Page 464 of Hell Hath No Fury
He chuckled. “Come eat with me. I’ll put on a bad English accent if it’ll help.”
I studied him for a few seconds before nodding. “Okay,” I said with a shrug. “Why not?”
Harm held the door for me, and we walked into the café.
A hostess seated us and took my food so they could plate it. We ordered drinks, and Harm ordered food, and then we sat in silence for a few moments while they set silverware in front of us.
“How long you been a nurse?” Harm asked once the server walked away.
“Oh, god, don’t make me math,” I begged with a laugh. “Close to twenty years now. I took a break when I had Briggs, then went back once they were both in school.”
“You got kids?”
I nodded. “Two boys.” I rolled my eyes. “I say boys, but they’re men now. Twenty and eighteen.”
“No shit?” he said. “Never woulda guessed you were old enough.”
“Flattery’ll get you everywhere, bub.”
He grinned. “I’m not kidding.”
“I’m forty-three years old next month. Plenty old enough,” I said. “How about you?”
“No kids.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And…”
“And?”
“Just how young are you?” I asked, taking a sip of water.
“Thirty-two.”
I gasped, taking water down the wrong pipe, and starting to choke.
“Jesus,” he hissed, coming out of his seat. “You okay?”
“I’m good.” I raised my hand. “I’m okay. You can sit down, really.”
He slid back into the booth, and I took another sip of water just as the alcohol arrived. I took a large sip of my wine, suddenly needing a little liquid amnesia.
God, thirty-two. Damn it. He was a baby.
“Don’t do that,” Harm said.
“Do what?”
“Spiral.”
“Excuse me?” I scoffed. “Why would you think I was spiraling?”
He frowned. “I shoulda never fuckin’ told you my age.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re gonna try to shut me down.”
“Shut you down?” I asked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
