Page 36 of My Casanova

I shrugged again. “I call them a couple of times a month. Try to visit when I can. Things have been pretty busy with the club lately, though.”

She nodded thoughtfully.

My eyes scanned the restaurant as my old habits kicked in. Dani and I may have slipped away from Mt. Pleasant, but I still needed to keep an eye out. We really didn’t know when or how Boone and Gibbs would strike again.

“Everything okay?” she asked as she noticed my shift in focus.

I nodded and took another sip of my beer. “Just keeping an eye on things.”

She followed my gaze and laughed softly. “What are we keeping an eye out for? We’re in a restaurant.”

I smirked. “You never know who might walk through that door.”

Dani rolled her eyes. “You’re always on edge, aren’t you?”

I leaned back against the booth and looked at her. “Comes with the territory, angel.”

Before she could respond, the waitress arrived with a notepad in hand. “Hey there, folks. What can I get you tonight?”

I glanced at Dani. “You ready? We didn’t even look at the menus.”

She nodded and smiled at the waitress. “It’s a steakhouse, right? I’ll have the sirloin, medium, with a baked potato and a side salad.”

The waitress turned to me. “And for you?”

“Ribeye, rare, fries on the side.”

“Salad?” the waitress asked.

I shook my head. “Not into rabbit food. You got Brussels sprouts?”

The waitress nodded. “Parmesan garlic ones.”

I nodded. “I’ll take those, too.”

“Got it. Drinks okay for now?”

We both nodded, and the waitress left us alone.

Dani leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand. “You don’t eat rabbit food, but you eat Brussels sprouts?” she laughed. “That’s a bit of a contradiction.”

I shrugged. “I like them, and when you cover them with parmesan cheese, anything is good.”

She laughed. “I will remember that. So, what made you come back here after all these years?”

I studied her for a moment before answering. “The club. It was all by chance. Met Yarder and Compass, and then decided to go on the ride of being a part of the club.” I leaned back and spread my arms across the back of the booth. “It seems to be working out so far, minus a few hiccups.”

“Hiccups like being blown up?” she laughed.

I shrugged. “I mean, that even seems to be working out for me. Landed in front of your shop, and now I’m here with you, aren’t I?”

She nodded. “I suppose, though I do tend to wonder why you and the club were blown up. That’s not really a normal thing that happens, Smoke,” she pointed out.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

She tipped her head to the side. “That’s all you have to say?”

“There’s not much I can say, angel. You’re asking about club business.”

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