“Which gives her the excuse she needs to make another trip to the station.” Jared hiked his brow and smirked. “She gets her dish and gets another shot at Shep.”
“Didn’t you notice the apple cobbler was cut up and squished in the corners?” Cooper nudged Mike.
“I just figured that’s the way she did it. Didn’t matter to me. Tasted great,” Jared added. “All this time I was in love with her cooking … You know what, Cap?”
“I’m afraid to ask,” Shep said in a droll tone and kept his eyes on his task.
“If we can get rolls and stuff at the bakery, we don’t need her.”
Shep hiked a brow. “We don’t need her period.”
“Then you’re the one who’s got to tell her to stop coming here.”
“But she brings us food,” Cooper piped up.
“Just marry the woman and put her out of her misery,” Jared told Shep with a shrug.
That did it. Shep looked ready to blow up.
“Who’s getting married?” Laredo’s voice cracked in the room.
“Shep,” Cooper answered. The boy might be young, but he gave as good as he got.
“I’m not—”
“You?! And I’m just now hearing about it?” Laredo’s voice bellowed and his eyes grew big in their sockets.
Mike laughed out loud. That’s what happened when one walked in on the tail end of a conversation. When these guys found a target, the whole gang jumped on the bandwagon.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Shep exclaimed. “Will you guys give me a break? Why don’t you hound Mike about why he was late this morning?”
Thrown to the dogs.
Shep must be flustered. He wouldn’t normally squeal on another guy. The silence in the room was almost deafening. Laredo and Cooper stared at him with puzzled expressions while Jared grinned like the cat that swallowed the canary.
“All right, big guy. Where were you?” Naturally, Laredo had to ask.
“Couldn’t take the heat?” Mike grumbled, glaring at Shep who busied himself with stirring the sauce.
“Come on, Mike,” Cooper cajoled. “We never hear any stories about you.”
“Does this have anything to do with that hot babe at the Mexican restaurant?” Laredo asked with a leering grin.
“Hey man. I saw her first.”
“Down, pup.” Mike turned his glare on Cooper. “You did not see her first, and I’m the one who went over and talked to her.”
Cooper gave him a shit-eating grin, making Mike aware of what he’d just admitted. “So, it is her. The hot blonde.”
“Of course, it’s her,” Jared agreed. “What I want to know is why you were late.”
“Bet you did more than talk.” Cooper grinned like a stupid idiot. If he stood closer, Mike would wallop the kid.
An uncomfortable wave smacked Mike in his gut. He’d had a wonderful night with Cassie and had no intention of enlightening these jugheads.
“Only thing in the world that would make me late would be a wild night of sex,” Jared boasted.
“Did he come in all wet?” Cooper asked.