Part 42 (1/2)
He came around, head c.o.c.ked. ”I was joking, Tia. We can eat here every night, if you like.”
”On your salary? On mine?”
”Or go somewhere else if you'd rather.” He was picking up her mood.
She reined it in. ”I wouldn't.”
”Then our table is waiting.” He took her hand.
For a moment she lagged, then with a slow transfer of weight, stopped resisting. As they followed the manager through the elegant, meandering dining room, she caught sight of Piper with Bob Betters at a table by the windows. It seemed Bob went all out too.
A waiter appeared to take their drink order. Tia ordered a gla.s.s of s.h.i.+raz.
”Coffee,” Jonah told him.
She looked over when the man had gone. ”Not even wine?”
”Six years sober.”
”Is Jay your sponsor?”
”How'd you know that?”
”You gave his name weight.”
”Pretty good police work.”
The compliment peeled one layer of the tension in her chest. ”Nothing to it.”
His eyes crinkled. ”Uh-huh.”
”You've said that exactly the same way as long as I can remember.”
”Okay.”
”And that.” She opened her menu. ”So what's he like? Jay ...”
”Laugersen. Half Dane, half Cherokee.”
She c.o.c.ked an eyebrow. ”Is that what defines him?”
”Wait and see.”
”Will I?”
”He's eager to meet you.”
She bit her lip. ”How much does he know?”
”He pretty much saved my life.”
So everything. Skidding off that thought, she sipped the wine, then glanced up. ”Will this bother you?”
”Never was a wine fan.”
”You haven't slipped in six years? Not even once?”
”Have to start over if I do.” He took a sip of coffee. ”Can you live with that?”
”Of course.” But then she wondered how he'd meant it. ”If it became relevant.”
”Oh, it's relevant.”
”I meant that living with each other's frailties implies a future together.”
”I guess I wasn't clear before.”
”You were.” She looked up. ”But just because you have some organic hold on me doesn't mean everything goes away.”
”I know that.”
”I need to do this right.” She moistened her lips. ”I need time.”
”I'm not going anywhere.”
Another layer peeled away.
He glanced past her. ”What's the story on Bob and Piper?”
She ran a finger down her gla.s.s. ”If I tell you, will you not overreact?”
”No promises.”
She frowned. ”Miles had an episode at the bakery. Bob was ribbing him, and then he tried to get his attention-tactilely.”
”He touched him?”
She nodded.
”And Miles went ballistic.”
”He b.u.mped a table into Bob, who got really upset, then said he'd get over it if Piper went out with him.”
Jonah nodded slowly. ”Which part am I not overreacting to, Miles, or Bob extorting a date?”
With a rush of warmth, she leaned in and squeezed his hands. ”Good answer.”
Jonah glanced across the room again. He couldn't hear the conversation, but from the continuous flapping of Bob's mouth, Piper was paying big time. Her plate was nearly empty. Bob paused now and then to shovel in his own food, then took up where he left off.
The server brought new gla.s.ses of wine. Piper dabbed her mouth and escaped to the ladies' room. Jonah slid his gaze back to Tia, but a s.h.i.+ft in Bob's posture caught the corner of his eye. Bob leaned, then settled back in his seat.