The waitress took their order, leaving them alone again.
Tate listened silently, letting them talk about her schedule. Sutton would be traveling two or three days a week to nearby cities, allowing her to be home by a reasonable time. She would be driving out of town only two days a month, which would require her to be gone overnight. Tate thought about informing her that she wouldn’t be spending those nights alone—he would be traveling with her—but decided he would let her find that out on her own. He didn’t want her to think he was being pushy. He was; he just didn’t want her to figure it out too soon. She would find that out the day she left for one of those trips.
She had her own surprise in store for him when they parted with her boss in the parking lot.
“I’ll see you next month when I drive out to get my car and pack up my apartment.”
Liam shook his hand after saying good-bye to Sutton.
“Take care of her. I can’t tell you how good it is to see her so happy.”
Damn, Tate hadn’t anticipated liking the man. There were very few men he could actually stand.
Tate made an offer he made to only a few. “Come for a visit some time, and I’ll take you hunting.”
“I might take you up on that. What kind of game do you hunt? Bear?”
“Hell no, they’re mean fuckers. We can hunt for squirrels and possums. I have one that’s getting in our trash. I’m going to kill that little bastard. Might not wait for you to come back to get rid of him.”
Liam burst out laughing. “Don’t wait. I imagine that can be aggravating.”
“It is. Sutton talked me into catching him and setting him free somewhere else, so I took him to The Last Riders’ clubhouse and let him go. Little bastard found his way back a week later, though. Looked half-starved to death. They don’t have good trash …”
Sutton tugged on his arm. “Liam wants to leave. We’re holding him up.”
“Not at all. I’m enjoying this. There’s a motorcycle club here? This town doesn’t seem the place a club like that would make home.”
Tate snorted. “They love it here and have stolen all the good women in town but one.” He jerked his head toward Sutton. “I managed to catch her. I always knew I was smarter than them,” he bragged.
“I’ll let you know when I can take a few days off from work so you can take time off from work—”
“Don’t worry about that. I’m my own boss.”
“Really, what do you do?”
Tate’s eyes narrowed on him. “You a Fed?”
Sutton’s elbow struck him in the ribs. “We need to go. Bye, Liam.” She grabbed Tate’s arm, trying to push him toward his truck.
“I’m a pharmacist and businessman,” Liam continued like Sutton hadn’t said anything. “A federal agent isn’t one of the many jobs I’ve held.”
Tate spat on the ground. “Me, neither.”
Sutton’s face turned red and her eyes promised retribuation.
“So, what is it you do?”
Tate shook off Sutton. The woman was about to rip his arm out of its socket.
“I’m a pharmacist and a businessman, like you. You do your work in an office or a lab; I do mine in a field. I grow medicinal plants.”
The interest in Liam’s eyes deepened. “I’ve never met anyone who actually grows the components of medicine. Which plants do you grow?”
“Weed.”
“Weed?”
“You sure you’re not a Fed?”
“Tate!”
Sutton’s boss burst out laughing. “I’m sure. I’ve even been known to take a hit every now and then.”
Tate sniffed the air. “I’d say a few hours ago.”
Sutton’s hand dropped from his arm. “Liam, please don’t fire me. He’s not my boyfriend. Actually, he’s barely an aquantanice—”
Tate raised his brow at her. “Who was that in my bed last night, then? It sure as hell looked like you when you were—”
“Shut up!” she hissed.
“It’s all right, Sutton,” Liam interrupted the squabbling couple. “I’ll definitely be back in a couple of months. I’ll be interested in trying your product.”
“Don’t you dare ask if he’s a Fed again,” Sutton threatened.
“Wasn’t going to,” Tate said indignately. “You have offices in Colorodo?”
“Actually, yes.”
“I have a couple of plants for you to take. You could pass them off to a cooperative that grows the plants. I have one I developed when a friend of my cousin’s mother was diagnosed with cancer. Seemed to help her out quite a bit before she passed away.”
“I’d be glad to pass them along.”
“Can’t give you more than a couple because they’ll say I’m distributing, but if you give them to a good grower, he’ll know what to do with Kentucky Gold.”
“You named it?” Sutton asked.
Tate almost reminded her that she had wanted him to quit talking, but he didn’t want to sleep on the couch tonight. His woman had a temper when riled.