Chapter Eight
Catriona was still processingwhat she’d learned about Liam’s unusual family as he parked the car in front of the diner where they’d first met. She didn’t remember the drive, only noticing when the vehicle stopped, and her silent driver got out.
Before he could round the car, she opened the door and stepped out. From the way he looked around, his stance at the ready, it was clear he was concerned about their safety. If that were the case, why did they stop instead of returning directly to the apartment? It was tempting to ask the question, but Liam’s energy told her to keep away, as if he was about to snap and was working hard at refraining from doing so.
Courteous, he held the door open for her. The diner was almost deserted in the middle of the afternoon, although she did notice one waitress behind the counter and a cook that appeared busy despite the lack of customers. As soon as they approached, the waitress nodded and joined them at a booth.
“How dare you come here without that furry friend of yours.” There was a gentle chastisement in the woman’s tone, and from what Catriona could detect, it was obvious the two of them knew each other well.
Liam rubbed his face in annoyance. “Not now, Debbie. Any other time but not now.”
Immediately, the woman frowned and turned a worried gaze on Catriona. What could she say apart from shrug? What happened wasn’t her story to tell, and she suspected Liam wasn’t in a sharing mood.
Debbie softened her tone immediately. “You seem like you need to eat, sweetheart. What about that loaded sub you like so much?”
He stopped rubbing his face, but his shoulders remained slumped as if the weight of the world were on them and his body was too tired to care. However, he straightened and offered a forced grin at the woman. “I don’t think I could eat that much food today.”
She didn’t seem deterred. “You can share with your lady. I’ll bring two plates. And I have a warm apple pie just out of the oven, that should finish you off.” And without waiting for his answer, she turned on her heel and scurried away.
“Debbie is right. You should eat.”
Liam scoffed. “Isn’t that my line? You didn’t eat much at breakfast from what I can remember.”
“I never eat much.”
“A figure requirement?”
Catriona smiled. “A convent requirement. Prayers and devotions are more important than food.”
As soon as she mentioned it, his face shut down and he distanced himself from her again. It was the most sensible thing to do, her head knew that, but why was it that every other part of her hated it with a vengeance? She longed for that connection with him, one she’d never shared with anyone else, and that simple concept went against everything she’d stood for until then.
Before she could analyze her feelings further, Liam’s phone beeped in his pocket.
When he looked at it, she was glad to see fire returning into his stormy eyes. “Finally! We have the warrants for the bank accounts. Damn, that took forever.”
As he scrolled through what appeared like a long message, Catriona’s attention was pulled toward the entrance. People were passing by on the sidewalk, busy with their lives, but a figure stood on the other side of the street, near an entrance to an alley, as if wanting to remain hidden. They were at a distance, so it was hard to tell, but the person reminded her of Cary.
“Here you go, pet.” Debbie blocked her vision as she put the plate of food between them and an extra dish for sharing. “I’m getting you two coffees. Or would you like something else?”
Catriona only nodded, almost dismissing her so she could see if her mind was playing tricks on her, but when she checked again, the sidewalk was empty.
“I know you didn’t order anything, but do you want some?”
Liam asked the question with a frown and looked in the same direction. “Did you see something?”
As his body tensed, she shook her head. “No, not really. What did you ask me?”
He seemed to debate insisting or not but must have decided to let it go. “Are you hungry?”
“Not enough to eat all of that, but I’ll take what you don’t want.”
The frown returned. “You’re not a dog, and you aren’t eating my scraps. Help yourself. There’s enough for four of us anyway.”
She cut into the thick sandwich and took a portion to her plate, knowing she wouldn’t be able to finish it and left the fries.
Liam pulled the rest of the plate toward himself and dug in. They ate in silence for a while, Debbie coming and going, bringing them coffee. She had to admit, filling her stomach with hot food and coffee was a blessing. Halfway through her meal, she pushed the remainder of her sandwich aside and closed her hands over the mug. Her gaze repeatedly looked through the window to the other side of the street, but the person who’d been watching them was long gone.
Liam didn’t eat half of what was on his plate either and mimicked her pose by taking the mug into his palms. “I need to arrange it with our IT team, but you should have access to the bank details by the time we return to the apartment.”
