Our burgers arrive and we talk between bites, and I find myself telling her about my childhood, my parents who still live in the suburbs of Chicago, my years playing football in high school. Safe topics. Nothing that would lead to the past two years.
It’s when Dottie brings us slices of homemade apple pie that Ellie reaches across the table and touches one of the tattoos visible at my wrist where I’ve rolled up my sleeves.
“These mean something to you, don’t they? They’re not just decoration.”
I glance down at the intricate design. “Yeah, they all have stories.”
“Will you tell me about them someday?”
I meet her eyes. “I’d like that.”
And then everything shifts when her ex-husband Miles walks into the diner, hell-bent on ruining our date by the looks of it. It doesn’t help that he’s the police chief. He comes and stands right next to Ellie, staring me down.
“Is there something you need?”
He shrugs, hooking his thumbs in his belt loops. “Just checking in on my favorite ex-wife. Making sure she’s in good company.”
My jaw clenches but I force myself to remain calm. Getting into it with the local police chief is exactly the kind of attention I don’t need.
“I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine.”
Miles leans down, lowering his voice. “You know how you are with strays, El. Always bringing home the ones that need fixing.”
Something flares in my chest—anger, embarrassment, or maybe the recognition that he’s not entirely wrong about me being broken.
“That’s enough,” Ellie says. “Please leave.”
Miles straightens, a smug smile playing on his lips. “Just doing my job. Getting to know all the new faces in town.” His eyes lock with mine. “Especially those with interesting backgrounds.”
My blood runs cold. Does he know something? Has he run my name through some database?
“Have a good evening,” he says finally, tipping his hat before walking to the counter.
Ellie releases a shaky breath. “I’m so sorry about that.”
“Don’t be,” I say, reaching for her hand. “Not your fault.”
“He’s...” She hesitates. “He can be difficult. The divorce wasn’t exactly amicable.”
I glance over at Miles, who’s watching us from the counter while chatting with Dottie. His eyes never leave us for long.
“Want to get out of here?”
Ellie nods gratefully. I pay the bill, leaving a generous tip for Dottie, and we slip out into the night.
“I hate that he did that,” Ellie says as we walk. “He has no right to intimidate you.”
“It’s okay,” I say, wrapping an arm around her waist as we walk. “I’ve dealt with worse.”
“Still, he had no business treating you like some criminal. He still thinks in the back of his mind that we will be together again. So he’s...”
“Territorial?” I offer.
She nods, leaning into me. “Exactly.”
I brush a strand of hair from her face, letting my fingers linger on her cheek. I lean in slowly, giving her time to pull away if she wants to. She doesn’t. Our lips meet. When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing harder.
We walk back toward her place, hand in hand, the tension from Miles’s interruption gradually fading. The night air has cooled, and Ellie shivers. I slip off my jacket and drape it over her shoulders.
