Page 2 of Queen of Diamonds

The waitress came to their table, and Kinsey ordered coffee, scrambled eggs, and wheat toast. Aiden went for the hungry man’s breakfast with extra bacon.

“Jeez, Aiden, clogged arteries much?” she said after the waitress left.

“Growing boy here.” He leaned back against the booth, spreading his arms along the top. “Okay, let’s hear your long story.”

“Read this,” she said, handing Aiden her mother’s letter. As she watched his eyes scan the pages, she wondered why there had never been a sexual attraction between them. Oh, he had flirted outrageously when she’d first started tutoring him, but she’d quickly figured out that flirting was a part of his DNA. It hadn’t taken long, though, for them to settle into a friendship, and he now saw her as an adopted sister that he had to watch over. Which was ridiculous, as she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

“Wow,” he said, lifting his eyes to hers. “Are you going to try to find them?”

“I already have. They’re owners of a biker bar here in Miami.” At his raised eyebrows, she sighed. “Yeah, I know. Probably not the kind of men I want in my life, but I need to satisfy my curiosity.”

“How long have you had this?” He waved the letter in front of her.

“A year.” She reached over and snatched it away.

“And you’re just now getting around to telling me?”

She’d known that was coming. It was the first time she’d shared the contents of the letter with anyone. The waitress delivered their breakfast, and she waited for the woman to leave before answering.

“I can’t believe you’re going to eat all that,” she said, eyeing the pile of food in front of him.

He pointed his fork at her. “Stop evading my question. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I needed time to let it sink in and decide what I was going to do. But that’s not the important thing. What are you doing Friday night?”

“Going to a biker bar?”