but the comfortable familiarity of the bar would reinforce his courage. He wasn’t exactly going into battle, but he had a tough mission ahead of him. He’d staked out the table in the back corner of the bar, put in his order for their dinner, and settled back to wait for Jana to arrive.
The door opened, letting in a blast of rainy, cool weather. Dan jerked his head in a quick nod, letting him know that Jana had arrived. Emmett stood up and wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans before heading up front to greet her. She said something to Dan before turning to face Emmett, her eyes lighting up as soon as she spotted him. He hurried to take her coat and hung it on a hook before giving her a quick kiss.
Putting his arm around her shoulders, he led her back to their table. “I already put in an order for double cheeseburgers and sweet potato fries. I hope that’s okay.”
Her smile was impish. “Have you ever known me to turn down Dan’s cooking?”
He pulled out her chair for her, dusting off yet more of his almost forgotten good manners. When she was settled, he took the chair next to hers. “Did you get some rest today?”
“Some. I had a few chores to catch up on, but then I took a long nap. It did feel good to sleep in my own bed.” She used her fingertip to trace a pattern along his forearm. “I would have slept better with you there beside me.”
He swallowed hard when her dark eyes lifted to meet his gaze. The heat in their chocolate depths about fried his brain. She knew it, too. Well, two could play at that game.
“If I had been there, you wouldn’t have been sleeping very much—or maybe at all.”
He captured her hand and brought it up to his mouth to press a kiss on her palm, smiling when her breath caught in her throat. They’d get to where her mind was taking her soon enough, if his plans worked out the way he hoped. He released her hand when Dan arrived with their dinner and a couple of beers. Dan set down their food and walked away without a word.
They postponed any more conversation until after they ate. Jana would never insult Dan’s cooking by letting it get cold. Luckily, it didn’t take long to eat a burger and fries. Emmett wasn’t sure how long he could sit there and pretend this wasn’t the most important night of his life. Finally, Jana pushed her empty basket away with a satisfied smile. “Whew, I needed that.”
Emmett set his own aside and took a slow breath. Now that the moment was upon them, he couldn’t remember a single thing he’d planned to say to her despite having rehearsed the words over and over again.
Finally, he blurted out the first thing that came to him. “I gave Dan my two-week notice. Though Devlin said I could ease into becoming a full-fledged Paladin, I think it’s already too late for that.”
Jana didn’t look surprised. “That makes sense, after everything that’s happened.”
Good, she wasn’t trying to talk him out of it. Maybe she did understand that he’d already been dragged into their world too deeply to hit the brakes now. “From what Trahern told me, it used to be unusual for Paladins to have women in their lives. Too many secrets to be kept; too many lies to cover up what was going on.”
She sat up a little taller. “Used to be? Does that mean things have changed for them?”
Her expression was carefully neutral, making it impossible for him to guess her thoughts. He stuck his hand in his pants pocket and held on to the small box there, hoping it would give him the courage to keep plowing on. “Yes. Evidently Devlin caused quite a stir a few years ago when he and Laurel hooked up. I can only imagine what the Regents thought of a Paladin falling for the doctor who would make the final decision on when he’s too far gone and is a danger to everyone around him.”
Jana winced. “But they seem happy together.”
“Yeah, they do. And that opened the floodgates for the rest of the Paladins.” He leaned in close. “There are even
The door opened, letting in a blast of rainy, cool weather. Dan jerked his head in a quick nod, letting him know that Jana had arrived. Emmett stood up and wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans before heading up front to greet her. She said something to Dan before turning to face Emmett, her eyes lighting up as soon as she spotted him. He hurried to take her coat and hung it on a hook before giving her a quick kiss.
Putting his arm around her shoulders, he led her back to their table. “I already put in an order for double cheeseburgers and sweet potato fries. I hope that’s okay.”
Her smile was impish. “Have you ever known me to turn down Dan’s cooking?”
He pulled out her chair for her, dusting off yet more of his almost forgotten good manners. When she was settled, he took the chair next to hers. “Did you get some rest today?”
“Some. I had a few chores to catch up on, but then I took a long nap. It did feel good to sleep in my own bed.” She used her fingertip to trace a pattern along his forearm. “I would have slept better with you there beside me.”
He swallowed hard when her dark eyes lifted to meet his gaze. The heat in their chocolate depths about fried his brain. She knew it, too. Well, two could play at that game.
“If I had been there, you wouldn’t have been sleeping very much—or maybe at all.”
He captured her hand and brought it up to his mouth to press a kiss on her palm, smiling when her breath caught in her throat. They’d get to where her mind was taking her soon enough, if his plans worked out the way he hoped. He released her hand when Dan arrived with their dinner and a couple of beers. Dan set down their food and walked away without a word.
They postponed any more conversation until after they ate. Jana would never insult Dan’s cooking by letting it get cold. Luckily, it didn’t take long to eat a burger and fries. Emmett wasn’t sure how long he could sit there and pretend this wasn’t the most important night of his life. Finally, Jana pushed her empty basket away with a satisfied smile. “Whew, I needed that.”
Emmett set his own aside and took a slow breath. Now that the moment was upon them, he couldn’t remember a single thing he’d planned to say to her despite having rehearsed the words over and over again.
Finally, he blurted out the first thing that came to him. “I gave Dan my two-week notice. Though Devlin said I could ease into becoming a full-fledged Paladin, I think it’s already too late for that.”
Jana didn’t look surprised. “That makes sense, after everything that’s happened.”
Good, she wasn’t trying to talk him out of it. Maybe she did understand that he’d already been dragged into their world too deeply to hit the brakes now. “From what Trahern told me, it used to be unusual for Paladins to have women in their lives. Too many secrets to be kept; too many lies to cover up what was going on.”
She sat up a little taller. “Used to be? Does that mean things have changed for them?”
Her expression was carefully neutral, making it impossible for him to guess her thoughts. He stuck his hand in his pants pocket and held on to the small box there, hoping it would give him the courage to keep plowing on. “Yes. Evidently Devlin caused quite a stir a few years ago when he and Laurel hooked up. I can only imagine what the Regents thought of a Paladin falling for the doctor who would make the final decision on when he’s too far gone and is a danger to everyone around him.”
Jana winced. “But they seem happy together.”
“Yeah, they do. And that opened the floodgates for the rest of the Paladins.” He leaned in close. “There are even
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