Honor (Heroes of Big Sky 0.50)

“Okay, it’s pretty damn good.”

I nod in satisfaction. “Have you had their Italian nachos? We have to get them next time. I can’t believe I forgot them.”

“I’m going to gain fifty pounds,” he mumbles.

“Nah, we’ll just eat like this once a week. As a treat. I’m all about healthy meals the rest of the time, I promise. Except I have one very firm rule. And I will not bend it.”

“I can’t wait to hear this,” he says, his voice heavily laced with sarcasm.

“If I make tacos, and I will make tacos, we have margaritas with said meal. That is not up for discussion.”

His lips twitch. I almost got a smile out of him!

“I can live with that.”

“Good.” I set my empty plate aside. “I’ll make a grocery list tonight and leave it on the counter. Just add whatever you want to it.”

“I’ll go to the store with you.”

“That’s fine, too.” I sit back and pull my sock-clad feet up under me. “Oh my God, I’m full of carbs, and this fire is amazing. I could fall asleep.”

“Don’t. I can’t carry you upstairs.”

I smile at him. “Don’t worry. I won’t. Although, I’ve always been able to sleep anywhere. The car, the plane, the floor.”

“Not me,” he says. Just when I think he’s going to say more, he picks up his tablet and turns it back on.

I guess we won’t be chatting it up late into the night. Nick’s a man of few words, that’s for sure. I wonder if that’s with everyone, or just me.

Without another word, I carry our dirty dishes into the kitchen. I clean up, store the leftovers in the fridge, and start the dishwasher.

Then, I take the magnetic to-do pad off the fridge and start making my grocery list. I search the contents of the kitchen and discover that I’m pretty much starting from scratch.

Which is actually kind of fun. I’m sure I’ll forget something, but luckily, the store isn’t far away.

I shoot Nina a text, letting her know that I’ll be breaking the bank on groceries tomorrow. The fact that I have a princess’s phone number is still a foreign concept to me.

The whole situation is nuts.

But I’m home, and I have a job. That’s really all that matters.

Chapter 2

~Nick~

“I won’t eat that.” I take the sugary strawberry jam out of the cart and put it back on the shelf.

“Good, more for me.” Jordan smiles sweetly and retrieves the jam, putting it back in the basket. “I like it on my English muffins in the morning.”

“You have quite the sweet tooth.”

“Yeah, it’s a good thing I run about five miles a day.”

She pushes the cart, and I follow a few steps behind, doing my best not to stare at her firm, tight ass.

Okay, I’m not doing my best. I’ve looked at least four times already. Jordan’s not the male nurse I was expecting. Instead, she’s this compact, gorgeous little ray of sunshine, with her golden blond hair and bright smile. Not to mention, her green eyes would likely stop traffic in Times Square. If it were anyone else, her optimistic happiness would get on my bloody nerves.

But so far, all she’s done is lighten my mood, which is unexpected, to say the least. I was ready to throw her out on her ass yesterday.

And today, I want to throw her out for completely different reasons.

Because keeping my hands to myself is going to be a test of wills that I’m not sure I can win.

Maybe it’s been too long since I last got laid.

I think back over the previous year, trying to remember when it was. If I’m not mistaken, it wasn’t in the last year at all.

That’s fucking pathetic.

“Nick?”

“What?”

“Corn or flour?” Jordan holds up some taco shells. “Which one do you prefer?”

“Corn.”

She throws both packages of shells into the cart.

“If you were going to buy both, why did you ask?”

“Because if you’d said flour, I would have only bought one.”

She tosses her scarf over her shoulder with a sassy flip and turns out of the aisle, running straight into another cart.

“Oh, crap!” she exclaims. Then, to my amazement, she squeals and runs to the other woman to hug her tightly. “Oh my gosh, it’s so good to see you!”

“I didn’t know you were back,” the brunette says as she pulls away. “Are you here with Jeremy?”

“No,” Jordan says immediately, shaking her head. “Fresh start.”

“Ah, gotcha.” The other woman turns to me with a curious smile. “Hi. I’m Sidney.”

“Sorry,” Jordan says and gestures to me. “This is Nick. He’s a…friend. Nick, this is my cousin, Sidney.”

“Nice to meet you,” I reply with a nod.

“Let’s get together before Christmas,” Sidney says to Jordan. “You can fill me in on things.”

“Sounds great. I’ll text you.”

They hug once more, and then we’re off again, Jordan filling the basket with more food than I’ll likely eat in a month.