I had to laugh. "No, I won't."
Ryder told the waiter, "Yes, he will. Plus a baked potato with extra butter. Skip the salad." He paused. "Oh, and we'll need a dessert menu. You got any pie?"
I held up a hand. "Hold up. Before you order the whole restaurant, let's see if I finishthis."
"Eh, you'll finish," he said, returning his attention to the waiter. "Don't listen to him. I'm the one paying."
Good thing he was.Between the food we'd already ordered, plus a good bit of whiskey – and not the cheap stuff – he was racking up quite a bill. Yeah, he could afford it without breaking a sweat. But so could I – normally.
Of course, the past few days had been anything but normal. I wasn't just counting my dollars. I was counting my quarters, too. Those three loads of laundry, not to mention the detergent, had done a serious number on my daily food budget.
I didn't regret it. I couldn't. I'd rather skip a meal or two than sleep in someone else's filth.
Speaking of two meals, after the waiter left, I told Ryder, "That second steak – you know I'm not gonna eat it, right?"
"Sure, you will. And if you don't tonight, just call it breakfast."
Steak for breakfast was fine by me. But I was still waiting for the catch. I eyed him across the table and figured I might as well just say it. "You're up to something."
"What?" he laughed. "Can't a guy buy a friend dinner?"
I considered what had landed me here in the first place. "I'm pretty sure this is against the rules."
"No, it's not. I ate your chips. This is payback, like I said."
When I said nothing in reply, he leaned back in his seat. "Man, youaresuspicious." He frowned with mock sincerity. "And here in a small town. You're never gonna fit inthatway."
"I'm not here to fit in," I reminded him, returning to steak number-one. "I'm just passing the time. That's all."
"Bullshit," he said. "From what I hear, you got a job."
My fork paused in mid-air. "And you know this, how?"
"I've got my sources. Did I mention it's a small town?"
I gave him a look. "You live in Chicago."
"You and me both. But it doesn't take long to make friends in a place likethis." He grinned. "Especially when you're me."
What could I say to that?Hell ifIknew. Once again, I returned to the steak, figuring that a heaping helping of Ryder's bullshit was a small price to pay for the best meal I'd had in days.
I was preparing to spear another bite when he said with a laugh, "The way I hear it, I'm not theonlyone making friends."
I set down my fork. "Meaning?"
"Word is, you've got a thing going with that brunette at the bike shop."
Maisie.My brain conjured an image to go with his words. It was the kind of image that could get a guy thinking if he wasn't careful. And I'd done far too much ofthatalready.
I reached for the whiskey. "Then you heard wrong."
"If you say so."
"I do."
With a chuckle, he asked, "Is it true you're working for food?" He gave me a significant look. "Because I've got some stuff that needs doing."
Sure, he did."Like what?"
