Page 81 of Starry with a Chance of Nightshade
He snorted. “Yes. That.”
I continued to grip the flowers tightly. “Wereyou married?”
“Can I ask where this is coming from?” He glanced at me again as he continued to drive.
I bit at my lip before sighing and motioning to his hand. “You were rubbing your ring finger, like a ring was there. Since you’re not wearing one, I was a little concerned that it was in your pocket or something.”
His lips curved upward. “Ah. Makes sense. I’d have probably thought the same thing if I saw you doing that. But to answer your question, no. I’m not married, nor have I ever been married. But yes, I did used to wear a ring there. It was a ring my, erm, family is known to wear. Not sure why I rub the spot. I lost the ring a long time ago. There have only been a few times I think of it anymore. Guess tonight is one of those times.”
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding before clutching my pendant and the ring through my shirt. “I’m sorry that you lost your family ring. It’s clearly important to you, but I’m very happy to hear that I wasn’t kissing all over a married man. That is not my style. Not by a long shot. Honestly, I don’t kiss on anyone. Married or not. I mean, I do, but it’s been a while.”
“Same,” he said, his deep voice making me want to return to kissing all over him.
A long moment of silence stretched between us.
“Say something. The quiet is awkward,” I said.
He grinned, his full lips looking super tempting as he drove.
I couldn’t help but stare at his profile. The man was unbelievably sexy. As I stared harder at him, thoughts of Shaggy Professor popped into my head again. I looked Stratton over again with a more critical eye than before. “Um, by chance do you have a father or uncle who teaches or taught at the university here?”
“No. Why do you ask?” he questioned.
“No reason.” I faced forward and found myself pointing at the place I used to work at in college—Chicken on a Pitchfork. I nearly told Stratton that I changed my mind, because I was worried about more of my past coming up, but the cat was pretty much out of the bag on me being in town now.
Thankfully, there was no sign of Dave out front in a devil outfit, not that I really expected him to still be doing that. He’d be in his seventies by now. Maybe older even.
The chicken place had picnic tables out front with red and white checkered tablecloths on them. Edison bulb lights on strings hung from poles. Much the same as when I’d worked there. “Will that work for dinner?”
He glanced at it and then me. “You sure? It’s so…um.”
“I’m sure,” I said, noting how uncomfortable he looked at the idea of eating there.
“All right,” he returned, pulling into the parking area. “Devil Dave’s Chicken on a Pitchfork it is. I’ve lived here three years and have never eaten here before.”
I wasn’t exactly shocked. After all, I’d seen his coffee order. He didn’t really seem like a fried foods kind of guy.
I set the lilies on the floor of the truck carefully, wanting to avoid smashing them. I tried to get out of the truck, but Stratton raced around to get the door for me. I wasn’t used to anyone being that way with me and had to admit I could get used to it.
He offered his arm to help me exit the truck and I took it more out of a desire to make contact with him than necessity.
Country music played through the outdoor sound system and there was a decent number of people there despite the time of night. There was a table full of teens who were goofing around right up until they spotted Stratton. They began nudging one another and nodding in his direction as if they were afraid he was going to search their lockers for pot or something.
I half expected them to cut and run.
I leaned in toward him and kept my voice low. “That happen a lot?”
“Allthe time,” he said, paying them no mind.
Faye was at one of the tables with a man who looked like an older version of Jeffrey. She shot Stratton a hard look.
He cringed.
She pointed at him. “Peggy told me you skipped out on lunch with Astria, andthisis how you make it up as far as a date goes? You bring her to a place that serves chicken on a stick?”
The man with her appeared confused. “I brought you here tonight for date night?”
She shot him a look that spoke volumes. “Yes, Jim. You did.”
