The waitress came over with two menus tucked under her arm.
“What can I get you to drink?”she asked.
“Water,” Clove said.
“Coffee,” I said.
The waitress nodded and glanced at my cut.Didn’t flinch.Didn’t stare.Just filed it away like she’d seen it before.
“Food recommendations?”Clove asked before the waitress could step away, because Clove was Clove.
The waitress grinned.“Patty melt.Blueberry pie.Anything for breakfast if you want it.Mabel doesn’t care what time it is.”
Clove looked at me.“You get the patty melt and I’ll get a ham and cheese omelet with hash browns?”
I nodded.“Sounds good to me, baby.”
“And blueberry pie,” she added.
“Of course,” the waitress said.“I’ll be back.”
When she walked away, Clove leaned forward, elbows on the table.“Does this count as our second date?”
I lifted a brow.
She grinned.“Last night was our first date.The diner.Remember?You said first of hopefully many.”
My chest warmed in a way that had nothing to do with coffee.“You keeping track?”I asked.
“I might be,” she said, trying to act casual and failing miserably.
I reached across the table and hooked my fingers with hers.“Then yeah, baby.This is date number two.”
Her smile softened, and for a second, everything inside me quieted.
Then my mind did what it always did lately—snapped back to reality.
I tightened my grip on her hand without thinking.
Clove noticed immediately.She always did.“You’re thinking again,” she said quietly.
“I’m always thinking,” I muttered.
“You’re thinking angrily,” she corrected.
“I’m fine, baby.”I didn’t need her to worry about me.I wanted this time to be with her and not think about the shit the club was dealing with.
The waitress came back with coffee for me and water for her.“Food should be out in a couple of minutes.”
Clove took a sip of water and glanced out the window.“I like this little town.It’s kind of like Weston.”
I scoffed.“Weston is three times the size of Junction, baby.”
She sighed.“Yeah, you’re right.”
“And they probably don’t have a motorcycle club.”
She laughed.“I think you’re right, from all the people that keep staring at us.”