Page 5 (1/2)

Author: Robyn Carr

"You got it Side of beans?"

"Pass Toast, please And are there any home fries back there that Stu hasn’t burned yet?"

"Tell you what, because it’s you, I’ll flip ’eets his hands on ’em, they’ll be charred"

"You are a queen," he said

When Gina took Laine’s empty plate and turned to leave, Laine asked Eric, "You’re here every day?"

He shook his head "Alh If not for Gina, I’d live on coffee and Pop-Tarts"

"Is that so?"

"I’ht the service station and there was soit under a new banner after a re in the Coastline, which makes the Motel 6 look like a five-star luxury resort One of these days I have to get serious about a house or apart to work"

"A car man who likes to walk"

"I have plenty of other places to drive Even though we’re operating at full speed, I’ the station The previous owner didn’t do any body work, and that takes space I have a pretty large classic-car clientele" He took a sip of coffee "What do you do, Laine?"

"Shoulder exercises," she said "I had shoulder surgery about three o and it’s a lot better, but I’m not there yet I decided to take a leave from work and try a new landscape"

"So you don’t work at all?"

"I’ it I just did research--you know, boring stuff Data, statistics, background checks, tax records, that kind of stuff"

"For a big coest corinned at hihed "I know I’ood at it But if anyone from my old department calls me and asks for a hand, they have to clock me in, pay me in comp time I did a little math--I think I can turn a few months of rehab and vacation into a year off with a view just by doing a little off-site work froed websites and she hardly ever left the coirl, I can tell you that I have no trouble walking away fro the headquartersanyone I really didn’t love supervising or training coht co the next year"

With an elbow on the counter, Eric leaned his head into his hand "How are you with a wrench?"

"Better than you think"

Gina brought his breakfast

"I’ll let you eat," Laine said "I’ll bring my car over one day this week"

"Great," he said And he watched her walk out the door

When he turned back, Gina was staring at him "Did you ask her out?"

"Of course not"

"Why not?" she asked "You obviously want to"

He picked up his fork "You don’t know that," he said, then shoveled eggs into his reen eyes of yours lit up when you saw her sitting at the counter"

He sed "I can still appreciate a good-looking woman," he said "But I’m very busy these days"

"You shouldmeals at the diner"

"Well, I’ to you about that possibility since you and I wereyou knoe were Involved"

She laughed and her eyes twinkled "We were involved for about teeks and I hope you don’t take this too hard, but I’m coo"

He ate s "It was more than teeks"

"Not much more"

"And I’m over you, too"

"Good to know Sohow about Laine?"

"Bugger off," he said