Chapter Four
Cora walked back into the diner later that afternoon with James right behind her. She didn’t go to his table, nor did she pay attention to Stacey’s pointed looks. Her friend was sitting at the biker table once again. Leo and Paul were really close to the woman. The diner was filled with bikers, and Cora stopped when she saw Sharon at a table, alone.
Placing her bag beside Stacey, she held a finger up for a minute. Her friend must have already spoken to Sharon because Stacey didn’t pout or complain about being left out.
“Hey, Sharon, you’re having a good weekend?” Cora asked, approaching the table.
“I’m not alone. I’m just waiting for Thomas to get back from the toilet.” Thomas was the local builder and Sharon’s husband. There had been some rumors a couple of months back that Thomas was fucking around with another woman, but nothing came of it. Cora couldn’t understand why Thomas would do that. Sharon was a beautiful woman, and he was lucky to have her in his life. “You can sit for a few seconds if you’d like,” Sharon said.
Her boss didn’t look all that happy.
“I’m not breaking any protocol with having dinner with them, am I?” Cora asked, concerned. Sharon was one of the reasons she loved her job. The woman in front of her was an amazing, kind person. She wouldn’t hurt anyone, and yet here she was looking so sad.
“What? Oh, no. I’ve got nothing against the MC. I can’t say their name.”
Cora smiled. Dirty Fuckers MC wasn’t something you said aloud, at least not in front of tender ears. There were a couple of kids in the diner, but the club’s leather jackets simply read “DFMC”.
She’d have to ask James about that.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing. Nothing is wrong. Thomas is on his way back.”
Cora stood and watched as Thomas made his way back to the table. He was a sexy bad boy, covered in ink, but he didn’t once look toward the club whores who were eating with the MC. Thomas could have any woman he wanted, and he’d been with Sharon for as long as Cora cold remember. When she came back to Greater Falls she’d heard many rumors about the couple, but Cora hated listening to rumors. Most of the time it was all lies and gossip.
There was something going on with the couple, but Cora wasn’t going to get mixed up with it.
She gave Sharon a wave, then acknowledged Thomas before making her way toward her table. Stacey lifted her bag out of the way.
“What’s going on over there?” Cora asked.
“I don’t know. Thomas brought her in a couple of minutes ago. He led the way, holding her hand. She didn’t look like a principal when she entered.”
“I wonder if the rumors are true?”
“About him fucking that blonde bimbo?” Stacey asked.
Glaring at her friend, she pointed at her hair. “I’m not a bimbo.”
“No, but you quit college. What does that say about your species?” Stacey asked.
It was a long running joke between them, and Cora brushed off her teasing. Stacey didn’t label anyone.
“I don’t know if it’s true. If it is, I feel sorry for her. Sharon’s a sweetheart. She wouldn’t even try to fight or compete with the slut.”
There was the label. Cora smirked. Sex did wonders for Stacey’s vocabulary.
“I hope it’s not that. She doesn’t deserve to have her heart broken,” Cora said, taking a sip of Stacey’s coffee.
“Who does deserve to have their heart broken? I hope it’s all lies and it’s wrong. Thomas and Sharon are sweet together, have always been.”
“I’m going to grab my own coffee,” Cora said.
She moved toward the coffee stand, making her own coffee. The diners were allowed to make their own coffee, or get one delivered with their order. Cora loved her coffee a certain way, and she didn’t trust anyone else to make it for her.
“You could have sat at my table,” James said, coming up behind her.
He placed his hands on the counter on either side of her, trapping her in. He was so much bigger than she was.