“Go to hell,” Carl said.

“Probably,” Seth said. “But not over you.”

* * *

Iris didn’t wait a whole ten seconds before she dashed to the dining room archway that led to the bar to see what was going on.

“Iris, stay out of it,” Troy ordered.

“Shh,” she said, leaning around the wall. Of course, she could feel Troy right behind her, not about to be left out. As Iris peeked into the bar, the bar patrons were retreating to the dining room.

Seth was amazing. He wasn’t her childhood buddy anymore, he was a real cop. A real big, strong, handsome cop. He had two and a half agitators, the half being the woman, who wasn’t helping things. But Seth clearly knew what he was doing. He was powerful, in fact. And who knew he had that gun? Did he always have that gun, just in case?

She winced when she saw him take an elbow to the mouth, but then she smiled when he secured his prisoner more forcefully, holding that big guy down with one hand. She watched the anger creep up his neck and into his face in a rose-colored stain that made his eyes glitter. And then she saw how he marched his prisoners out the door.

“Wow,” she said softly.

“I bet they’re method actors,” Troy grumbled. “I bet he hired them to show up, create a disturbance and give him a chance to be a hero.” He took her elbow to lead her back to their table.

Iris laughed at him. “If you’ll recall, he didn’t know I’d be here, so he couldn’t have done that for me. Maybe he wanted Cliff to think he’s a hero?”

Troy shook his napkin and put it on his lap. “I could’ve done that without bleeding,” he grumbled softly.

The bar patrons drifted back into the bar. Some chose to leave. Iris wanted to peek outside to see how Seth was managing those two obnoxious guys, but he would see her and Troy might have a little tantrum. Maybe she could help, she thought with a half smile.

A few minutes later Cliff reported that Seth was still in the parking lot awaiting backup to transport all the naughty people. Cliff also went on and on about how great Seth was, how he didn’t think anyone but Mac could do something like that, clear a bar of roughnecks single-handedly, but that Seth was taking this on without complaint, just like Mac would’ve done. And this sort of thing hardly ever happened, Cliff told them. And, if Seth hadn’t been there, Cliff and Ram would have called 911 and tried to get the disturbance out of the bar themselves, so Troy and Iris shouldn’t feel like they couldn’t have a peaceful meal in the future.

Iris just smiled and ordered a Caesar salad. Troy followed suit and he was very quiet. A little grumpy. She understood completely. This was Troy’s big play and he’d been upstaged by a deputy with a limp.

But Iris felt better. After all the worry and tension of the afternoon, it occurred to her that she was stuck with Seth. He wasn’t going anywhere. He was going to be around every corner. They were going to be seeing each other no matter how she decided to behave. She could be mad, hold a grudge, refuse to get over her bad high school experience or she could let this play out and find out more about herself and Seth in the process.

Seventeen years. Well, the way she’d been dealing with her feelings hadn’t helped her get over it. Or, for that matter, over him. Every time she heard his name, she felt a deep ache. She had never figured out how to move on. And what if she left herself open to him and he hurt her again? That wasn’t going to be easier, but neither would it be harder. If he did something awful again, maybe her heart would finally get the message....

Something about a glass of wine and thinking about the situation that way brought peace of mind, even though she had no idea where all this might be headed.

Two salads and a basket of bread arrived. Iris passed the basket to Troy. “Showing up here tonight, not knowing what was going to happen, not knowing where the surprise gifts had come from, was very uncomfortable for me,” she said.

“Well, I didn’t invite him,” Troy replied.

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about. Listen to me, please. I’m a pretty sure-footed woman. If my feelings for you change or grow, I’m capable of telling you so. I wouldn’t hesitate to call you or ask you out. I know how to be direct. The truth is, I love you like a brother.”

He leaned close and whispered, “You have done unspeakable things with your brother!”

She couldn’t suppress a laugh and covered her mouth. “Give me a break here, Troy—I was trying! I wanted to fall for you! You’re the most wonderful guy I know.”

He buttered a piece of bread. “So, it just wasn’t that good for you, is that it?”

“Don’t put words in my mouth. It was wonderful. It wasn’t love. It was hard to give up. Now stop screwing with me—you’re only thirty, you’re gorgeous, you’re fun, you’ve had plenty of relationships that didn’t last forever and you probably ended the majority of them. Not because there was anything wrong with the girls but because it just wasn’t everything. In fact, I bet you ended a lot of relationships because she was way more into you than you were into her, and you can’t let that happen. That’s dishonest. Wrong.”

“That’s it, then?”

“Troy, what would you suggest?”

“We could keep going, see if it becomes better than perfect, because to me it was pretty perfect....”

“I don’t want that with you,” she said.

“Why not?”

She put down her fork. “Because I really care about you, that’s why. Because I really want to have you in my life for a long time. Friends with benefits?” She shook her head. “I’m not saying I’m too good for that sort of thing. But I wouldn’t do that with you, Troy. I wouldn’t use you like that. Not if I hope to have you as a good friend forever.”

“I’m available to be used,” he said.

She smiled at him. He was joking, she knew. She hoped.

“No,” she said.

“Could you do that with him? Seth?”

She shook her head. “Never,” she said. “I’d like to be your friend, but if we can’t, we can’t. Please say we can.”

“We can,” he said. “It would be easier without Deputy Dawg around, showing off.”

She laughed again and concentrated on her salad. “Can I keep the scarf? I love the scarf.”