I eyed Kel across the table. “How would you know?”
“Well, I don’tknow-know. But I’m a Kitchen Courier.” He gave me a sage nod. “You can tell a lot about a guy by the way he orders food.”
I snorted. “That so? Tell me about Delaney, then.” Fuck knew I needed some insights.
Kel sipped his beer thoughtfully. “He’s a big tipper, for one thing. Especially when the weather’s bad.”
“Good,” I muttered. “He can probably afford to be.”
“Dude.” Kel shot me a look of rebuke. “Not everyone values the time and effort of the people doing stuff for them, even if they can afford to, believe me. Delaney does. Give credit where it’s due, my man.”
I frowned. He had a point. A small one.
“AnnnndI know when Delaney ordered from the Burger Barn the other night, he Co-Couriered some fancy dog biscuits from the bakery, too.” Kel watched me steadily. “Which was interesting since I didn’t know he had a dog.”
I blinked, remembering the container of dog treats that had been left on the stairs to the attic… along with another of Delaney’s stickies. “He said they were delivered by mistake and I shouldn’t let them go to waste.”
Kel chuckled. “I was Courier of the Year last year, bro. I don’t make mistakes.”
A startled bark of laughter burst out of me, but I quickly controlled it. “Well… that was surprisingly nice of him,” I admitted. I took another sip of beer and added pointedly, “Considering he hates my dog.”
“Hates her? Sweet Teeny girl?” Kel shook his head. “Not possible.”
I rolled my eyes. “He looks at her like she’s a monster, and he won’t listen when I try to explain she’s harmless.”
“Huh.” Kel’s brow lowered in a frown. “Wonder why?”
“Why?” I scoffed. “Why? Because—” I blinked. “Because… I don’t know why, exactly. Delaney didn’t volunteer.”
Kel’s eyebrows winged up. “And you didn’t ask?”
“I…” My body flushed hot. How could I explain the weird thing that happened whenever I tried talking to Delaney? The way my blood sizzled just from being in the same room with him and I felt the leash on my emotions slipping? The way I was trying to keep my distance so I could stay professional, and it wasn’t fucking working? “No. He’s my client. We don’t have deep, meaningful discussions, nor should we.”
“Hmm. Maybe Delaney’s ex had a big dog, and he has negative associations. Oooh, or maybe something happened when he was a kid that scared him.” Kel’s fingers traced patterns in the condensation ring left by his beer. “Where’d he grow up, again? Outside the city, somewhere?”
“I…” I blinked. “I think so. Maybe.” Though, I had to admit, I knew this mostly from hearing Coppertians talk about the Monroes, not because Delaney himself ever had.
“Wonder why he came to Copper County,” Kel mused. “I mean, Tam and Lucas and their baby, yeah. But still. Moving here is, like,extreme-extreme, huh? ’Cause I remember Tam saying Delaney travels all over for work. That’s gonna be way harder with him living all the way out here.”
Kel didn’t pose this as a question, but it came out as one anyway.
Once again, I shook my head. “He’s my client. We’re not friends.” And because I felt attacked for some reason, I added, “He’s bossy as fuck, and he wants everything his own way.”
Kel opened his mouth, but I figured I already knew what he was going to ask. I held up a hand. “No, I don’t knowwhyhe’s like that, Kel. And I don’t care.”
He pursed his lips. ”Dude. I was gonna point out that Delaney seems like a guy who gets defensive when he feels like he’s on the back foot. I mean, samesies.” He pressed a finger against his own chest. “So, like, it’s gotta be overwhelming, being in a new town, doing his big career stuff,plusliving through a renovation.” He sat back in his chair and regarded me steadily. “I was thinking that if you knewwhyDelaney acts the way he does, it might make it easier for you to see him as a human and not just a client and, like, deal with him more effectively. But what do I know?”
Sometimes I forgot that my cousin’s frat-bro roommate had graduated college near the top of his class, too. He was an easygoing guy, but he was also a good listener… and he had a good point.
WasDelaney in over his head? I’d assumed his stubbornness was because he thought he was so much smarter than I was, even when it came to home restoration. But what if it wasn’t? What if, by tryingnotto get to know him, to keep distance between us, I’d made the whole situation worse?
Hayes returned with napkins and a plate of mozzarella sticks. “What’d I miss?”
Kel reached for the platter and inhaled half a pound of fried cheese and marinara sauce in a single bite. “Oooh, fuck! Hot, hot, hot!” He took a giant swallow of beer and fanned his mouth. “We were talking about Delaney,” he said, sounding like he was speaking around a burnt tongue. “And I was saying maybe the reason he’s been a tough client is because he’s overwhelmed. People who feel powerless lash out. That’s Psych 101.”
Hayes gave Kel a proud smile I wasn’t sure the other man even noticed. “You say the best shit, Kel!”
“Aw. ’Fanks, bruh,” Kel said, stuffing more burning mozzarella in his mouth.
