Flipping the Bird (Shift Creek #1) - Carrie Pulkinen Page 0,22

so I can get to know the intriguing crow shifter in her natural habitat.”

She gritted her teeth. “Are you talking about The Crow’s Nest?”

“Is it not good?”

“Oh, it is, but…it’s actually my nest. Well, I don’t live there anymore, but my parents own the place. I grew up in the apartment upstairs.” Wariness tightened her eyes, her face pinching as if the thought of dining in her parents’ restaurant was the last thing she wanted to do.

“I see. Too soon to meet the family, then.” He winked.

“Way too soon. I don’t want you to witness a murder on our first date.”

“A murder?” He cocked his head, perplexed. Would they kill her for bringing him there, or him for daring to date their daughter?

She nodded. “Happens every time we get together.”

“Oh, a murder of crows.” He laughed and started the engine. “Then I’m afraid the burden of choosing a restaurant lies with you. I’ve only been in town a few days, and I haven’t ventured outside the Shift Creek city limits.”

“How do you feel about beef?”

“I enjoy a good steak every now and then.”

“Oh, this is way better than steak. Head down Center Street, and make a right on the highway.”

Chapter Seven

“If anyone invites you over for barbeque, and they cook burgers and hotdogs on a gas grill, they’re not true Texans.” Alice reached for the door, but Donovan grabbed it first, holding it open and gesturing for her to enter.

“I’ll keep that in mind if I ever receive an invitation.”

A fluttering sensation formed in her stomach as she stepped inside. Donovan followed, placing his hand on the small of her back. She wasn’t accustomed to chivalry, and being on the receiving end of it made her downright giddy.

Longhorn Trails Barbeque was her go-to place for authentic Texas cuisine, and since Donovan was a New Yorker, she had a feeling he’d never tried the real deal before. There was nothing quite like it.

“They smoke their briskets for twelve hours here, and the ribs are so tender the meat practically falls off the bone.” Her mouth was watering just talking about the deliciousness she was about to introduce him to.

He swept his gaze across the dining room, his eyes widening as they landed on the massive stuffed longhorn bust hanging above the brick fireplace.

“That’s Smokey. He was the owner’s beloved pet steer,” she said. “He loved that beast so much, when Smokey died, he couldn’t bear to part with him. So he hired a taxidermist to preserve him.”

Donovan blinked, his lips moving like he was hesitating to speak. Finally, he squared his gaze on her. “You don’t find it ironic that a man who earns his livelihood selling beef kept a steer as a pet?”

Huh. “I never thought about it that way. Poor Smokey. I wonder if he could smell his cooked friends on him when he got home?”

“Best not to think about that, I believe.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Let’s get in line.” She led him to the left, between a barbed wire fence and the wooden wall, to stand in the queue. The restaurant had to file the barbs down, blunting the sharp tips, when too many customers snagged their clothes on the wire. It was better than snagging their skin, which was what happened to the poor animals that got too close to the fences out in the wild. She mentally added barbed wire to her list of unnecessarily cruel mundy inventions.

“Is this the line to be seated? Should we have made a reservation?” Donovan asked.

“No, silly. This is the line to get our food. I’ve never been to a barbeque restaurant that had table service. Not if barbeque was their specialty, anyway.”

“So it’s a cafeteria or a buffet?” He looked puzzled.

“I guess you could call it cafeteria-style.” And then her faux pas smacked her like a frying pan to the face. Donovan was dressed in slacks and a sportscoat. She’d worn her favorite dress and boots. He was expecting a romantic dinner date, and she’d brought him to a come-as-you-are casual family dining venue. Way to go, Cassie Nova. That’s how you show your true colors.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking bringing you here. Well, I do actually. I wanted you to get a taste of real Texas, and I forgot about the date aspect of this dinner.” And the fact that a wealthy, high-class warlock would probably look down his nose at a place like this.

“You forgot we were on a date?” He fought a grin.

“I