Page 22 of Coulda

When the server departed, he turned back to wrap his arm across the back of the bench seat so he could look at Amber. “Your dad wasn’t comfortable telling me your address. He did tell me you were coming back for the reunion.”

“And somehow you ended up buying the bar?” she asked, incredulous.

“When your father mentioned you’d be working at the hospital, I mentioned I was interested in starting a small bar and settling down. I think he surprised himself when he offered to sell Murphy’s to me.”

“And you accepted?”

“I did.”

“Just like that?” Amber asked.

Rio paused as the server placed steaming mugs of coffee and ice water in front of them. He lined up four creamers in front of Amber and scooted the sugar container in front of her before picking up his mug and taking a drink.

“I still don’t see how you can drink that black. It’s so bitter,” Amber observed, emptying all the creamers into her cup and adding a healthy amount of sugar. She took a drink and settled back against the padded booth with a sigh of delight. “Perfect.”

“Just as you’ve always liked it,” Rio said with a grin.

Taking another sip, she replayed the conversation in her head. “Did you buy the bar because I planned to move back here?”

“I did.”

Mind blown, she looked at him, unsure what to say to that. “Why has it taken you so long, Rio? Twenty years was a long time to wait to reconnect.”

“You weren’t ready at first. Can you imagine not being a nurse and traveling as you have?”

She picked up her coffee cup to give herself a few seconds to think. He deserved for her to tell him the truth.

“I can’t. Who knows? Maybe this isn’t supposed to work?” she asked, waving her hand back and forth between their bodies.

“Is that what you actually think?” he asked, his brows pulling together.

Amber stared at him as she wrestled with the turmoil inside her. She hadn’t ever wanted a relationship with anyone as much as she had with Rio. Finally, she forced herself to be brave.

“No. It’s just scary. I’ve never…” Amber let her voice trail away as she looked around the packed restaurant. No one could possibly hear her over the hubbub inside.

“Never found another Daddy?” he asked.

“Oh, I think I found a few of those in twenty years. I just didn’t find the right Daddy.”

The smile returned to his face, and Rio relaxed back against the booth. “Good.”

“This smells amazing,” the server confided as she placed a huge pancake on a plate in front of them. “I’m going to have one on my break.”

Amber leaned in to inhale the incredible scent. “Oh, wow! Mmm!” She wiggled in her seat and froze when her leg pressed against Rio’s.

His hand dropped to span her thigh, holding her in place against him and squeezing lightly as the server placed his order in front of him. Unable to resist, Amber leaned toward his plate to give it a sniff. The hot fried chicken had a delicious aroma as well.

“Yum. Is that really a good combination?”

“It is. You can try it. First, take a taste of yours,” he instructed, removing his hand from her leg to pick up his fork and knife. Instantly, she missed the heat of his touch.

Turning her attention to her plate, Amber cut a piece of the specialty pancake that filled the plate. “This is incredibly large,” she pointed out. “I think it’s bigger than my head.”

“I think you might be right.” He watched her take a bite.

“Oh, my goodness! We’ll have to come here again. This could be addictive,” she mumbled around her bite.

When she had swallowed, Rio handed her his fork, loaded with a small bite of waffle and chicken stacked on each other and dipped into golden syrup. She hesitated to take his fork.

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