"I wonder what he's doing here."
"So do I," Cale said dryly as he parked the car.
The moment the vehicle had stopped, Bricker moved to the passenger door and opened it for Alex. Grinning brightly, he greeted, "Hello, beautiful. I see you managed not to kill Cale during your enforced relaxation."
Alex smiled wryly as he took the print from her with one hand and reached out his other for her to hold as she got out of the car. "It was a close one when he wouldn't let me go clean the restaurant, but I managed to control myself."
Bricker chuckled at the claim as he closed the door for her. His gaze then shifted to the print he held. "For the new restaurant?"
"The office," she answered, peering at it again herself.
"Nice," Bricker decided. "I like the colors, and it suits a restaurant perfectly."
"That's what I thought too," she said with a laugh, taking the print back.
"So to what do we owe this visit?" Cale asked, coming around the car to join them.
"I came in search of keys to the restaurant for Lucian. He and Lucern are taking Emile over early so he can familiarize himself."
"Oh, right, I forgot about the keys." Cale began to search his pockets.
"I'm surprised you didn't call," Alex said to Bricker.
Bricker shrugged. "I was in the neighborhood so just swung by. When I realized you weren't here, I was going to call his cell number to see where the two of you were, but then you pulled in and saved me the trouble."
"Here." Cale handed the keys to Bricker. "We're coming by for supper once it's open."
"I'll let your hostess, Sue, know so she saves you a table," Bricker promised.
"If it's too busy, just tell her we'll eat in my office," Alex said, not wanting to put pressure on the woman. They were almost always booked to capacity, but if word of Emile's cooking there tonight had gotten out, she was sure it would be a madhouse, with tables originally ordered for two suddenly sporting four or more as people called friends and invited them along. A certain amount of that happened each night anyway, and they generally tried to accommodate such things, but she suspected tonight would be worse than usual.
"Will do," Bricker assured her.
"Alex, why don't you go inside and decide where you want your print? I'll hang it after I have a word with Bricker," Cale said quietly.
Alex raised her eyebrows curiously, wondering what he wanted to talk about that he couldn't say in front of her, but nodded and turned to make her way to the back door.
"Did you pay Peter a visit last night?" Cale asked the moment Alex disappeared inside the restaurant.
The younger immortal nodded with a grimace. "Yeah. He's an unpleasant little jerk, but he wasn't the attacker. He was pissed at Alex for not hiring him back, though."
"He was pissed?" Cale asked, one eyebrow lifting.
"I removed those feelings for him," Bricker said dryly. "He was really bitter, and he's the vengeful sort.
I figured it was better than leaving it and his causing problems later."
Cale nodded. "Good thinking. Thanks."
"So?" Bricker raised an eyebrow of his own now. "Did you have sweet dreams last night?"
Cale scowled. "That's none of your business."
Bricker chuckled, not at all offended by his short tone. Turning away, he headed for the SUV, saying, "That would be a yes then. I'll let Sam know. She's really fretting over the two of you."
Had he thought he was starting to like this guy? Cale asked himself with irritation as he watched the younger immortal get into the SUV and start it up. If so, he was definitely revising that opinion. Shaking his head as Bricker gave him a cheery little wave as he pulled out, Cale turned and headed inside.
The sound of pounding reached him the moment he entered the back door and Cale knew at once that rather than wait for him, Alex had gone ahead with hanging the print herself. The woman was entirely too independent. She seemed determined to prove she didn't need him for anything except the job he'd agreed to do. At least that was how it seemed to him. She was always trying to pay for their meals, always shunning help for the smallest task. She just didn't seem to know how to accept help. It made him feel kind of useless at times.