Page 18 of Dark Secrets

“I didn’t realize I was infamous,” Delaney said, extending her hand.

“Clara has told me a lot of things about you.” Delaney’s eyes widened. “Good things. I’m Reagan, by the way. This oaf is terrible at introductions. Apologies for his poor manners.”

Delaney cast a furtive glance at James to see if Reagan’s jab had upset him. He appeared to be the picture of calm, but she knew that for the facade it often was.

“Reagan is my sister-in-law.”

“His favorite one.” Reagan grinned.

“My only one.”

“Oh. I didn’t realize you had remarried.”

She kicked herself as soon as she said it. Great. Now he would know she’d researched him, that she knew he’d been married before. Why did this man make all her common sense fly right out the window?

“I haven’t,” James said, eyes searching her face. She still didn’t see anger there. He must hide it well. “She’s hard to shake, this one.”

“You need me,” Reagan protested. “Remember when you tried to cook that chicken on wax paper and nearly ruined your oven? Who saved you then?”

James sent her a dry look. “Wax in the bottom of the oven would hardly have been the end of the world.”

“Sure,” Reagan replied. “But what about that time you exploded eggs in the microwave?”

James scratched his eyebrow with his thumbnail. “Remember when we talked about the way you overshare? This is one of those moments.”

Reagan beamed while the blonde with her chuckled. “I am undeterred by your brotherly grumpiness.” She leaned across the bar and gave James a loud smooch on the lips. “We’ll take four beers and whatever Addy wants to feed us.”

“Coming right up,” Delaney said, eager to get away from whatever explosion might be coming.

She spun on her heel and gave Addy their food order through the window. Addy’s face lit up when Delaney mentioned Reagan’s name. At least people seemed to like Reagan, though Delaney knew just because someone liked you didn’t mean they would rush to your aid in a crisis. God knows plenty of people who claimed to be her friends never had.

She spent the last hour of her shift bussing tables and cutting people off while Clara went through closing duties, all the while keeping a close eye on James. He hovered close to Reagan and her group of friends without inserting himself into their evening. He seemed amiable enough; there was no glint of calculation in his eyes, no gleam of ways he was thinking of making Reagan pay for embarrassing him.

She expertly avoided his gaze once he’d ushered out the last guests and locked up while she sat at the bar reconciling her receipts. He didn’t speak, but she could feel him watching her as much as she’d watched him. He didn’t push her for conversation, but his eyes followed her even while Clara chatted in his ear about some family thing.

She wished his gaze didn’t have desire sliding through her belly. She didn’t know what to do with desire. It had been so long since she’d felt any, and it hadn’t led her to very good places in the past. Plus, she’d only known him for two weeks. She had no idea who he was or what he was capable of.

When Clara hopped off her stool, Delaney did the same and followed her through the kitchen to the employee lot. She waved when Clara pulled out and rested her forehead against the steering wheel for a brief minute while fumbling the key into the ignition.

She was grateful to have a day off tomorrow. Maybe she could catch up on the sleep that had evaded her for most of the last year. It wasn’t likely, but it was nice to think about.

Finally sliding the key home, she turned it, and the engine clicked in rapid succession, coughed, and then went silent. No. No, this couldn’t be happening. She shoved down the rising panic, took a deep breath, and tried again. It was the same.

When it rained, it fucking poured. Naturally when she’d finally gotten a healthy amount of money saved, she’d have to drain it to fix the damn car. She allowed herself thirty seconds to wallow in self-pity before pulling out her phone and deciding on her next course of action.

She could call a cab. Although, the idea of being stuck in a car with a stranger at this time of night and being driven to that part of town hardly appealed. Clara was gone, and Addy left as soon as her shift was done for a date. Which left her with only one choice. James. He was the only one still there. She might be wary of him, but at least he wasn’t a stranger.

Steeling herself, she pushed out of her stupid, traitorous car, hunching into her jacket on her way back to the door. She banged on it with her fist and barely swallowed a yelp when it opened almost immediately.

“Hey.” James looked her up and down. “Did you forget something?”

Most of the lights in the kitchen were off, meaning she’d probably caught him just before he went upstairs to bed himself. She felt bad asking him for this favor, but it was too cold to sleep in her car.

She gestured over her shoulder. “My car won’t start.”

His eyes didn’t leave her face. “Do you need a ride?”

That’s exactly what she needed, but still she hesitated. She couldn’t help it. Every instinct she’d honed over the last year told her that getting into a car with a man she barely knew was a terrible idea, but getting into a cab with a total stranger would be even worse.

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