Page 40 of Combust
Chapter Twelve - Datus Interruptus
Cade whipped his head around and glared at the interloper. A beat later, he recognized the young man wearing a server’s green apron.
“You were the one singing,” he growled. “At that club, on Halloween.”
Was Maggie dating him, too? He appeared to be about the same age as her, was handsome and well-groomed, and smelled of bear shifter.
“Yourememberme?” A huge, delighted smile spread across the server’s face. He looked Cade up and down, nodded in apparent approval, then said, “Maggie-may, I like him already. Are you two…?” He cocked his head at her inquiringly.
“Yes, we’re on adate.” She shot the server a quelling look. “Cade, this my cousin Rob. He’s Mary Jacobsen’s son.”
“Your mama’s the police chief?” Cade eyed him, pleased to hear that Rob was a relative rather than a rival.
“And she never lets me forget it,” Rob said. His voice rose, presumably imitating Mary. “‘Sweetie, what will the neighbors think, leaving the house dressed inthat?’”
“And what do you tell her?” Cade asked, genuinely curious.
Rob laughed. “That it’s my job to entertain the masses and to keep things interesting around here.”
“You certainly do that,” Maggie assured him. With a wry glance at Cade, she prompted Rob, “So, tonight’s specials?”
“Oh, right!” Rob gave a self-conscious chuckle. “Justin’s always telling me I talk too much. Anyway, tonight, we’re offering grilled elk steaks, marinated in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and lemon. I recommend ordering those rare. Medium-rare at the most. If you’re in the mood for fish, we have fresh-caught steelhead, baked with a creamy Dijon mustard and herb sauce. Daniel gave Justin the recipe, and it’sreallytasty.”
“My great-uncle Daniel owns and operates a high-end restaurant at the Bearpaw Springs Resort,” Maggie explained. “He’s Great-Aunt Margaret’s mate, and a famous chef. He’s even been on TV.”
“He won last season’sBattle Chef,” Rob confirmed. “And donated the prize money to the fire department for a new tanker engine.”
“Sounds like quite a fella,” Cade commented.
Both Maggie and Rob beamed enthusiastically.
“Uncle Daniel is the coolest person I’ve ever met,” Maggie said.
“Well, I’ll leave you two ponder the menu and the specials,” Rob said, winking at Cade. “Let me know when you guys are ready to order.”
He breezed off.
Maggie gave Cade an apologetic grimace.
“He’s really nice,” she said, as if trying to sell him on the idea.
“But he could talk the ears off a mule?” Cade asked, dryly.
Maggie giggled. “Pretty much. But he’s super-talented, and his band is always booked on the weekends. He’s played venues all over the state, and up in Montana, too. Aunt Mary and Uncle Tyler are worried that he’s going to head off to the city soon to make it big.”
“They gonna let him go?” Cade asked.
“Oh, of course,” Maggie answered. “I mean, it’s not like they could stop him. He and his twin sister Malia are both my age. They would just miss him. We all would.”
“And they don’t intend to grab on so tightly that he won’t want to come home again?”
Maggie nodded. “Exactly.”
He picked up his menu. “I seem to recall that you used to work in this here restaurant. What doyourecommend?”
“You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu,” she replied, promptly. “Um, how hungry are you?”
“Hungry enough to eat a platter of roast possum about now,” he said. His stomach growled right on cue, and she laughed.
