Page 68 of Those Who Are Bound

“Opposite,” Russ was quick to assure Elliott, “more like a monk.”

“Jesus,” Jonah muttered, and Elliott laughed again.

Flustered now, Russ asked, “Did you say beer or wine?”

“Beer. Give us a couple of the local brew on tap.”

“Right,” Russ acknowledged before moving away.

Jonah sat on the stool next to Elliott, facing her. “We hadn’t talked about how to define what we are yet, but I liked saying it.”

Suddenly shy, which was a foreign emotion, Elliott met his intense gaze and teased, “Does this mean we’re going steady, Mr. Montgomery?”

He grinned. “It absolutely does, Miss Rork.”

“Are you going to pin me?”

Jonah looked startled.

Realizing how her words could be interpreted, Elliott barked out a graceless laugh and leaned forward to place her hand on his chest. “No, I meant… it’s an antiquated term. A guy would give a girl a silver lapel pin to formalize that they were dating. Thus, pinning… pin me. Sorry.”

Jonah glanced around in amusement before looking back at her. “I’m not opposed to the other definition, but right here, right now wouldn’t be the most appropriate time or place.” Raising an eyebrow, his expression smoldered. “Trust me, I plan on pinning you.”

Elliott fell against the chair back, dramatically fanning herself. “Oh, my.”

Russ returned with their beers and set them on napkins. “Two locals.” He looked between the two of them and announced, “I’m going to embarrass Jonah.”

Jonah gave him a friendly, pained look. “You can skip it, you know.”

Russ ignored him. “He’s one of the best people I know. It’s nice to see him grinning like an idiot. I’ve never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you.”

“Russ, c’mon,” Jonah pleaded, a hint of seriousness in his voice, but his attention didn’t leave Elliott. She looked from him to Russ, the heat in her cheeks creeping back, unsure that she could create such a reaction in a man, but pleased at the thought.

“Not that he’s been looking at a lot of women, but we’ve established that.” Russ suddenly pointed at her as he turned his head toward Jonah. “Does she know you’d planned on bouncing out of here?”

Jonah frowned, now looking at Russ.

Elliott answered, “He told me.”

“Well, if you’re the reason he’s decided to stick around, that beer’s on me,” Russ said sincerely.

Elliott shook her head, about to point out that they’d only met a week ago when Jonah spoke up, “Russ, go check on the pizza, will you?”

Russ looked at him, perplexed. “The order just went in.”

Jonah raised an eyebrow.

Russ nodded and held up his hands. “Sorry, man.” He walked away.

Elliott looked from Russ’s retreating back to Jonah’s searching gaze. After a few seconds, she focused on the bar top and pulled her beer closer, saying quietly, “You’d sort of… hinted… on our way to Weston.”

Jonah rested an elbow on the bar as he sat facing her. “And it’s true. I was ready to go back to Oregon. Then I saw you; met you. Sometimes things happen for a reason.”

He’d also previously implied as much, but there was more weight around it when she heard it from a third party. It had been more than a plan—it had been an inevitability. And she’d stopped it. “That’s a lot of pressure, that expectation,” she pointed out, giving him a side-eye. “Knowing you put your life on pause to… what? Get to know me?”

Jonah gave her a small smile. “How do you know that my life wasn’t on pause until I met you?”

Elliott’s tummy dipped.Damn, this man.

---