It was gone after a breath or two, though, replaced with her take-charge expression. “Come on then. I’m really hungry, and one of my clients was such a pain in the ass this week I need at least two beers.”

He took her hand once they’d reached the sidewalk, and the shock of it sang up his arm. She fit there with him, her hand in his.

She didn’t attempt to pull away as she adjusted her pace to his.

The Pumphouse wasn’t at full capacity just yet, so they grabbed a small booth near the front windows. He wanted to slide in next to her but he refrained. Across from her he could look his fill, that’d be fine too. The next time, or maybe the time after, he’d claim that space next to her in a booth.

“Beer me.” She winked and he liked it.

He ordered a pitcher of a local brew they’d started serving recently.

“I’ve never eaten in here. What’s good?”

“You haven’t? It’s not like you never came back to town, right? I know you visited a few times a year.”

“Do you now? Have you been keeping tabs on me?”

He started to explain and noted her smirk.

“Lord amighty, woman, I thought you were serious for a minute there.”

Caroline snickered as she looked over the menu. “You’ve met my grandparents, right? Do they strike you as the type to eat in a place like this? My grandmother might keel over at the mere sight of paper napkins, Royal. She’s not eating nachos and having three-buck pitchers.” She burst out laughing. “Though, oh my God, I’d love to see the look on her face if she did.”

“Well, her loss then. The burgers are good. Nachos too. Wings. Bar and grill food.”

She put her menu down when their server brought the beer, and she ordered a cheeseburger and rings. He’d been planning on wings, but her order sounded so good he went with that too.

“So tell me then at the end of your first week at work, how’s Petal treating you?”

“It’s been pretty good. Polly Chase brings me casseroles and cakes. Just for existing. She’s freaking amazing, that woman. Tiny woman, huge presence. Oh and her hair. Big hair. She smells good. I’ve decided I’d like to be her when I grow up.”

He snorted. “Polly Chase is a force of nature. Edward is so laid-back and mellow, and she’s so chatty and nosy but in the best way. I mean, well you know what I mean.”

“Edward’s been wonderful. He did sort of just toss me in the deep end with some clients, but that’s fine. Partly I think he was testing me, which I’d do in his place. Hell I did it when we hired new people at my old firm. You have to know if people can handle their shit.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry. Stuff.”

His brows flew up and then he snickered. “You worried about offending me or something? I’ve heard bad words. I say them sometimes too.”

“I’m trying to readjust my speed for Petal. Things are different here. I’m already different enough, I’m trying not to make it harder. I have a swearing problem.”

His laughter died to a snort. “I get it. But between you and me, I’m not going to be offended. Also, I get the feeling you sort of enjoy being tossed into the deep end. You seem to be the type who thrives on a challenge.”

She shrugged. “Makes me happy to keep busy. I like to work hard and play hard. There are plenty of attorneys who hate the courtroom and are happy to write motions and briefs. Me? I love the courtroom. I love the constant and varied challenges with trial. It’s a person’s life, so I always take it seriously. But there’s an art to it as well as skill. I’m weird, what can I say.”

“That’s not weird at all.” In fact it was totally sexy. But he’d wait to share that until they’d been around each other more. He also bet that intensity translated to how she’d be in bed. And he really wanted to know that firsthand.

“Anyway, so to recap, busy work week. Free cake and chicken casserole. I’m having a beer with a handsome man I used to crush on hard back in school. Not a bad first week at all.”

“You had a crush on me?” Pleasure swamped him.

“Duh. Who didn’t have a crush on you? You have that smile, the slow, sexy one that makes all the girls tingly. You’re pretty to look at. You have an extremely fantastic rear end.”

She paused when their meal arrived.

“You were saying about my ass?”

“Hush you. You know you have a nice butt. Anyway how was your week?”

“Dealing with a root-worm problem with the cabbage. Lost about half the crop. My aunt has been helpfully gathering bits of gossip about you. She’s pleased you have a good job and says I could do a lot worse than a gal with some gumption even if she is related to Abigail Lassiter. I probably shouldn’t have said that last bit out loud.”

Caroline laughed and drank her beer. “It comes as absolutely no surprise to anyone who knows my grandmother that she can be off-putting. Bossy. Annoying. Judgmental. She’s very sure of herself. It’s just everyone else who disappoints her.”

Royal was very glad he’d been raised by his aunt and uncle after his dad had died and his mom had pretty much given up on parenting. They’d always been so good to him. They were solid, committed to family and community. The Lassiters were of that class who tended to look down on half of Petal. Oh sure they did things for the “disadvantaged” but while Polly did it with an open heart and love, Abigail did it because it was expected and with a barely withheld put-upon sigh.