Belying his words, Ted grabbed his previously forgotten coffee and half-eaten homemade Danish, and strode slowly past Cade, glaring the whole way. And just to prove he wasn’t intimidated, Ted slammed Cade’s shoulder with his own and grinned as if he’d won some major coup before ambling to the door with his chuckling buddy JR and the rest of his pack right behind him.
The whole place seemed to sigh when the door swung closed behind them.
“Thank you, Cade,” Veta said from behind the counter. “We’d told him to leave earlier, but he wouldn’t go.”
Cade shrugged as he returned to Addie’s side. “No problem.” He looked down at Addie and found her watching him with her eyes so full of gratitude that flames of awkward embarrassment heated his cheeks.
“My hero,” she teased and he felt his ears burn, even as his chest filled with delight at her approval.
“It’s no big deal,” he said with another shrug, wishing someone would change the subject.
She smiled and her dark eyes sparkled. “It is to me.”
“Wow, Cade, you were amazing,” Lana swooned from her register as she handed the last customer in line their change. “Coming to Addie’s defense like that was so exciting to watch.”
“Yeah, Cade,” Addie murmured and gently elbowed his ribs.
He didn’t mind Addie’s teasing, but he was getting tired of Lana’s not-so-veiled hints. Ignoring the younger woman’s adoring eyes, he focused on Addie.
“Are you okay?” he asked again, brushing her arm consolingly, and Lana walked off with a huff when her sister told her to take care of the dishes in the lobby.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Addie answered. “Ted’s just upset that I rebuffed him before I fired him.”
Cade’s eyebrows climbed toward his hairline. “He came on to you?”
“Yeah, he kissed me once,” she said, shrugging it off, but she couldn’t hide the shiver of revulsion that made her shoulders twitch. “My reaction wasn’t what he’d expected. I don’t think he could walk straight for a few days afterward.”
Cade chuckled and gave her a quick, one-armed hug around the shoulders. “That’s my girl.”
She smiled and turned such a pretty shade of pink that he almost kissed her, but someone clearing their throat behind them had stopped him.
“Ma’am,” an older gentleman with darkly tanned skin and liberal streaks of gray in his black hair said. “I wanted to apologize for all that nonsense. It was uncalled for and we shouldn’t have encouraged Ted’s bad behavior by laughing. I’m very sorry.”
Cade glanced down at the woman beside him. A part of him wanted her to tell the old guy off, but seeing her soft smile, he knew she wouldn’t.
“Thank you…?” she said, drawing out the last word and holding out her hand in greeting.
“Frank. Frank Griffith,” the old guy said, shaking her offered hand. “I live out Robinson Canyon way on the bluff before the elbow turn. Feel free to stop by and meet the missus any time. We’d be happy to help if you have any ranching questions.”
“Thank you, Frank. I’m Addie and this,” she pointed at Cade, “is Cade. I appreciate the offer and I’ll be sure to do that.” Addie’s smile broadened at making a new friend, though Cade wasn’t quite so forgiving.
Frank’s hazel eyes turned to Cade and he held out his gnarled hand. “And thank you, son.”
“For what?” Cade asked, begrudgingly taking Frank’s hand.
“For doing what one of us should’ve done before the situation got out of hand. Ted had no call to act that way, even if she did fire him.”
Cade’s opinion of Frank went up a notch, but that feeling of embarrassment swept over him again. He could feel the eyes of everyone there boring into him as heads bobbed in agreement with Frank’s comment. The unwanted attention made him want to squirm a little, but he straightened his back instead.
“Thanks. I…” he glanced down at Addie, still tucked against his side, and then back to the man’s age-faded eyes. “We appreciate that.”
Frank nodded. “You come visit with your lady, son. We’d love to have you both.”
Addie tensed beside him, but he gave her a little squeeze.
“We’ll do that,” Cade said before she could speak, not bothering to correct Frank’s thinking.
“And if I could give you a word of warning…?”
Cade’s shoulders tensed again, but he nodded.
“Be careful of Ted Ballinger and his friends, especially that blond one,” Frank said, more to Cade than Addie as he nodded toward the door. “Ted’s mean as a snake and twice as dangerous. He won’t forget this and he’s known to retaliate with a vengeance. There’s a reason he’s not working for any of us.”
“I’ll do that,” Cade replied with a nod. “Thanks for the tip.”
A crash came from the back of the café, drawing everyone’s gaze. Veta rolled her eyes and hurried to the back, calling her sister’s name. An angry string of Ukrainian followed.
“That’s my cue,” Frank said and headed for the door. “Good to meet you, folks.”
“You too,” Addie said and then turned her head aside and giggled.
Cade frowned. “What’s so funny?”
Addie lifted her laughing eyes to his. “You didn’t notice Lana?”
His frown deepened and he shook his head.
“She was stomping around the café, slamming dishes into her bus tub. I don’t think she likes it when you ignore her.”
He snorted. “Too bad. I’ve already got a girl. Lana will just have to get used to it.”
Addie’s eyes widened slightly and her cheeks grew pink again. She twined her fingers with his and gently squeezed his hand. The look on her face made his heart speed up.
“Here’s your order, Addie,” Veta said as she pushed two drinks and the rest of their order across the off-white counter. “I’m sorry it took so long.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she said as she grabbed her drink and Cade reached for the rest. Addie inclined her head toward the kitchen. “Is everything okay?”
Veta
