When he started up the engine, Zoey noticed the time flashing on the Dodge’s dashboard. “I thought you had a diner to open. Aren’t you going to be late?”
“We’re past lunch, and I close between lunch and dinner. A few hours away from the insanity helps me keep my calm. Besides, I need to call Jake and make sure he hasn’t abandoned me for my friend and her far more exciting lifestyle. Ash is a helicopter pilot.”
“Who’s Jake?”
“The cool customer in the sock hat on my screen saver.” Like a proud parent, he tilted his phone her way, showing a black-and-white snout on the cutest border collie in existence. “You should meet sometime. He’s a great listener.”
Her lips curved despite herself. “What do you do when you’re not working?”
“Sometimes I sit out back and read. Sometimes I go home and—” Clearing his throat, Graham glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Mass murder people.”
Zoey groaned. “I said I was sorry.”
“I know, but it’s fun making you say it again.” Chuckling, he turned onto the next street over. “I carve sculptures in my free time, what little of that I have these days. That’s what the chainsaw was for.”
“What were you carving?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“I’m working up the courage to ask why you’re not furious with me.”
As they stopped at a red light, Graham gazed down at her, his tone softening. “Because you were scared, Zoey. I’m not going to hold that against you. Accidents happen.”
The light switched to green, but his eyes swept her features. Biting her lower lip, Zoey stared back, wondering just what she was doing.
A car blared its horn right behind them, jerking her back to reality. Graham glanced in the rearview mirror, frowning. “Damn tourists.”
The moment broken, he pressed on the gas, deliberately driving slower than necessary to aggravate the person behind him.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely. See that little orange sticker in the top corner of their windshield? It means they’re in a rental car. There’s tons of similar things planted all over town so we know who to avoid.”
“And who to mess with?”
A smug expression was his answer. They turned a corner, driving past the Tourist Trap. “See how I don’t have a sign? No one should have known about my place. It was supposed to be locals only. When your town is overrun by tourists, sometimes you just want to get away from them.”
“And yet you keep getting stuck in close quarters with me.”
Graham shook his head. “Who visits Alaska and doesn’t rent a car? We’re not exactly known for how little this state is.”
“Lana said she had a car we could share.” Scrubbing at her forehead with the back of her hand, Zoey refused to look at him. “I’m not stupid, you know. I just thought…”
“She would be a reliable traveling companion?” Graham didn’t seem convinced. “L’s sweet, and she’s got a big heart, but she’s the walking epitome of good intentions, questionable follow-through.”
“Lana isn’t usually this distracted. She’s got an event she’s planning,” Zoey said in her defense.
Graham snorted, unconvinced.
“After today, I’ll probably rent my own car. I didn’t budget for it, but…” She drifted off, unwilling to add that relying on strangers for kindness wasn’t a great transportation plan.
They pulled up to the resort, but Graham set the truck in park a few truck lengths away from the valet station. Turning in his seat, he rested his elbow on the seat back between them.
“That’s twice you’ve let me give you a lift, Zoey. If I didn’t know better, I might think you were sweet on me.”
His waggling eyebrows were so comical, Zoey couldn’t help her small laugh. “Oh, trust me. That’s not anywhere close to what’s happening right now.”
Sighing playfully, Graham rifled through the center console of his truck and pulled out a faded receipt.
“If you decide to get yourself a rental, call this place. They’re local, not all the way back in Anchorage, and my cousin Collin owns the place.” Graham wrote a name on the back of the receipt, handing it to her. “Ask for his wife, Leah. Tell her I sent you, or Collin will add the tourist reverse discount.”
Smiling in gratitude, Zoey stuffed the receipt in her pocket. “Thanks.”
“Hey, Zoey.”
“Yeah?”
“Next time you want me all to yourself, just ask. No need for the violence.”
Stepping out of the truck, Zoey couldn’t help but joke. “Yep, lesson learned.”
He waited until she almost closed the door, then called out, “Hey, Zoey? Zooo-ey.”
“Yes?”
“You really should call me. L’s got my number.”
Zoey shook her head. “I would, but I’m a tourist. Oil and water, local boy. Besides, the melting ice puddle on your pants isn’t the greatest turn-on.”
“I knew I liked you.” He winked at her. “Later, gorgeous.”
As Graham drove away, Zoey sighed. He was all kinds of bad ideas wrapped in far too pretty of a package. Thank goodness her phone didn’t work up here.
Graham Barnett was the kind of call that should never happen.
Chapter 5
Sleep didn’t come easy.
Graham could have blamed it on physical discomfort, but the truth was Zoey’s sweet smile as he dropped her off at the resort wouldn’t leave his thoughts. Interspersed with that pleasant memory was her fingertips gripping the edge of the seat in his truck as if trying not to show him how upset she was after their little trip to lockup together.
And when he closed his eyes, Graham kept seeing her startled—then horrified—expression as she stepped out of the woods right next to him.
Knowing he’d frightened her, even accidentally, stuck in his craw far more than it should.
He’d meant it when he’d told Zoey she should call him, but his instincts told him she wouldn’t. And why should she? So far, her experiences involving him were less than desirable. Graham shouldn’t care. He didn’t care. Tourists rotated in and out of town like luggage on an airport carousel. Except…well…he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
By the time the morning alarm beeped on the nightstand next to Graham’s bed, he’d been up for hours. Normally, he would have used the time to go outside and work. Today, he sat on his porch, idly scratching floppy ears as he watched the ever-present sun rise higher above the mountaintops, brightening pale gray skies to cheerful blues.
“Well, buddy, what do you think? Should I let it go? Move on with my life?”
A lazy tail thump indicated Jake’s agreement.
“Or…”
Placing a paw over his nose, Jake whined. Graham patted the border collie on the head.
“You know me so well. Yeah, you’re probably right, but I’m going to do it anyway.”
Not generally driven by impulse, Graham still found himself heading up a mountain, parking illegally in the staff parking lot, and walking down a familiar hallway in a familiar hotel, hoping he didn’t remember her room number wrong. The clientele in this place rarely appreciated an early morning wake-up call from strangers.
Pausing to reflect on whether this was a terrible idea that might result in further bodily harm, Graham considered his options. Then he rapped on the door with a singsong in his voice. “Good morning! Housekeeping.”
Waiting until the count of three, Graham knocked again, louder this time. “Is there a Zoey in the building? Rise and shine, darlin’.”
“What’s happening?” Groaning loud enough he could hear her through the door, Zoey called to her suitemate. “Lana, I don’t understand what’s happening.”
“Someone’s at the door. Make it stop.” That particular sleepy grumble was Lana.
Heavy footsteps across the plush carpeting of their suite floor accompanied the door opening to reveal his dream girl. Albeit a rumpled, half-asleep version. Nightshirt twisted askew from sleep, hair a fluffy halo about her head, and eyes blinking sleepily through hastily shoved-on glasses that were in danger of falling off the end of her nose. She was perfect.
“Hey there, Zoey Bear. Not an early riser?”
Stuffing her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose, Zoey looked up in confusion. “Graham? What are you doing here? At…how early is it?”
“Six forty-five?” Smiling at her winningly didn’t keep her eyes from widening.
“You’re insane.” She started to close the door.
“Wait, wait. I think you and I started on the wrong foot. Plus, hey, you owe me breakfast. I’m cashing in.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I think you’ve seriously downplayed just how incredibly painful it is to get kicked in the groin. Common courtesy rules say breakfast or at least a light snack is required in said situation. Yesterday, we were both busy, but I’ve got a solid three, three and a half hours before I have to be an adult today. What do you say?”
Zoey groaned. “I’m sure you’ll live. I’m going back to bed.”
This wasn’t going as well as he’d hoped. Time to up his game.
“I’m peeing blood, Zo. And I did keep you from serving hard time. Doesn’t that score me any points?”
Long lashes brushed her glasses as her eyes dropped down instinctively. An adorable blush filled her cheeks as she jerked them back up again. “You need to get checked out.”
“Naw, I’m good.”
“You just said you aren’t good.”
Chuckling, Graham stuffed his hands in his pockets, slouching his shoulders so he wasn’t towering over her. “I’ll live. No pressure, but I’d really like to buy you a cup of coffee.”