Page 19 of Island Whispers
“Money isn’t what I meant, Nina.”
She didn’t care for the way he stared at her. He was clearly annoyed and yet there was a heat in his eyes that set off fireworks in her belly. She fought to keep her voice even and her hands to herself. “I’m obviously missing something here. What exactly do you mean?”
The words didn’t come out as polite. She sounded prim and patronizing.
“Nina.”
“Boone.”
She could finally let down her guard and be honest with him. There wasn’t anyone around to overhear a conversation now and be shocked that they’d met weeks ago.
Except that seemed like one hurdle too many today.
Her stomach growled. Maybe it was best to wait and save honesty for after dinner.
His expression cleared in a hurry. “Food. I was asking about food.”
She didn’t quite believe him, but she wasn’t about to deny the reprieve. “Right.”
“Any allergies?”
The question seemed bigger than this conversation. He’d said he wanted to know her. Could she handle that? “No allergies,” she replied.
“All right. Any preferences?”
Automatically, she looked for her phone before recalling it was with the police. “Do you remember which trucks are here today?”
“Burgers and sliders, Greek food, and empanadas.”
Thankfully, she knew all three of those menus. The chicken empanadas—usually her favorite—didn’t sound good tonight. “I’d like a lamb gyro with Greek salad, please.” She hesitated. “Do you—”
His eyes clouded over again. “No, I don’t want your cash.” He turned for the door. “Lock this behind me. And open it when I come back.”
“You’ll have the food, so…”
With a shake of his head, he walked out. She threw the lock, listening at the door until his steps faded.
In the sudden quiet, she wanted to call her mom, but she couldn’t. The closest phone was downstairs in the shop and she could just imagine how frustrated Boone would be if she did that without clearing it with him first.
She finished off her muffin and stored the rest of the pastries for later. Then she set the small table with plates and napkins, ignoring the domesticity of it all. If she could get through this sticky situation and come out the other side with a friendship with Boone, that would be enough.
It was certainly more than she’d ever anticipated.
The knock on the door startled her. “Nina, it’s me.”
She hurried over and let him in. He held a stack of three containers with a bag balanced on top. The smells were heavenly.
“You got fries,” she said as he set everything on the table.
“Enough to share.”
“You’re my favorite person,” she gushed. “What do you want to drink?” She rattled off the list of options ranging from water to beer.
He chose water and she poured glasses for them both.
Sitting across from him brought a fresh wave of awkwardness, but it was quickly muted by the food. They ate in an easy silence, sharing the fries, until they’d polished off every bite.
She sat back, feeling better than she had all day. “Thank you.”