Page 33 of Control Freak

Brenda moved away to make our shakes while the kitchen prepared the food, and Emory led me toward a table by the big plate-glass windows.

“You didn’t need to pay for me,” I said.

He cast me a sheepish smile. “We’ll just call it payment for me being way too nosy about your personal life with Holden.”

“Well, thanks.”

After worrying so intensely about saving every penny to pay Brick and Curtis, it was strange to not have many financial obligations. Holden and his family were taking better care of me than anyone had in the last twelve years.

An older guy with silvering hair patted Emory’s arm as he went by. “You behaving these days?”

“I sure am,” Emory said. “How’s your hip treating you?”

“Better than ever.” The old guy slapped his waist lightly. “I’m a bionic man now.”

Emory chuckled dutifully and moved on. Person after person greeted him, and he navigated their small talk like a pro, always friendly but never sinking into conversation enough to get stalled.

We’d made it to a table by the windows when a woman who was the very image of a glowing, beautiful country girl approached us with a model-worthy man with dark, messy hair at her side.

“Emory!”

He turned and lit up with a genuine smile. Emory hadn’t beenfakebefore, exactly, but there’d been a distant politeness to him. Now, genuine warmth—the kind he reserved for his boyfriend and his brothers—spilled over.

“Allison, hey.” He stepped into a casual hug. “You two having a date night?”

“Yeah—” she started.

“No,”the guy with her said firmly. “This is not a date. I do not take my fiancée to adinerand call it a date. We’re not fifty.”

Emory laughed. “Sorry, Matteo, my bad.”

“We’re just here so Matteo can talk to Brenda about hiring an ex-con for his work program.” Allison nudged him. “He spoils me when we’re on a real date, but I’m happy no matter where we spend our time.”

They gave each other sappy, love-soaked looks. I was almost embarrassed to watch it.

“Areyouon a date night?” Allison asked, a teasing note in her voice. “I never thought you’d do Gray dirty like that, but this manisgorgeous, so…”

Emory laughed. “No! This is Shiloh. He’s a friend of Holden’s.”

“Oh,really?” She gave me another once-over. “Well, Holden’s got great taste, doesn’t he?”

“Standing right beside you,” Matteo muttered.

“Oh, you know I love you, but a girl’s got eyes,” she teased, turning to peck a kiss on his cheek.

I grinned, liking her vibe. “Nice to meet you both.”

The server arrived with our food, and they shifted aside to let the teenage boy set down the tray covered with sandwiches and shakes.

“We should let you eat in peace,” Allison said.

I sat down across from Emory as Allison and Matteo moved on, and he handed me my foil-wrapped sandwich and basket of fried okra.

“Sorry. In small towns, it’s impossible not to run into people you know. Everyone knows everyone’s business. Gossip will be flying about me being out with you. They’ll have all kinds of theories about who you are by tomorrow. A long-lost cousin? A go-go dancer from one of those gay clubs in the big city? My secretlover.”

“A camboy on the run,” I added.

Emory laughed. “Exactly. The wilder the story, the more they’re likely to believe it.”