Page 12 of Mine

“Perfect. Thank you.”

The menu is waiting on the table, and just as I pull it open, I hear “Good evening” and look up to see JT. “Whoa. Hey, Marsh. This is a surprise.”

“I wanted to check out the place. You’ve raved about it, so I figured it had to be good.”

His brows pinch together slightly, small nose wrinkling in the way it’s done since he was a child. “That’s…really cool of you.”

I feel a sting of sadness that maybe John and Callie haven’t come here. They’re not the type to ever do that to hurt JT, but I don’t think they see this as being important to him either.

“Of course. Always. So what do you recommend?”

His dark-blue eyes, almost like cobalt, light up. “That’s one of my favorite questions! I know smoked salmon doesn’t sound incredibly exciting, but it’s to die for. The rosemary potatoes that come with it taste better than any I’ve ever had. You wouldn’t think you could make them something special, but I promise we can. Oh, and if you’re not in the mood for seafood…”

I listen while JT goes into detail about four other items on the menu. It’s clearly something he’s passionate about, and while he’s talked about enjoying his job while at home and to his parents, he didn’t speak with the current glee. I don’t know what it is about the industry that has hooked him, but I can see it’s true. JT doesn’t just work here because it’s a job—he works here because he truly enjoys it.

“You sold me on the salmon.” I close the menu. “Just water to drink, please.”

“Great. Coming right up and…thanks again for stopping by, Marsh. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem.”

He grins, then disappears into the kitchen.

JT comes back a few minutes later with my water but doesn’t linger. He has a new table, and he heads over to take their order. I can’t help watching him for a moment. He speaks to the three people, the group of them laughing at something he says. His arms are moving around while he talks, and they eat up every word. He’s good with them, and obviously the customers like him.

I pull out my phone and scroll through emails while I wait for my food to arrive. I wonder what CravingMore does for a living. Does he enjoy it? Take pleasure from it? While those questions circle my thoughts, I’m not sure I plan to ask—at least not yet. Part of me wants to know everything about him, while the other doesn’t because I don’t want to learn information that might change things. I’ve never been intrigued by a man this way.

A few minutes later, I look up just as JT is coming over with my plate. The smile he wears is practically ear-to-ear, and I realize I better like this salmon. The last thing I want is to disappoint him.

“You have to love this, Marsh. Seriously. If you don’t, I’m not sure I can ever speak to you again…and if I do, I’ll never look at you the same.” He sets the food in front of me, and I chuckle.

“Wow…hardcore. You’ve really built up my expectations now, so if I don’t love it, I might never talk to you again, and if I do, I’ll never look at you the same.”

He joins me in laughter, and I have to admit, it’s nice to see him in this space. I’ve known JT his whole life, but since I didn’t live here while he was growing up, it’s always been within the limits of a weekend here, a vacation there, not in day-to-day life like this.

“The green beans are spicy and good, but the real magic is the salmon and potatoes. You have to try each before I leave.”

“Bossy, aren’t you?”

He cocks his brow, then chuckles. “No, definitely not.”

“Well, it seems that way to me.” I open the napkin and pull out the fork. The food smells delicious, the smoky scent filling my senses. The salmon is blackened some but flakes beautifully when I dig my fork into it. When I put the bite into my mouth, I can barely suppress a moan. “Oh God.”

“Right?” JT asks.

“That’s incredible.”

“I told you. It’s my favorite thing on the menu right now.”

I can see why. I finish chewing, then try the potatoes, which are equally delicious. “I guess we’re safe. We can continue talking to each other without any mutual silent judging.”

He smiles. “Glad to hear it. I should get back to work.”

I wave him off. “Go. Do your thing.”

JT heads off while I finish my meal, savoring each bite. He comes back to check on me once, but I don’t let the conversation linger, not wanting to distract him from what he’s here to do.

When he comes to take my plate, he asks about dessert, but I’m full. JT frowns, and I feel like I’ve let him down, a confusingweight on my chest at the thought of it. We’re only talking about dessert here, so it shouldn’t be a big deal.

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