Under the Same Roof by Niobia Bryant

Author:Niobia Bryant
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-09-06T16:20:46+00:00

* * *

Tremaine entered the Royal Diner and blew extra heat into his cupped hands before removing the leather jacket he had on. He paused in hanging his coat on the black rack by the door. The high level of chatter that filled the air when he entered had become noticeably quiet.

He turned and nearly every eye was on him, many with open curiosity and speculation. He forced a smile and gave a brief wave to many of the patrons as he made his way across the black-and-white checkerboard linoleum floor of the 1950s-inspired diner to slide into one of the red faux-leather booths.

“Howdy.”

Tremaine looked up at Amanda Battle, who was standing beside his booth with a container of coffee in one hand and a menu in the other. She was the wife of the sheriff and the owner of the diner. He gave her a smile. “Hello,” he said, accepting the menu she handed him as she turned over the cup sitting atop his table to fill it.

“Don’t mind the stares—everyone is very aware of who you are and why you’re in town,” Amanda said. “Not much escapes the people in town.”

“Oh, yeah?” Tremaine asked, leaning back to look past her at the eyes still openly studying him.

“Oh, yeah,” she stressed with a chuckle. “I’ll be back to take your order.”

He nodded as she strolled away to refill the cups of other patrons.

“Pssst.”

Tremaine frowned a bit as he looked back over his left shoulder to find an older bearded man with fiery red hair looking at him over the rim of his spectacles. “Yes?” he asked.

“The Winterses are a good solid family and well respected ’round these parts,” the man said.

“Thanks for the information,” Tremaine said before turning back forward.

“Pssst.”

Tremaine closed his eyes and hung his head, then shifted in the booth seat to sit sideways and look at the man again. “Yes?” he repeated politely.

“So who else are you looking into...except the Winterses?” the stranger asked before taking a big bite of a spoonful of a steaming bowl of chili.

“You have any insight you want to share?” Tremaine inquired. “Because I don’t.”

The man paused and then released a chortle. “You’re an ornery son of a gun, huh?” he asked, before raising his napkin to swipe it left and then right across his mouth.

Tremaine shrugged. “Just honest. That’s all,” he told the man.

That admission received a snort.

Tremaine turned back around in his seat just as Amanda walked up to his table. “I’ll have two brisket burgers with the works and chili fries,” he requested, handing her the menu.

“Two?” the redheaded stranger questioned from behind him. “Somebody’s made a friend.”

Amanda shot the man a chastising look. “Mind your business and your manners, Earl,” she drawled.

“Can I get them to go, actually?” Tremaine asked, reaching for a few packets of sugar to sweeten his coffee.

“Sure can,” Amanda said with a warm smile.

Between Earl’s nosiness and the open stares from the rest of customers, Tremaine was feeling less inclined for a public outing.

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