“Miller.” Finn’s use of his friend’s real name forced the truth.
“Someone is watching Twitch,” Tox said.
Finn felt Tox brace himself for the response. His friend’s face remained stoic, but his hands gripped the side of the table, and his back was ramrod straight.
“Tell me the details.” Finn wrapped his hands around his coffee mug and waited. Tox cocked his head and narrowed his gaze.
“Tox? What happened?”
“Yeah, oh, right.” Tox shook his head, returning to the matter at hand.
The two men sat in the booth for an hour while Tox explained the situation. He told Finn about Twitch’s ongoing feeling of unease and the man she caught following her at the mall.
“So this asshole was stalking her,” Finn surmised.
“Looks that way,” Tox agreed.
Finn fought the urge to jump in Tox’s truck and head back to Beaufort. Charlotte wasn’t his to protect. She needed to move on; he needed to get his head straight. So he beat down the nearly molecular need to keep her safe and focused on his friend.
“Catching some obsessed whack job sounds like a cakewalk for the guys,” Finn said.
Tox stared at him, then gave his head a pleasant shake. “Yeah, Ren and Chat are gonna do some routine surveillance. See if we can catch this guy quick and easy. Calliope and Emily are going to stop by each evening to check in.”
“Good. Yeah.” Finn rubbed a hand down his face. “That’s good.”
“Cal’s been pretty down lately, so it’s nice she can focus on Twitch.”
“What’s going on?” Finn asked.
Tox blew out a heavy sigh and forked a bite of meatloaf. He did a double-take. “Damn.”
“I know, right?” Finn grabbed a fry. “We can talk about the food later. What’s up with your wife?”
The waitress appeared and topped off their coffee.
“We’re having a little trouble conceiving. Been trying for about six months and nothing. It’s starting to get to her. Both of us.”
Finn didn’t have a response. His best friend was ready to start a family. What had May said? While you spend your time stewing, the world keeps turning.
The waitress set the glass coffee pot on the table. “Be right back.”
Tox and Finn watched as the older woman retreated to the counter.
“Calliope just sees all these people around her getting pregnant at the drop of a hat, and, you know, it’s hard,” Tox said.
“Who’s pregnant?” Finn asked.
Tox stumbled, “Well, Emily just had her third and, um, just random women she sees at the doctor and stuff.”
Finn’s follow-up was interrupted by the waitress, who placed a glass containing a bright orange beverage in front of Tox. She patted the big man on the shoulder. “You want to knock up your wife? Drink this. It’s a local recipe passed down from the Caribbean settlers. Works every time.” She winked.
“What’s in it?” When he looked away from the glowing liquid, the waitress was refilling coffee at another table.
Tox looked at his best friend. “Should I drink it?”
Finn pursed his lips and scratched the stubble on the left side of his face. “Why not? The waitress would never poison such a good customer.”
Tox scanned the array of empty plates and seemed to agree. He picked up the glass. “Here goes nothing.” He downed the drink in one go. “Damn, it’s delicious. Fizzy.” He shook the last drops into his mouth. “Jeez, it’s like I can feel it energizing my body.”