“Why don’t you go and eat, then?”
“I’m waiting for someone.”
“Like a date?” Nancy perked up. Evan belatedly remembered that she was an even worse gossip than he was and knew everyone in the valley.
He gave her the eye. “Like I’d tell you if I was.”
“Man, I thought you Millers had run out of women around here.”
“I’ve never dated you,” Evan pointed out.
Nancy smiled sweetly. “That’s because I haven’t asked you. I prefer my men older and less responsible than you’ll ever be.”
“So, you’re saying I’m boring?”
Nancy considered him, her head on one side. “You’re . . . ‘okay.’”
“Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence.” Evan checked his cell again. “I’ll have another beer when you’re ready.”
“Make that two.”
He swung around to see that Josie was standing right behind him. She’d left her hair loose and wore an embroidered white shirt, jeans, and flowery cowboy boots. Her lipstick was as red as the roses on her shirt and her boots. Even as he smiled at her, Evan couldn’t help but wonder how much of his conversation with Nancy she’d overheard.
“You came.” Evan pulled out the barstool next to his.
“I said I would.” She hesitated as she climbed onto the seat. “I forgot to ask you for your cell number.”
Nancy handed them both a beer and went to help another customer. Evan lowered his voice. “Does that mean you wouldn’t have come if you’d had it?”
She sighed. “I don’t know. I could’ve gotten it from Ines if I’d really wanted to. I guess I’m worried about sticking my nose into your business and screwing things up.”
“I like your nose,” Evan said encouragingly.
Her lips twitched. “You’re incorrigible.”
“I don’t know what that means, but it sounds good.” He gestured toward the diner. “Have you eaten yet?”
“Yes, but I could always go for some dessert.”
“Great, because I’m starving.” Evan got down and offered her his hand. “I left before dinner so my dad wouldn’t give me the third degree.”
“Ines said he’s a hard man.” Josie didn’t let go of his hand as they walked through to the diner and Evan was totally okay with that.
“He’s stubborn, opinionated, and a complete pain in the ass,” Evan confirmed. “But sometimes even if his mouth is still going off at you, his heart is in the right place.”
As the youngest of the Miller boys, Evan knew that compared to his older brothers he’d gotten off lightly with their dad and none of them let him forget it.
Sonali Patel was just coming out of the kitchen and smiled when she saw Evan.
“Hey! Do you want a table?”
“Yes, please.”
“Where’s Danny this evening?” Sonali asked as she gave them menus and set tall glasses of ice water on the table.
“He’s . . . in Vegas.”
“Really?” Sonali’s eyebrows rose. “I saw him the other day and he didn’t mention he was going on a trip.”
“I don’t think he planned it that far ahead.”
Evan tried desperately to be noncommittal, which wasn’t his strong point. As far as he knew, no one in Morgan Valley was aware of the marriage, apart from the Millers and hopefully the McDonalds.
Luckily, someone else claimed Sonali’s attention. Evan picked up his menu and used it as camouflage until Josie tapped on the front.
“You hiding in there?”
He lowered the menu. “Not from you.”
“From Sonali? Is she sweet on your brother?”
“I damn well hope not, seeing as he just eloped to Vegas with Faith McDonald.”
Josie’s mouth formed a perfect O and Evan groaned.
“Don’t tell anyone I said that, okay? It’s still a secret.”
“I have no one to tell except Ines.” Josie moved her water to one side and unwrapped her silverware from the paper napkin. “Your secret is safe with me.”
Evan shoved a hand through his hair. “My family are right. I blab out everything.”
“Maybe that’s better than being a professional liar. I’ve met way too many of those in my line of work.” Josie’s mouth twisted. “A dose of the truth is quite refreshing, actually.”
“Danny told me I was getting too old to just throw stuff out there without a thought for the consequences.” Evan grimaced, aware that he was doing it again but already confident that Josie wouldn’t mind. “I mean, there should be some limits, right?”
“I guess.” Josie didn’t look convinced. “I’d still rather get the truth than the lie though.”
“I hurt him,” Evan said slowly. “I was trying to protect him, and I got a lot of things wrong and interfered when I should have kept my mouth shut.”
Josie reached over and took his hand, her brown eyes full of sympathy. “But he’s your brother, right? He’ll forgive you.”
“I hope so. I did apologize.”
“Then everything will be okay.”
Evan wished he had her confidence. Part of his current feeling of being off-balance came from his fight with Danny. They’d stuck together through their parents’ acrimonious divorce and supported each other against their older siblings. Danny was Evan’s best friend, and he wasn’t sure how to go on without that certainty in his life. But did Danny even need him anymore when he had Faith?
Sonali appeared, her tablet in hand. “Now, what can I get you two to eat?”
“What do you recommend?” Josie asked.
“The beef, obviously—it’s organic and locally sourced as are our vegetables. But we’ve also got a great coconut shrimp special.” Sonali looked expectantly at Josie.
“I’ll try that,” Josie said.
“It comes with either rice or fries or macaroni salad.”
“I thought you were only having dessert?” Evan intervened in the discussion.
“I changed my mind.” Josie grinned at him and then turned back to Sonali. “I’ll have the rice, please.”
“I’ll have the same as Josie, but with fries,” Evan said. “Thanks, Sonali.”
“You’re welcome.” She turned back to the kitchen.
Evan held out his beer bottle. “Cheers.”
She clinked hers against his. “Felicidades. Now, how about you tell me one of the things on your list?”
“You don’t want to start?”
“Nah, it was your idea so you should definitely go first,” Josie encouraged him.
Evan pulled out his phone, ignoring the all-caps text from his dad, and opened notes. “I haven’t prioritized them yet.”
“Okay, so maybe start with an achievable goal?” She looked at him expectantly.
He scrolled through his options. “I want to get a tattoo.”
She blinked at him and he frowned. “What’s wrong with that?”
“I thought everyone had tattoos,” Josie said.
“Like where would I get one around here?” Evan asked. “I suppose I could’ve asked my dad to brand me on the ass while he was doing the rest of the herd, but somehow it didn’t appeal.”