about to step back and close the door when he put his hand up and stopped her.
“I thought we could share the donuts. There’s a dozen in there.”
“Oh…all right.” She clutched the box and wondered what he wanted. “I suppose you’d like a cup of coffee to go with them?” She watched his head tip back. Laughter rumbled out of his enormous chest. It was a surprise to see a man who appeared to eat nails for lunch laugh so loud. He was well over six feet tall and enormously built. His chest and arms stretched the shirt he was wearing, and his hands looked like they could crush a man’s skull. Nothing about him suggested he had a sense of humor. Hmm…maybe he was full of surprises. “Come in and I’ll make a fresh pot.”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
She strolled into the kitchen and slid the box of donuts onto the counter. “Have a seat. It’ll only take a couple of minutes.”
As she got the coffee ready, she sensed his eyes hot on her back and the weight of his stare. It was like being under a microscope. He’d never made the effort to get to know her, and she wondered why he was suddenly interested in hanging out. Maybe he was trying to figure out how much she’d heard over the last several months. Unfortunately, she’d heard plenty because his girlfriend was a loud woman. She expressed her happiness, anger, and sadness all at the same volume. Deafening!
When she turned around and leaned against the counter, she waited for him to say something. He was definitely here for a reason, and it would be interesting to find out what is was.
He leaned on his elbows and smiled. “Where are you from? I know you’re southern, but I can’t place your accent.”
“I’m from Georgia. I grew up in a small town called St. Marys. It’s not far from Jacksonville, Florida. My dad was in the Navy and was stationed at Kings Bay Submarine Base.” She pulled out two cups and set them down. “Are you from Tennessee?”
“You have a great ear. My parents live in Chattanooga.”
“Your accent isn’t that strong. You must’ve lived away from home for a long time.”
“I left Tennessee when I was nineteen and joined the Navy. I’ve only made it back home for short visits. The years away have lessened my twang.”
The coffeepot beeped, and Sara poured them each a cup. “Do you take anything in your coffee?”
“Just sugar…if you have it.”
She handed him his cup, and their hands lightly touched. Not only did her stomach flip-flop again, but also her fingers felt like she’d touched a live wire. Smiling faintly, she pushed the sugar bowl in his direction. She checked her watch and grimaced. “I can only have one donut, and then I have to head out. I have an appointment and I can’t be late. If I am, then I’m forced to do an additional twenty minutes on the bags.”
“Are you taking a kickboxing class?”
“No, I work out over at Combative Alliance. Richard is trying to make me a badass. It’s slow going, but I’m not giving up hope.”
“The man who owns that is from the Teams. Nick is a great guy and sometimes works with us over at SAI.”
“I love Nick. He’s been my guardian angel and saving grace.”
“What do you…” Before he could complete the question, the doorbell chimed and she moved away.
“It’s a regular party here this morning.” She unbolted the locks and opened it. “Hi, Gladys. What brings you over?”
“I saw Grady walk over with a pink box, so I figured I’d better come over and save you from yourself. You have to be at CA in a bit, and we don’t want Richard giving you a hard time. Well…we do, but he doesn’t seem interested in the hard time we’re thinking of.”
Sara heard Grady choke and try and clear his throat. “Grady doesn’t need to hear about any of that.”
“Oh, I definitely need to hear about it,” Grady said. “It seems only fair since you’ve heard every intimate detail of my life over the last several months.”
Sara
“I thought we could share the donuts. There’s a dozen in there.”
“Oh…all right.” She clutched the box and wondered what he wanted. “I suppose you’d like a cup of coffee to go with them?” She watched his head tip back. Laughter rumbled out of his enormous chest. It was a surprise to see a man who appeared to eat nails for lunch laugh so loud. He was well over six feet tall and enormously built. His chest and arms stretched the shirt he was wearing, and his hands looked like they could crush a man’s skull. Nothing about him suggested he had a sense of humor. Hmm…maybe he was full of surprises. “Come in and I’ll make a fresh pot.”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
She strolled into the kitchen and slid the box of donuts onto the counter. “Have a seat. It’ll only take a couple of minutes.”
As she got the coffee ready, she sensed his eyes hot on her back and the weight of his stare. It was like being under a microscope. He’d never made the effort to get to know her, and she wondered why he was suddenly interested in hanging out. Maybe he was trying to figure out how much she’d heard over the last several months. Unfortunately, she’d heard plenty because his girlfriend was a loud woman. She expressed her happiness, anger, and sadness all at the same volume. Deafening!
When she turned around and leaned against the counter, she waited for him to say something. He was definitely here for a reason, and it would be interesting to find out what is was.
He leaned on his elbows and smiled. “Where are you from? I know you’re southern, but I can’t place your accent.”
“I’m from Georgia. I grew up in a small town called St. Marys. It’s not far from Jacksonville, Florida. My dad was in the Navy and was stationed at Kings Bay Submarine Base.” She pulled out two cups and set them down. “Are you from Tennessee?”
“You have a great ear. My parents live in Chattanooga.”
“Your accent isn’t that strong. You must’ve lived away from home for a long time.”
“I left Tennessee when I was nineteen and joined the Navy. I’ve only made it back home for short visits. The years away have lessened my twang.”
The coffeepot beeped, and Sara poured them each a cup. “Do you take anything in your coffee?”
“Just sugar…if you have it.”
She handed him his cup, and their hands lightly touched. Not only did her stomach flip-flop again, but also her fingers felt like she’d touched a live wire. Smiling faintly, she pushed the sugar bowl in his direction. She checked her watch and grimaced. “I can only have one donut, and then I have to head out. I have an appointment and I can’t be late. If I am, then I’m forced to do an additional twenty minutes on the bags.”
“Are you taking a kickboxing class?”
“No, I work out over at Combative Alliance. Richard is trying to make me a badass. It’s slow going, but I’m not giving up hope.”
“The man who owns that is from the Teams. Nick is a great guy and sometimes works with us over at SAI.”
“I love Nick. He’s been my guardian angel and saving grace.”
“What do you…” Before he could complete the question, the doorbell chimed and she moved away.
“It’s a regular party here this morning.” She unbolted the locks and opened it. “Hi, Gladys. What brings you over?”
“I saw Grady walk over with a pink box, so I figured I’d better come over and save you from yourself. You have to be at CA in a bit, and we don’t want Richard giving you a hard time. Well…we do, but he doesn’t seem interested in the hard time we’re thinking of.”
Sara heard Grady choke and try and clear his throat. “Grady doesn’t need to hear about any of that.”
“Oh, I definitely need to hear about it,” Grady said. “It seems only fair since you’ve heard every intimate detail of my life over the last several months.”
Sara
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