Page 28 of Hot for Hostage

“We got Bear back!” she announced, her beaming smile in her voice. “Is it okay if he comes inside just this once?”

“Sure, bring the rascal in,” Bruno called back.

The only other customers inside were a woman with her daughters, but the mother quickly ushered them out when she noticed me. I flipped the sign on the door toClosedwhen it shut behind them.

Sadie and Bear joined Bruno at the counter, where he filled a cup with whipped cream.

“For our returning hero.” He handed it to Sadie. She set the cup on the floor, and Bear went to town.

I took advantage of his distraction and joined Sadie at the counter, where she smiled sheepishly at Bruno. “Sorry again about earlier.”

He waved her off. “Forget about it. Not the first time someone pulled a gun in my shop.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? That… sounds like a problem. And I’m doubly sorry for adding to it.”

“It’s already forgotten. Now, I bet you’ve worked up an appetite getting Bear back,” he said. “What can I get you, Sadie?”

She didn’t even look at the display before ordering. “One scoop of bubblegum, please.”

“You got it. And Mr. Reed?” He plucked a chocolate-dipped cone covered in rainbow sprinkles off the stack. My brows rose when he topped it with a scoop of pink ice cream and more sprinkles.

“Butter pecan. In a cup,” I said. Sadie grimaced at my order, and my brows rose higher. “What?”

She took her cone from Bruno while shaking her head. “It’s nothing. Thanks, Bruno.”

“It’s not nothing. You have a problem with my order,” I said, caught between feeling amused and offended.

She suddenly looked incredibly interested in her treat. “Well… it’s just that butter pecan is such an old-person ice cream flavor, you know?”

I eyed her colorful cone. “But sprinkles are age appropriate?”

She snorted and tipped her cone at me. “Touché.”

When I pulled out my wallet, Bruno waved a hand and grabbed a cup off the stack. “Put that away. Your money is no good here, Mr. Reed.”

Sadie tilted her head, frowning as Bruno scooped out the ice cream. “Why does Bruno call you Mr. Reed?”

I fought back a smile and snuck a few twenties into the tip jar. “It’s my name.”

“But it sounds like you two know each other. You call him Bruno. Shouldn’t he call you Davian?”

She was adorable. “It doesn’t work like that in my world, sweetheart.”

Her eyes narrowed at the nickname, but she didn’t take the bait. I wasn’t sure whether I was pleased or disappointed by that.

“Here you go, Mr. Reed.”

Bruno handed me my cup, and Sadie cleared her throat. “You can call him Davian if you want to.”

Bruno’s eyes widened, and he shot me a nervous look. My lips twitched.

“I mean…” Sadie stumbled when neither of us said anything, and her eyes darted between us. My jaw clenched in an effort to hide my smile. “It was just an idea. It’s silly to keep up formalities when we’re all friends here, right?”

Thoroughly flustered, she bit into her ice cream and got a smear of pink on her nose.

It was impossible for me to resist pushing her, and I stepped closer with a smirk. “You think we’re friends?”

She wiped off her nose and blinked up at me. “Huh?”

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