“We should get going, or they’re going to wonder what happened to us.”
“Reality calls.” I breathe out a sigh. “Can’t we stay just a little longer?”
“Come on. There’s plenty more of this at The Facility.”
I’ve heard about The Facility from Carmen. It’s some kind of halfway house/recovery facility for those Guardian HRS rescues. It sits along PCH-1, oceanside, and is supposed to be an amazing place to recover and rebuild.
He tugs gently at my hand and leads me back to the Harley. We mount up and continue our journey with the Harley growling like a beast as it chews through the curving road. Eventually, we come across a small diner perched over the rocky cliffs. The sign over it says, “Bill’s Burgers - Best on the Coast.”
An inviting little hole in the wall, my stomach rumbles with the promise of a great greasy burger.
“Are you hungry?” Zeb pulls to a stop in the small parking lot.
“Famished.”
We step off the Harley and head inside, holding hands. The moment we open the door, mouthwatering aromas attack our noses.
“Oh my, I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.” I place my hand over my belly, hoping my stomach will behave until we can order food.
Bill’s Burgers is a small burger joint with a linoleum floor, stressed wood tables, and hard plastic chairs, but the floor sparkles and the tables are clean.
“Have a seat anywhere you like.” A woman with curly hair drawn up in elegant disarray on top of her head looks like she just stepped out of the fifties. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”
Zeb guides me over to a booth at a window. When I try to slide in, he places his hand out to stop me.
“I sit there.” His voice snaps and I jump.
“Why?” A little taken aback by the brusqueness of his tone, I flinch involuntarily.
“Sorry.” He pulls me in for a hug. “Didn’t mean to startle you. I sit here because I can see the exits. I like to keep my back to the wall and my eyes where I can see who’s coming and going.”
“It’s okay. I was just startled.”
“Startled or stress response?”
“What does that mean?”
“Like a trigger. I don’t know how Scott treated you and I don’t want to do something that triggers you.”
“Oh, I get it. Um, maybe a little?”
“If I ever do something that makes you jump, or flinch, or react in a negative way, just tell me. If you can’t tell me, just tap my arm three times. I’ll know I pushed a trigger and can fix it in the moment.”
“I’m sorry. I’m still a bit keyed up.”
“I mean this in the best way possible, but you have no reason to apologize for your feelings, or your reactions to the stimuli around you. Especially, when I’m the stimuli. I can sometimes snap orders without realizing I’m doing it. I don’t want you to ever feel uncomfortable with me.”
“I’ll try.” He remains standing while I slide into the booth. Once I’m seated, he slides in opposite me. We exchange shy smiles, lost for words, for the moment, until the waitress appears with a pad of paper tucked into her apron. She yanks it out, clicks a pen, then licks the ballpoint end.
“What can I get you?” She scratches on the pad, leaving me wondering what she would write when we haven’t said anything. I open my mouth to answer, but Zeb cuts me off.
“How good are Bill’s burgers?”
“Why, they’re the best on the coast.” Nearly twice his age, the waitress flirts with Zeb. She props a hand on her hip and cocks out a leg. “Is that what you want? One of Bill’s famous burgers?”
“We’ll take two. If they’re the best, we can’t miss out.”
“Darling, you are going to love them. Cheese? Bacon? Want to make yours a double?” Her ballpoint scratches over the pad.
“How do you recommend them?”
“Cheese. Double for you. Bacon. Of course.” She’s spectacular at the double eye roll. “I usually skip the lettuce, but the tomatoes are a given. Bill only uses the best beefsteak tomatoes.”
“Then that is exactly what I want.” He turns to me. “What about you, luv?”
“Single for me. Love beefsteak tomatoes. No bacon.”
“You sure about that?” She nibbles the end of the pen. “Everybody loves bacon.”
“Okay, bacon it is. How can I not?”
“Exactly, dear.” The pen scratches against the paper. “Fries or tots? Our fries come well done. None of that floppy half-done mess. We fry them twice, so they’re extra crispy, but I prefer the tots.”
“What’s it going to be, luv?” He reaches across the table and interlaces his hand with mine. Staring deep into my eyes, my stomach does a little flip.
“I love tots.”
“Tots it is for the lady. How about you?” She turns to Zeb.
“I’ll do the crispy fries.”
“Drinks? We’ve got water, soda, and coffee if you’re looking to be up late at night. We don’t do that decaf stuff here.”
“Water’s good for me.” Zeb distracts me, rubbing tiny circles over the back of my hand with his thumb. Such a tiny thing, it sends tingling sensations racing along my nerves.
“Miss?”
I give a start and shake my head to clear my thoughts. My eyes pinch, trying to remember what the question was.
“She’ll have water too.” His deep rumbly laughter brings a smile to my face and heat to my cheeks.
“Coming right up.” She leaves us and I lean back in the booth.
“That’s not fair.” I cross my hands over my chest and try to give him my fiercest stare.
“What?”
“You were distracting me.”
“All I was doing was holding your hand.” Zeb leans across the table and extricates one of my hands from where I hold it tight to my chest.
Our hands are still clasped together when the waitress comes back with two glasses of cold water. She takes a look at us holding hands and smiles. When she leaves us again, I take a deep breath and try to clear my head. It’s been an eventful day.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Zeb caresses the back of my hand with his thumb again.
“I was just thinking about how much we’ve done today. It feels like a dream.”
“You’ve conquered quite a few things.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Well, our improvised zip line is definitely a new thing.”
“And not something I want to repeat.”
“Never say never.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I think you secretly enjoyed the thrill of it. Now, if you really want a thrill, I can take you skydiving?”
“Never.” My voice squeaks and Zeb laughs.
“Never say never.” He winks and a smile turns his rugged face into something stunningly handsome.
“Well, I’ve had enough excitement with the zip line. Thank you very much. There’s no way I’m ever jumping out of a plane.” I nibble at my lower lip and my free hand rises to my throat. Zeb follows the path of my hand and his eyes harden. I try and shift the focus of our conversation off what Scott did to me. “Now as for fun, today is the first time I’ve ridden on a bike and it’s amazing.”