Cobb (Lighthouse Security Investigations #9) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,20

as the words left her mouth, her eyes widened and she slapped her hand over her face. “I’m sorry, Jorge. That came out terribly rude.”

He shook his head and laughed. “Not at all. It’s true, you don’t get to be my size without eating a lot.”

She waved her hand toward the wide granite kitchen island, and he placed the bags on top. Together, they unpacked the food and he discovered she had not only ordered two pizzas but mozzarella sticks, a small dish of baked ziti, extra garlic bread, and two large servings of tiramisu.

Eyes wide, he shook his head. “Damn, Josie. This looks amazing.”

She smiled and walked over to a cabinet, pulling out two plates. Placing them on the island, she turned and retrieved spoons and forks. Silently, they loaded their plates with food. She grabbed two beers from the refrigerator and handed one to him. He followed her to the dining room table and waited until she chose her seat first. When she was settled, he took the seat that was directly across from her, wanting to be close but not crowding.

The meal was as delicious as she’d indicated. She didn’t pick at her food but ate heartily. He never cared how much another person ate but found that some women seemed to be terrified of a man thinking that they enjoyed their food. For him, food and family celebrations had always gone hand in hand, so to see Josie eat with obvious enjoyment was nice.

After finishing, she pushed her plate away and leaned back in her chair. Sucking in her lips, she glanced around the room, her gaze never landing on him.

“We need to talk, Josie,” he said, and her attention snapped to his face. He gave her a moment, not surprised when she finally nodded, although her lips were tight. Her father was right… she was smart and knew she needed help.

“Let’s go to the roof,” she said. “I can breathe… think… up there when it’s cool in the evenings.”

They grabbed two more beers after putting the leftovers into the refrigerator, and he followed her up the steps near her bedroom to the rooftop deck. The indigo blue of the evening sky with the craggy mountains in the background was breathtaking. They settled onto the deep cushions of a comfortable settee, and he sipped his beer in silence for a moment, appreciating the view as well as the company.

“I like coming up here in the evenings,” she said, sucking in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “Sitting on the patio downstairs just reminds me that this property has no grass.”

“Less mowing that way.”

She barked out a laugh and turned her head toward him. Her eyes lit when she smiled, and just like the first time he saw her, it was like a punch to the gut.

“You’re right about that,” she agreed. “That’s one way to think about it.” She looked out over the vista again. “It’s the one thing that made me decide this was the place to rent.”

“I’m curious why you didn’t purchase a home.”

He held his breath for a second, almost afraid she would be offended at the question. Instead, she shrugged and sighed, immediately answering.

“I don’t want to buy a house until I’ve found that one place that I can call home.” She took a sip of beer, waited another moment, and then continued. “I don’t just mean an actual house, but I mean a place.”

This was unexpected. He’d already learned everything he could about her from his early investigation, but her reason for renting surprised him. She shifted in her seat, twisting her body around, and tucked her legs up under her, looking at him. The movement surprised him, but it wasn’t unwanted. He mimicked her behavior, and they sat facing each other, their bodies now closer.

“Am I to assume that you’ve already studied up on me since you’re offering security and investigating this mess I’ve found myself in?”

Again, he was struck with her no-bullshit attitude. Nodding, he said, “Yes. I’ve learned as much about you as I can. Your finances… solvent and frugal. Your education… New Mexico and Boston. Your work… dedicated. Your social life—” He heard a slight gasp from her but kept going. “Your personal life from social media accounts… you’re very private.” Again, he steeled himself for her indignant response, but she simply looked away, her jaw tight for a moment.

Taking another sip of beer, she finally said, “Since you know all about me, then you