Page 25 of Spiritwarrior (The Colemans’ Legacy #2)

Chapter Twenty-Four

“ Y ou mind making a couple of those sandwiches for me?” Jody asked.

Sophie looked up from the prep table. “Not at all. What do you want on them?”

“Everything but onions, and the pickled peppers.”

Blushing at the wink Jody gave her, she went back to wrapping the sandwiches she had made for Joel and her.

“How many would you like?”

“Just two.”

“You don’t want to check with your date what she would like on her sandwich?”

“No need. Both sandwiches are for me. I’m going with the family. Ginny and Alanna are both packing coolers, but I want to take extra for me. My brothers won’t hesitate to eat mine if I’m late.”

Sophie didn’t ask herself why she was much happier making the sandwiches for Jody after hearing he wasn’t taking a date.

“What time is Joel picking you up?”

“At six.” Sophie finished wrapping Jody’s sandwiches. “Want me to put them in the fridge?”

“Yes, please. I left my cooler in my truck. I’ll take the sandwiches when I leave.”

Logan poked his head through the door. “You mind if I leave, Sophie? My dad is here to pick me up.”

“Of course. Have fun tonight.” Sophie smiled as Logan left.

She really liked Logan. He was a sweet kid. He was very introverted, so she sympathized with him, as she had been an introvert at his age, also. It had taken her years to come out of her shell. If not for a friend of hers, she didn’t think she would have.

“I want to get changed. Would you mind watching the restaurant while I do that?”

Jody handed her a hamburger plate. “Go ahead. I’m all caught up until someone comes in. When you get done, I need to get changed, too.”

“Deal.”

In the bathroom, she changed into a new pair of jeans that she had splurged on in a regular department store. Carefully removing a sweater from her duffle bag, she pulled it on. She had recognized the designer label when she saw it in the thrift store. It was rose-colored, and she had fallen in love with it when she had seen it on one of the tables. She hated to put her sensible shoes back on, but she still had another half an hour before she could close the restaurant. Applying the minimum of makeup, which Ginny had generously supplied, she lightly put on a foundation then brushed on some blush. When she was satisfied, she rolled on some mascara before putting her glasses back on.

“I guess this is the best you’re going to get.”

She zipped her duffle bag and left the restroom to find Jody mumbling to himself again, wondering if she should start to be concerned about the amounts of times she found him speaking to no one. She decided to let it go figuring it must be a strange habit Jody had. Hell, she was known to talk to herself from time to time as well.

“Your turn.” While sliding the bag under the counter, she was aware of Jody’s assessing gaze as he slid his own bag out from under the counter.

Sophie rolled silverware, waiting for the minutes to click by. She was putting the utensils away when Jody came out of the restroom.

Struck speechless, she was terrified she had swallowed her tongue when he bent next to her to put his bag away. Then the faint hint of his cologne only heightened her awareness of him.

Moving away from him, she started closing the register to give herself breathing room. If she stayed close to him, she wouldn’t be able to keep from rubbing against him, begging to be stroked.

She couldn’t blame women who came to the restaurant, constantly seeking his attention.

“I guess I’ll take off, unless you need me to do something for you?”

She did, but nothing she would let him do unless she wanted to end up a basket case like Baylin.

“No, I’m good. Have fun tonight.”

“You, too.”

Thankfully, she was able to hold on to her restraint until Jody left.

When he had walked out of the restroom dressed in nice jeans lovingly hugging his body, her reaction had almost slipped under her guard. The black sweater molded to his upper body, except around the neck, where the turtleneck was bunched like a thick gray scarf. He slayed.

It just wasn’t fair that Jody could be that good looking and confident enough to wear a stylish sweater that not many men would be able to pull off.

As she was closing the register, she saw Joel crossing the street.

She went into the kitchen to grab the sandwiches out of the fridge, when the sight of Jody’s sandwiches still there made her realize he had forgotten them. Taking them out, she went back out front.

She was pulling out her purse from under the counter when Joel came inside, carrying a cooler.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.” Sophie glanced down at the cooler. “I made sandwiches.”

Joel’s eyebrows arched. “That’s a lot of sandwiches.”

“They aren’t all for us. Jody accidentally left his behind. I thought if we see him, we could give them to him.”

“Accidentally? Sure, we can do that.” Joel didn’t sound happy.

“Is there a problem? I thought you and Jody are friends?”

“Jody and I have never had a problem before.”

“Before? Did something change? Jody said you play video games together.”

He gave her a half-smile. “Neither of us is used to losing.”

Her expression cleared. “I see. Which one of you lost?”

Joel placed the sandwiches in the cooler. “No one yet. The game is ongoing.”

“It must be a heck of a game.” Picking up her purse, she came around the corner.

Joel had changed out of his uniform and was wearing a dark green button-down shirt and black jeans. He looked extremely attractive. The short sleeves of his shirt highlighted his muscles. Typically, she was more attracted to men who looked like Joel. He didn’t have the perfection of Jody’s features, nor was he as big as Jody. Joel would be a quarterback, while Jody would crush anyone in his path.

Both types wouldn’t have given her a second glance. She was flattered that Joel had asked her to go to the music festival, yet she couldn’t help wondering: why?

Deciding to just enjoy the night, she let the thought slip away. Did it really matter why Joel had asked her out? She didn’t want to overthink his intentions. It was just a date.

She locked the restaurant, and Joel escorted her to his car. When he held the door for her, she slid inside. Then Joel placed the cooler in the trunk while she put on her seat belt.

“Is the festival going to be crowded?” she asked once he pulled out onto the road.

“Everyone in Treepoint will be there.”

“You didn’t have to work?”

“No, I worked all the Christmas holidays. Greer is stuck having to work tonight.”

Sophie didn’t miss the satisfaction in his voice.

“Do you and Greer get along?”

“Put it this way—no.”

Sophie laughed. “I have to admit, he takes getting used to.”

Joel made a scoffing sound. “No one gets used to Greer; they just get tired and give in to him. Everyone in town jokes that he’s going to live forever because when Death comes for him, Death will leave him behind because he doesn’t want him in the afterlife.”

She was wiping tears of laughter away when Joel found a parking spot. He hadn’t been joking—the park was filled. The colorful array of blankets on the ground and the different-colored food carts had her itching to get out of the car. When was the last time she had done anything just for fun?

Getting out of the car when Joel opened the door for her, she blushed under Joel’s appreciative gaze. He made her feel va-va, and by the end of the night, she hoped he lowered the voom on her, she inwardly cracked the joke.

If there was one guy in town who could keep her from making a fool out of herself, it was Joel. She wasn’t na?ve; she could see he was as much a player as Jody. There was one key detail that had her overlooking his past, though.

She wouldn’t have to enter a rehab center to break her addiction to Joel, whereas she would with Jody. Catnip was addictive.