffee. She’s had a long day, but she’s keeping it together with impressive grace. Just one of the many things I’ve come to like about her.

Up ahead is Roker Street with its quaint and colorful shopfronts.

“Were there a lot of kids at the diner today because of a special occasion?” I ask as we walk slowly down the street, thinking I’d like this walk to last forever.

“A birthday party.”

“On a Monday?”

“Not to mention a school day,” Elise replies. “The mother pulled her kids and all of his friends out of class for it. The children were obviously thrilled to play hooky.”

“With adult supervision, how fun was that?”

“Meh, the lady was trying so hard to be the cool and easygoing mom. She almost succeeded until the kids got that first sugar rush. Then all hell broke loose.”

I laugh. “Have you seen Tricia and Ainsley on a sugar rush yet?”

“No. That bad?”

“Whatever you’re imagining, it’s ten times more terrifying.”

“Terrifying?” She gives me a wide-eyed stare.

“They seem like they can go forever, like they will never sleep again. And if you think they talk a lot on a normal day, wait untilthey’re riding the sugar wave.”

Elise exhales sharply. “Ah, so that’s why you’re all so cautious about their sweets intake.”

“Precisely.”

“Good to know. Tricia almost convinced me to give them both a packet of Oreos the other night,” she says. “Thank the stars I had the common sense to send them over to their daddy for permission first.”

A flower shop sits on the opposite side of the street. A familiar figure is outside, wiping the chalk off a blackboard. Shauna’s getting ready to close for the day. She’s already moved the outdoor displays inside. My stomach tightens with a sense of dread, though I have no reason to feel this way.

Not anymore.

“I booked us a table; we don’t want to be late,” I say, picking up the pace.

“Oh, okay,” Elise replies and keeps up with me. All I can do is pray that Shauna doesn’t spot us.

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