The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [146]
Honey predictably grumbled about him moving out. She protested any time he mentioned it, saying she wanted him to stay, then went on to tell him how wonderful his house was and offered to help him decorate. He adored her.
Jordan watched as Morgan pulled two raincoats off the hooks. “I can keep him with me tonight if you want, since you appear to have plans to brave the storm again.”
“Misty hasn’t seen my house yet.”
The brothers all grinned and cast knowing looks back and forth.
Sawyer handed Morgan the money Misty had tried to give him. “Make her take this back.”
Misty held up her hands, palms out. “I can’t continue to eat here if you won’t let me pay for my share of the food and stuff. That’s just tip money—I can afford it. Honest.”
Sawyer’s eyebrows shot up. “Tips? You made this much in tips already?”
“According to Ceily,” Morgan grumbled, “every male that came in wanted to show her his gratitude, even if she hadn’t done a damn thing for him. She said Misty kept the restaurant packed most of the night.”
Misty blinked at him. “You talked to Ceily? When?”
He flicked the end of her nose. “Before I came home. She felt the need to page me and let me know how…successful you were. She even suggested she might want to lure you away from the station so you could work more hours for the diner. She claims she wouldn’t even need to show up with you there drawing in customers and raking in the dough.”
Gabe laughed, Jordan bit his lip and Sawyer rolled his eyes. Morgan didn’t think it was the least bit amusing. “I told her you were going to continue working for me. That’s right, isn’t it, Misty?”
Her eyes narrowed. “As long as you all let me pay my way.”
She was the most cursed stubborn woman he’d ever met. He caught her chin on the edge of his fist. “Most of the time, the food is given to us.”
With a wholly skeptical look, she murmured, “Uh-huh.”
“It’s true, damn it. Sawyer barters with his less fortunate patients. Hell, he gets paid more often with food than with money. That’s why we’re always overloaded with desserts and casseroles.”
“You’re serious?” When he nodded, she said, “I had no idea.”
Sawyer looped one arm around Honey and added, “I have vitamins I can give her, too, so she won’t have to go to the pharmacy, but of course she refused them.”
And Honey piped in, saying, “I know for a fact she’s embarrassed about getting them in town. Everyone will know she’s pregnant if she does. Make her accept them, Morgan.”
Morgan took one look at Misty’s inflexible expression and laughed out loud. Were they all under the misguided notion that he had some control over the woman? Hell, she butted heads with him more than anyone else!
Knowing it would only prompt her stubbornness more, he said, “Yeah, sure, I’ll take care of it.”
Her brows snapped down, her mouth opened to blast him with invective, and Morgan kissed her—a quick, grinning smooch. She gave him a bemused look, and he dropped the coat over her head, then lifted her in his arms.
She fussed and wriggled, but he contained her with no effort at all and when she saw all the brothers watching intently, she made a face at them, but at least stopped struggling. “You have the worst habit of hauling me around.”
“I don’t want your feet to get wet going out.”
“Oh.”
Sawyer said, “Finally, he’s listening to me.”
Honey acted as if it was all par for the course. “Here, Misty, I packed a basket so you could both eat. I doubt if either of you have had dinner yet. Take your time. You’ll love Morgan’s house and maybe the rain will have stopped by the time you head back.”
Morgan watched Misty balance the large basket with one arm while looping the other around his neck. “Don’t wait up for us,” he said to the room at large.
He darted out the door and made his way cautiously to the Bronco. Misty opened the car door, and he slid her inside. The rain wasn’t coming down quite so fiercely now, and Morgan hoped Honey was right, that it would stop soon. Too many wrecks happened in weather like this, and he didn’t look forward to his