LITMIR.BIZ

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affected a casual slouch. “Yeah, well obviously if I’d had any friends, which I didn’t, I wouldn’t have brought them home with me. I didn’t like being at my house, so subjecting anyone else to it was out of the question.”

      “You had no friends at all?”

      She didn’t tell him that other kids had ridiculed her. “They didn’t want me around, and I didn’t want to be around them.”

      “I’m sorry.”

      Through a haze of remembered humiliation and learned aggression, she saw the compassion in Quinton’s eyes. It made her stomach churn. She considered making a run for it, but that felt too cowardly.

      Instead, she resorted to more sarcasm. Staring him straight in his sexy green eyes, totally deadpan, she said, “And then my dog died.”

      So much horror filled his gaze that she half laughed and took pity on him. “Ah, buck up, Buttercup. I was just funnin’ you.”

      “Funning me?”

      “I didn’t have a dog, Quinton. In fact, I’ve never had any pet. One kid was more trouble than my parents wanted. No way in hell would they have put up with an animal too.”

      Irritation overrode his earlier emotions. “It’s hardly a joking matter.”

      “You were getting all sappy on me. I thought you were about to cry.”

      He grumbled under his breath, which only made her chuckle again. “It wasn’t all that bad, seriously. I made friends with May, and when you meet her, you’ll see that one friend like May is worth a million others.”

      “A friend is not the same as family.”

      But in this case it was. She shook her head, not about to share that thought aloud. “If you knew my family, you’d know that May is much, much better.”

      He still appeared disgruntled with her, but he let it go to say, “I look forward to making her acquaintance.”

      “So.” She spread her arms out, then let her hands drop onto the table. “You wanted to know why I hadn’t gotten involved with anyone. Now I’ve told you. End of story.”

      While thinking through what she had told him, he toyed with his coffee cup. “That had to have been eight or nine years ago.”

      “Ten. I’m twenty-seven now.”

      His gaze swept up to capture hers. “A long time to hang on to your virginity.” His eyes narrowed. “Are you telling me that in all that time, not a single guy has interested you?”

      “I’ve had a date here and there over the years. But other things took precedence.”

      “Like?”

      Survival. She shook her head, not about to share that with him. “I keep telling you, I’ve been too busy—”

      “So there you are.”

      At the sound of that cantankerous voice, Ashley jerked around and found Denny Zip looming over her.

      She groaned. “Great. Just freaking great.” As an ex-military man, ex-fighter and trainer, and overall bossy forty-seven-year-old hard-ass, Denny made a most impressive sight with impeccable timing. His appearance kept her from saying something maudlin that would make her feel foolish.

      Tall, muscular, and with an air of complete control, Denny turned heads in the diner. He wore a snug tan T-shirt and brown trousers. Through his thinning brown hair, a mean tattoo showed.

      But for Ashley he was a pussycat. A pseudo father, big brother, and knight in shining armor all rolled into one. His best friend, Jude, was marrying her best friend, May. She supposed that accounted for Denny’s weird loyalty and mile-wide protective streak toward her.

      But then Denny’s protectiveness went beyond her. Despite the rough exterior, he was a genuinely nice guy who wanted to take care of anyone smaller, weaker, younger, or older than he was. Ashley adored him, but she’d never told him so. He enjoyed their antagonistic banter too much for her to steal his fun.

      “Excuse me?” Quinton rose out of his seat, his tone courteous but his expression suspicious, bordering on hostile.

      Ashley didn’t know if he intended to challenge Denny, which would be a mistake, or introduce himself.

      Denny defused the motive, whatever it might be, by waving Quinton back down. “Save it, boy. It’s too early for a pissing contest.” And then to her, “Scoot over, girl. I have a bone to pick with you.”

      Scrambling fast so he didn’t end up on her lap, Ashley said, “Gee, Denny, why don’t you join us?”

      “I intend to.” He took her coffee cup and drained it, then, with covetous intent, stared toward her mostly full plate. “You going to eat that?”

      She shoved it toward him. “Help yourself.”

      “Thanks. I’m starving but haven’t had time to eat.”

      Quinton cleared his throat, reminding Ashley that money wasn’t the only thing she lacked. Social niceties had never been her forte, either.

      “Now where have my manners gone?” she asked.

      Around a bite of cold eggs, Denny snorted. “Like you ever had any?” He tipped an imaginary hat toward Quinton. “I’m Denny, a good friend, so don’t let her tell you otherwise.”

      Sweetly, Ashley said, “Now, Denny, what else would I ever call you?”

      His robust laugh showed off a silver tooth before he gave his attention back to a befuddled Quinton. “She calls me a lot of things, but I know she doesn’t mean any of them. It’s her way of showing affection.”

      “So you two are…affectionate?”

      Ashley rolled her eyes. “What are you doing here, Denny?”

      Pointing at Ashley with the fork, he frowned. “When you didn’t show up at your apartment, I started to worry.” To Quinton he added, “Believe me, I can worry with the best of the old biddies. Luckily, I know the places Ash frequents, and her yellow Civic is easy to spot.”

      An affronted breath stuck in Ashley’s throat. “I knew I was being followed.”

      Denny’s interest in the food disappeared, and his teasing fell silent beneath thick menace. Expression volatile, he laid the fork beside the plate and swiveled to face her. “Someone’s been following you?”

      Damn, she had a big mouth. “You,” Ashley reminded him with hope.

      “No.” Food forgotten, he swiped the paper napkin over his mouth and shoved the plate out of his way. “I was at your apartment this morning because it’s possible Elton Pascal was spotted in the area.”

      Oh shit. Elton Pascal. Her skin crawled with the possibilities of that bomb-crazed maniac on the loose. “I figured that nutcase was long gone.”

      Quinton asked, “Who is this?”

      They both ignored him. “I figured he was, too. With the Feds onto him, as well as state and local officials, a smart fellow would’ve hightailed it outta town. But we already know Elton’s not the brightest bulb around.”

      Quinton looked between them. “Who’s Elton?”

      “God.” Ashley dropped her forehead into her hands. “May must be frantic.”

      “May is safe in Jude’s house, which is where you should be if you weren’t such a stubborn cuss. Besides, she was mostly fretting about you. I promised to make sure you’re okay. But I never followed you. By the time I got the news, you were already gone from work.”

      Elton Pascal. Ashley closed her eyes for only a second, then snapped them open again. “It’s nothing, Denny.”

      “Bullshit.” Denny’s graying brows bunched down over shrewd eyes.

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