Everyone seemed to know Jordan. People spoke but kept their distance. Maya led the way back to her booth, but Jordan stopped her midway. He preferred a round table in the center of the room. The table was set for four. Jordan grabbed a spare chair, flipped and straddled it. Maya sat next to him. Dylan wondered if she was trying to make Jake jealous or look weak. She did flip out at their arrival. And, she was a little nuts regarding this whole issue, whatever the issue was. Sonny snagged the seat on Jake’s other side—like Dylan gave a damn. Jordan wasn’t a threat to him.
And then his brain locked. He didn’t care about Jordan; he didn’t care about anything. An angel was walking toward them with a tray of drinks. An angel, a siren, a goddess, hell, he didn’t know. God, she was beautiful. Everywhere, all at once. He couldn’t look away.
“Da-mn!”
Sonny was stupid enough to say what Dylan was thinking.
Nile placed three menus on the table and set a glass of water in front of Maya. “I’ll be with you in a second.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Sonny said.
Nile turned to the next table and passed out refreshments.
Sonny grinned, Jordan frowned, and Maya seethed.
“What?” Sonny said. “She an old friend? You grew up with her too?”
“Everybody in Rain grew up together,” Maya said. “That’s what makes a small town a small town.” She gulped the water.
Nile returned. “What can I get you?”
Jake and Sonny reached for the menus.
Sonny said, “I haven’t checked yet. But you can keep me company while I look.”
Nile didn’t react. “Drinks?”
“Coffee, please,” Dylan said. “One cream, no sugar. And, I apologize. He’s an embarrassment.”
Nile’s lip twitched. She nodded.
“I got your damned embarrassment,” Sonny cut in. “I want a coke and your name. I don’t see a name tag.”
“Ohmigod, Sonny. Go home.” Maya looked at Nile. “I’m sorry.”
Nile waved her silent. “One apology will suffice.” She glanced at Dylan; she had to.
He hoped she’d look again. Damn, she was beautiful.
She didn’t glance. It was Jake’s turn.
“I’ll take a coffee too. Black.” He held the menu for Maya. “What do you want, babe? Tea?”
“I already have water, thank you.”
Nile turned to Jordan. “You slept late. Did you get any breakfast?”
Dylan’s stomach dropped. Were they sleeping together?
“I started late. No.”
“Diana called about an hour ago.” Tigris came over carrying a tray. She set a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage in front of Jordan. A second plate stacked with pancakes and a smaller plate loaded with hash browns. A glass of orange juice, a cup of coffee, and finally, a caddy with salt, pepper, ketchup, syrup, sugar, and cream. “You’re a damned hog. You know that?”
“I’m a growing boy.” Jordan flipped his chair, blessed himself, and dug in.
Jake and Dylan exchanged glances. Was this guy royalty?
“So, what are we having?”
Dylan thought this new girl was beautiful too, but not like the other one. “We ordered...” He looked to the one, but she was gone.
“Nile will get your drinks. I’m Tigris. Would you gentlemen like food?”
“Tigerrr-is... Oh, baby, I’m starved.” Sonny stared at her ass and forgot to look up.
She angled her hip closer to him.
“Really?” Jordan talked with a mouth full of bacon.
She ignored him. To Sonny, she said, “Why don’t you order and eat like it’s your last meal?”
“Oh yeah. Are you going to serve it to me?”
“I’ll be happy to give it to you.”
Dylan didn’t know what she was talking about, but it wasn’t food. He didn’t dwell. The angel/siren/goddess—he couldn’t decide—returned. Sonny got his coke first. Jake’s coffee was next. She took her time setting Dylan’s cup in front of him. “One cream, no sugar.”
“Thank you.” He sipped it right away. He needed her to see that he liked it.
“Did you order?”
“What do you recommend?”
“Are you looking for food or sweets?”
“Sweets.”
“We’re starting on the pumpkin spice. The muffins are awesome.”
“Is it that time already?”
“It’s never too early for happiness.”
“Pumpkin-spice muffin it is.”
“Really?” Jordan said.
Tigris tugged Nile’s arm. “I’ll take over.”
Without comment or debate, Nile left the area.
“Pumpkin-spice muffin,” Tigris said. “Anything else?”
“No, thanks.”
She turned her back on Dylan’s reply. “And you?”
“I’ll take a muffin too,” Jake said. “Whatever you have is fine.”
“Naw, not me.” Sonny pointed. “I want what he got. All of it.”
Both Jordan and Tigris found that amusing.
Dylan decided, Tigris was a little less attractive than he first thought. But she gave him a name. Nile. Damn. What a name.
Chapter Five
They didn’t say much while Jordan enjoyed his meal. Jake and Dylan ate their muffins and Tigris refilled their coffee cups. Nile didn’t come to their table again.
“Any idea how much longer I have to wait?”
“Excuse me?” Tigris turned innocent eyes on Sonny.
“My food, baby. I’m starving.” He held his empty coke glass up. “How about a refill?”
“Of course.” She grabbed his glass and disappeared.
Sonny watched her ass. “You can’t complain about the service with a view like that.”
Jordan offered Maya a forkful of pancakes.
She opened her mouth and let him feed her like a child.
Jake shifted. “Jordan. You wanted to get acquainted.”
Jordan ate his sausage. “I did. I am. I’m learning so much from you fellas.”
“We’re still in the dark,” Jake looked at Maya, “about a lot of things.”
“Perhaps we could swap knowledge, or childhood memories, or whatever matters,” Dylan said.
“Dylan. It’s Dylan, right?”
Dylan nodded. Jordan hadn’t forgotten, but it’s whatever.
“Hey, JB,” Jordan leaned around Dylan and called to the person at the table behind him.
“Hey, boss,” JB—a middle-aged man with sharp blue eyes and patches of premature gray at his temples—left his seat to stand behind Jordan. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“Hey, Uncle JB,” Maya spoke but didn’t offer introductions. This was Jordan’s conversation.
“Have you been eavesdropping over here?”
“As best I could, given the circumstance.”
Jordan laughed. “Give it your best shot. What do we know?”
JB looked around the table and pointed to each one. “Maya’s man is in trouble. The brother here is in a bind, but he is at least smart enough to know it. And, the stupid one ain’t getting shit to eat.”