Page 98 of Nate

“I’m sorry. Tess was running late,” she said as she glanced around.

“It’s okay. I’m glad I found a stool to wait on.” Nate frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Uh, oh, nothing.” There was no way she was telling Nate about seeing Jarrett until she could find out why he was here. She knew Nate would go after him, and she didn’t want him to do that. Not yet. She glanced around. “Are we going to be able to get a seat?”

“Yes. Connie said once you got here, she’d put a closed sign on a table of someone who was about to leave.”

Markie smiled. “God love her.”

Nate stood. “Please. Sit.”

“I’m fine. I just got up from my desk. Please sit back down, Nate. You’re on your feet most of the day.”

Nate kissed her lips. “No, ma’am. I insist.”

Markie sighed and sat on the stool.

A few minutes later, Connie waved to them from a booth in the back. Markie grinned, took Nate’s hand and led him to it.

“Thank you, Connie. You are the best,” Nate said.

“I know. What’ll you have?” Connie grinned.

Nate looked at Markie.

“My usual is fine, and I need a southern fried chicken salad to go for Jodi.”

“Okay. Nate?”

After Nate gave her his order, Markie glanced around.

“Did you want to do anything this weekend?” Nate asked.

“I have a surgery Friday, and I’ll have to check on the dog all weekend.” She was glad she’d never shown her mother or Jarrett where she lived.

“Okay. I’m going to go to Dewey’s Saturday night with Rafe.”

“Alright. It would be best for me to stay home. I’ll have to run back and forth to the hospital.”

“Keep your phone on and with you.”

“I will.” She smiled. “I hope you have a good time, but no taking anyone home.”

Nate chuckled. “I can’t speak for Rafe, but I won’t.”

“Good thing, cowboy.”

“You never have to worry about that.”

“I believe you.”

Once their lunch arrived, they dug in and talked about their day. Markie mentally sighed. She was in so deep with this man.

As she walked back to the office, she constantly glanced around. Why was he here? Shaking her head, she knew why. He was here because he probably blamed her for her mother tossing him out and wanted to scare her. Well, it was working. She wasn’t sure exactly what he could be capable of.

After entering the lobby, she placed the bag containing Jodi’s salad on the counter.

“On me,” she said with a smile.

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