Officer Willis who’s kindly paid for
your new security? He your guy?” Cole asked.
“My guy? No! I don’t have a guy. Listen, about the
kiss yesterday. It was just a thing, you know, just because you
were really nice, and I just wanted to see what it would be like. I
mean, it wasn’t a prologue to anything,” Robyn explained, shifting
awkwardly from one foot to the other.
“Sure, I get it,” Cole responded, watching her.
“Cool. I mean, not that it wasn’t great or anything,
because it was…”
What had it been? She didn’t know. Her big mouth had
called him to a halt, and then she’d just kissed him, without
warning. She’d done some pretty out there things before but never
that.
“It was…” Cole prodded, waiting for her to finish her
sentence.
She was blushing now. A whole, full-on body blush
like someone had caught her in her underwear, dancing to
Madonna.
“To be honest, I get girls on planes kissing me all
the time. I think it’s customary, actually,” Cole said, easing the
tension.
“It is! You’re right, I read it somewhere,” Robyn
replied gratefully.
“So, Officer Willis…”
“Yes, Brad. He’s an old friend, you’ll see him
tonight at the arena. He plays for the Panthers. I’ll pay him back
for the alarm. I have money. I just need to get to the bank.
Anyway, soon I’ll be making a profit here, won’t I?” Robyn said as
she carefully peeled the label from her beer bottle so she had
something to write on.
“I like your optimism,” Cole replied.
“You being funny?” Robyn asked, returning to her
seat.
“No, I wasn’t. I meant it. It’s good to have a
project,” Cole answered.
“Yeah? And what’s yours?”
“At the moment, I’m trying to find a cure for
cancer,” Cole said straight-faced.
Robyn looked up at him, waiting for the smile and the
laughter as he admitted to the joke. It wasn’t forthcoming. In
fact, she had never seen him look more serious. It was like a
thought or a memory had come into his head and taken over.
“That’s what I do…at Gen-All Pharmaceutical,” he
added.
She watched him nod, and then he cleared his throat,
almost nervously.
“But hey, running a roadhouse sounds much more fun.
Bands. You need to book some bands,” Cole said quickly, pointing to
the list Robyn was compiling.
“You’re really clever, aren’t you? No wonder girls
are kissing you any chance they get,” Robyn said, locking eyes with
him.
“You’ll need furniture,” Cole added, gazing back at
her.
“Yep, furniture. I’m going to need new tables and
chairs,” Robyn said, writing it down.
“And a TV, there’s no TV in here. You need to show
sports.”
“Mr. Ryan, may I officially make you the first member
of Team Matthers?” Robyn asked him.
“Definitely, count me in,” he answered with a
smile.
He’d told her what he did. Actually told someone what
he really wanted to achieve. She obviously thought he was crazy,
but she hadn’t laughed out loud. In fact, she had looked at him as
if she could see right inside him. She was so different. She always
spoke before she thought about what she was going to say. She was
honest too and, if he was honest, he was disappointed the kiss
wasn’t a prologue to anything. Not that he was looking for anything
serious. A few months had gone by but, well, it was too soon to
think about anything else, wasn’t it? Besides, he had work to do.
He didn’t have the time or the headspace to get involved in
anything else. Look at what had happened the last time he had let
someone in.
She was cute though.
Chapter Nine
“So, honey how was your day?” Pam asked.
It was six p.m., and Pam, Bob, Robyn, and the twins
were all seated around the dining room table behind mountainous
portions of meatball stew. Robyn wasn’t sure whether to try and eat
it or climb it. The twins sat opposite her, swinging their legs and
catching her shin any chance they got.
“Good. I’ve got two decorating firms coming to
your new security? He your guy?” Cole asked.
“My guy? No! I don’t have a guy. Listen, about the
kiss yesterday. It was just a thing, you know, just because you
were really nice, and I just wanted to see what it would be like. I
mean, it wasn’t a prologue to anything,” Robyn explained, shifting
awkwardly from one foot to the other.
“Sure, I get it,” Cole responded, watching her.
“Cool. I mean, not that it wasn’t great or anything,
because it was…”
What had it been? She didn’t know. Her big mouth had
called him to a halt, and then she’d just kissed him, without
warning. She’d done some pretty out there things before but never
that.
“It was…” Cole prodded, waiting for her to finish her
sentence.
She was blushing now. A whole, full-on body blush
like someone had caught her in her underwear, dancing to
Madonna.
“To be honest, I get girls on planes kissing me all
the time. I think it’s customary, actually,” Cole said, easing the
tension.
“It is! You’re right, I read it somewhere,” Robyn
replied gratefully.
“So, Officer Willis…”
“Yes, Brad. He’s an old friend, you’ll see him
tonight at the arena. He plays for the Panthers. I’ll pay him back
for the alarm. I have money. I just need to get to the bank.
Anyway, soon I’ll be making a profit here, won’t I?” Robyn said as
she carefully peeled the label from her beer bottle so she had
something to write on.
“I like your optimism,” Cole replied.
“You being funny?” Robyn asked, returning to her
seat.
“No, I wasn’t. I meant it. It’s good to have a
project,” Cole answered.
“Yeah? And what’s yours?”
“At the moment, I’m trying to find a cure for
cancer,” Cole said straight-faced.
Robyn looked up at him, waiting for the smile and the
laughter as he admitted to the joke. It wasn’t forthcoming. In
fact, she had never seen him look more serious. It was like a
thought or a memory had come into his head and taken over.
“That’s what I do…at Gen-All Pharmaceutical,” he
added.
She watched him nod, and then he cleared his throat,
almost nervously.
“But hey, running a roadhouse sounds much more fun.
Bands. You need to book some bands,” Cole said quickly, pointing to
the list Robyn was compiling.
“You’re really clever, aren’t you? No wonder girls
are kissing you any chance they get,” Robyn said, locking eyes with
him.
“You’ll need furniture,” Cole added, gazing back at
her.
“Yep, furniture. I’m going to need new tables and
chairs,” Robyn said, writing it down.
“And a TV, there’s no TV in here. You need to show
sports.”
“Mr. Ryan, may I officially make you the first member
of Team Matthers?” Robyn asked him.
“Definitely, count me in,” he answered with a
smile.
He’d told her what he did. Actually told someone what
he really wanted to achieve. She obviously thought he was crazy,
but she hadn’t laughed out loud. In fact, she had looked at him as
if she could see right inside him. She was so different. She always
spoke before she thought about what she was going to say. She was
honest too and, if he was honest, he was disappointed the kiss
wasn’t a prologue to anything. Not that he was looking for anything
serious. A few months had gone by but, well, it was too soon to
think about anything else, wasn’t it? Besides, he had work to do.
He didn’t have the time or the headspace to get involved in
anything else. Look at what had happened the last time he had let
someone in.
She was cute though.
Chapter Nine
“So, honey how was your day?” Pam asked.
It was six p.m., and Pam, Bob, Robyn, and the twins
were all seated around the dining room table behind mountainous
portions of meatball stew. Robyn wasn’t sure whether to try and eat
it or climb it. The twins sat opposite her, swinging their legs and
catching her shin any chance they got.
“Good. I’ve got two decorating firms coming to
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