Shake The Frost (Crystal Lake #6) - Juliana Stone Page 0,25

home in her pajamas eating ice cream while watching Love Actually or some other equally sappy movie.

Why did things feel so incredibly off between them?

“You okay?” he asked, his hand at her back as she followed the hostess to their table.

“No.” An honest answer. She waited for the hostess to pour them each a glass of water and leave.

“I hate how we are with each other. Like we’re navigating a minefield or something. It’s not us, Ethan. Not by a long shot.”

He took his time and doffed his leather jacket, grabbing hers and hanging both from a hook on the other side of their booth.

“That’s why we’re here,” he said, sliding onto the seat across from her. “To get us back to good. I think we’re both worried about saying the wrong thing.”

“Since when do you give a crap about that?” she replied, trying not to smile.

He leaned forward, his scent heavy in the air, a combination of woods and musk and something fresh and clean. “Normally, I don’t give a rat’s ass about offending anyone because usually when I do, I kinda want to get that point across. But this is different.” He settled back in his seat and was about to say something else when a server appeared, an attractive redhead with a rocking body and a wide, open smile that would make most men take notice. She set down a basket of warm bread and grabbed a notepad from her apron.

“Hey, y’all. My name’s Savannah, and I’ll be your server tonight. It’s a cold one out there, but we’re sure glad you decided to spend the night with us.” Her smile widened. “I guess you can tell I’m from the South, so the cold and snow is something I’m trying to get used to. Where you two from?”

“Crystal Lake,” Emily replied.

“Oh, I like the sound of that. Is it nearby?”

“Thirty minutes away.”

“I get it. Date night, no doubt.”

“No,” Emily said in a rush. “We’re not…we’re just…” Jesus why couldn’t she speak? And why did this matter? “We’re just friends. We’ve known each other forever.”

“That’s real nice,” the server said, her gaze lingering on Ethan before she turned back to Emily. “I’m up here for college, and I sure do miss my pals back home. What can I get you to drink?”

“I’ll have an iced tea.” Emily watched the way Savannah’s gaze moved over Ethan with an appreciation she didn’t try too hard to hide.

He glanced up at her and smiled, and the woman damn near dropped her notepad.

“I’ll have something on tap. What do you recommend?”

“We’ve got a nice honey blond from a local brewery I’m sure you’ll enjoy. Sound good?” At Ethan’s nod, she tucked away her notepad. “I’ll be back with your drinks. In the meantime, our specials are on the chalkboard directly across from your table, and here are your menus.”

She laid them down, and Emily waited for Savannah to leave before she reached for a piece of bread. She was hungrier than she thought, and, happy that her appetite was back, she spread a good amount of garlic butter over the warm crusty bread. She’s probably pay for it later, but at the moment the smell was delicious. She glanced up at Ethan, who was still perusing the menu.

“When was the last time you had a date?” she asked, curious.

Ethan’s head shot up in surprise, along with his right eyebrow. “What?”

“Date,” she repeated, munching happily. “When is the last time you took a woman out to dinner?”

“That’s out of left field.”

“It is.” She grabbed another piece of bread. “But we’ve got a lot of ground to cover. We haven’t exactly been open with each other these last few years, and a part of me feels like I don’t know you anymore. Or at least I don’t know the important things.” The moment felt heavy, so she cracked a grin. “So, when was it?”

He closed the menu, settled back, and seemed to be considering her question, though he was taking his sweet-ass time. Just when she felt stupid for bringing it up, he answered. “That would be a year ago.” He shrugged. “Maybe longer.”

“Who with?”

“A friend of Georgie’s.”

“How long did you see her?”

“Not long.” He looked annoyed. “A couple of weeks in, she was already planning a trip to Bermuda and summer at her parents’ cottage. Why do you care?”

“There hasn’t been anyone else?”

He looked confused at her question, and they both sat back when Savannah appeared with their drinks. After letting the server