Page 81 of Lost Hours
Jude got up and went to the printer, then stopped in front of Mina and dropped his statements on the table. “I’m out of here to check in with that friend.”
She looked up at him. “Thank you, and I’m sorry we needed to ask for these.”
He didn’t respond but spun and marched out.
“Guy’s clearly not happy,” Hayden said.
Hayden had been so quiet Mina had almost forgotten he was in the room.
“He’s got thick skin,” Nolan said. “He’ll get over it.”
“Either of you want lunch?” Hayden asked. “We could do delivery.”
“I could eat.” Nolan looked at Mina. “Anything you’re interested in?”
“Fried clams, hush puppies, and fries from the Rusty Hull,” she replied, wanting what she considered comfort foods.
“Sounds good to me too,” Nolan said.
“I’m on board.” Hayden looked down at his computer. “Anything to drink?”
“I’m good.” She held up her water bottle.
He clicked away on his keys, and she started down the listings. She’d heard the budget reviewed at council meetings she’d attended, but these reports gave her a new appreciation for the seemingly unending line of items needed to run a city. Also gave her a frustration over how long it was going to take to get through this stack of papers.
The meal arrived, and Hayden distributed the containers, the contents filled the air with fried goodness. She’d planned to work through it, but Hayden closed his computer and Nolan slid his papers aside. So she moved her reports and lifted a crispy clam to her mouth. She didn’t often allow herself to have fried foods, but was there any better food to eliminate stress? If so, she hadn’t found it.
She bit into the crispy outside and tender inside of a hush puppy and groaned.
“My thoughts exactly.” Hayden shoved the remainder of one into his mouth.
They ate, each obviously enjoying their food, but there was an underlying discomfort that remained in the room.
She searched for a safe topic to bring up to keep them occupied. “So, what’ve you been up to since I last saw you, Hayden?”
“Work. More work.” He shoved several ketchup-tipped french fries into his mouth.
“No girlfriend?”
“Nope. Nothing serious anyway.”
“You seemed pretty interested in Cadence.” She held off biting her fry in wait for his reaction.
“That reporter?” Hayden tilted his head. “Why would you think that?”
“The pair of you were flirting like crazy.” She shoved the crispy fry into her mouth.
“No way.”
“Ah, man,” Nolan said. “She’s not wrong. Not at all.”
Hayden fixed an imposing stare on them. Nolan had told her that the first day he’d met Hayden in the library, the guy had glared at him like this for no apparent reason. But as their study group gathered, he’d given everyone the same look, so Nolan hadn’t taken it personally. She imagined it worked well when Hayden was an Oregon state trooper but otherwise, he could easily intimidate people.
Like right now.
She picked up a fry, swirled it in the ketchup, and changed the subject. “I thought one of the team would be married with kids by now.”
Hayden shrugged. She’d caused him to shut down, and he wasn’t likely to talk for the rest of the meal.
