Free Wrong Way Renee by Wynter Daniels Page B

” She raised her eyebrows.
    “I ca n spot a romantic a mile away.”
    Her stomach flipped. “I am a romantic. And obviously, you're one too. So, tell me a ll about yourself, Joe Morton.”
    He met her gaze and the air between them sizzled with the electricity of mutual desire . “There's not much to tell. I'm a boring guy. I go to work, catch a few bad guys, help out a damsel in distress or two, then go home and watch a basebal l game while I eat cold pizza.”
    “Oh, come on. Where are you fr om? Tell me about your family.” As she asked the question, she realized her family wouldn’t approve of her dating a cop. Her mother was a snob who wasn’t even aware that she looked down upon anyone who worked a blue collar job.
    “Okay. I was born in Indiana, an only child. We moved here when I was in Junior High because my father was offered a good job a t Disney World painting murals.”
    “Ah, a n artist .”
    “ He’s a fine one, still is, although he's retired now. ” His eyes darkened. “My mother died of breast cancer when I was in high school. ”
    Her chest tightened at the pain etched in his expression. She took his hand across the table. “I'm so sorry.”
    “Thanks. My dad remarried a few years ago. She's very nice, my step mother . Anyway, I graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in Criminal Justice and was hired immediately with the sheriff's offic e. I've been there nine years.”
    “Ever been married? ” She raised an eyebrow, hoping she wouldn't hear about an ex-wife and children.
    “Nope.”
    Good. “Any old girlfriends lurking about? ”
    “What is this, the third degree? ” He chuckled. “I was engaged once. She broke my heart and it took me two years to even ask a w oman out on a date since then.”
    “How long has it been since your fiancée broke it o ff?”
    “Two years.”
    “So I'm … ” A lump formed in her throat.
    “Yup. ” He pushed the saltshaker around the table.
    “I'm flattered. ”
    The waitres s arrived to take their order. After she left, Joe reached across the table and gestured for her hand. When she gave it to him, he rewarded her with that sexy grin. “You have beautiful hair. ” Thick silence hung in the air for a few seconds until he spoke again. “ T ell me about your salon.”
    She relaxed a little at the less personal subject. “It's called Hair Affair and it's on Elm Street. If you get a bad haircut there, you can say you had a nightmare on Elm Street. ”
    “Ha. I bet you don't tell that one to the patrons. Pretty cool to be so young and already have your own business. H ow many peo ple do you have working there?”
    “My partner, Becky Weiss, the one you met at Jordan's, is a hairdresser. We have one other right now, Zoey. She's been there about a month now. Our last hairdresser walked out right in the middle of a perm. What a nut case. Then we have one other nail tech, beside me. Her name is Chantelle . She's about forty, divorced. Does good nails. I'd like to find another hairdresser or two. ” She liked that he seemed interested in her business.
    “How many can you accommodate?”
    “Two more. We have four stations. If we can find two, I'm going to see if Becky will agree to hire a receptionist for the busi est days, Friday and Saturday.”
    “Okay. Now I know what you do for work. What do you do for fun?”
    “Hmm. I told you I paint. I shop, you know about that one, too. ” She rolled her eyes. “I do lunch with my girlfriends. Although I haven't been for a while, I love going to the beach. Especially at night. ” She thought about how romantic it would be to take a walk on the beach with him .
    The intensity of his stare set her heart pounding. Had he been thinking the same thing? When the salads arrived, they took a break from the conversation.
    Sh e broke off a piece of garlic bread, held it in her hand and wondered if she should eat it. She didn't want to have garlic breath in case he wanted to kiss her good