While he waited for Tucker to pull in, he stretched his back, which was tight after hours in the Jeep. He’d need more than some basic stretching that night if he wanted to sleep. Exercise followed by the hotel’s hot tub sounded like a good prescription for getting rid of not only his sore muscles but also the tension that had plagued him ever since Rosalind had given him this assignment. The day spent with only Tucker hadn’t helped any, especially with him showing compassion and concern. Damn it. He didn’t want conflicting feelings where Tucker was concerned. Frustration was much easier to deal with.
“Hey. You found it okay?” Tucker exited a dark blue SUV with bumper stickers promoting the Painter’s Ridge Football Boosters and the high school’s honor society. The large vehicle looked particularly suited to hauling half a soccer team and dwarfed Luis’s little compact.
“Yeah. Which twin got Heidi’s brains?” Gesturing at the academic brag bumper sticker, he managed the joke easily, which boded well for him surviving this outing.
“Walker. They both play football, but Walker’s the one with the grades. He’s wanted to be a marine biologist since he was seven and we took him to the aquarium on the coast. Wade...” Tucker laughed, that sort of fond paternal chuckle Luis’s brothers did well, and shook his head. “It’s a shame Wade’s not taller. Pro football’s probably not happening. Maybe college ball. But I’m not sure that my asserting that he’ll need a major is getting through.”
“Maybe he’ll get a decent college coach.” Luis followed Tucker up the sidewalk toward the restaurant’s doors. It was a low building with the sort of faux log cabin styling popular around these parts. They were a little early for the dinner rush, but the air still carried hints of sizzling meat. “Raul went to USC on a baseball scholarship, but an assistant coach talked him into getting serious about his business major. Now he’s got an MBA, three cell phones, and enough underlings to make my head spin. Doubt anyone would have predicted that back in high school. Bet your kid will be the same way.”
“Hope so. God knows he’s not listening to me.” Tucker paused as they reached the host, a fresh-faced young guy with two earrings, something Luis wasn’t used to around this area. Maybe times truly were changing here too. The host led them to a back booth by a window. The woodsy, vaguely Western theme continued for the restaurant’s interior—lots of pale wood and sepia-toned ranching pictures with oversize leather booths dominating the space.
“You still eat meat, right?” Tucker asked as they opened their glossy menus.
“Yes, Tucker. I still eat meat.” Taking advantage of the chance for a joke, Luis added a wink, which made Tucker’s cheeks darken. “Everything in moderation. Including beer.”
He didn’t imbibe all that often, but if he was going to survive any sort of real conversation with Tucker, he might need it.
“Good idea.” Tucker nodded sharply, like he too wouldn’t mind some fortifying. They each ordered a local IPA when the server, a near-clone of the host, arrived at their table with water. Tucker got short ribs with mashed potatoes, while Luis ordered an intriguing portobello mushroom and steak salad with a side of sriracha cauliflower just to watch Tucker’s face at his selections. His wide eyes lingered even after the server disappeared again.
“Man. Wade would love you...” Tucker trailed off, seeming to realize how unlikely it was that Luis would ever meet the kid.
“I’m going to make you try a piece just to have a story to tell him,” he threatened, enjoying this a little too much. Probably inching too close to flirting, but banter like this felt so much better than constantly being on the defensive.
“Fine. They do dessert hand pies here with in-season berries that are totally worth the sugar splurge. You taste that and I’ll have a bite of the cauliflower.”
“Deal.” Their eyes met across the table, mid-laugh, Tucker’s eyes still twinkling, and Luis’s next breath caught. Damn. It really was too easy to fall right back into old habits. Basking in Tucker’s presence was so simple—and dangerous. And something in his expression must have given him away, because the light gradually faded from Tucker’s eyes, replaced by a frown.
“What’s wrong?” Tucker asked as their beers arrived.
“Nothing.” Luis sighed then because that wasn’t the truth, and they both knew it. “I guess...it’s just weird. Being here with you. Talking.”
“Yeah, it is strange, that’s for sure.” Tucker fiddled with the coaster. “Honestly, never expected to see you again.”
“Totally. After all these years, it’s just...”
“Weird,” they said in unison, and somehow, that connection between their brains relaxed Luis more, made it easier to speak the truth.
“I spent a lot of years mad at you, even though I knew rationally that the anger wasn’t justified. And yeah, I know it probably went both ways as far as pissed off goes.”