“I don’t mind.” Kate’s voice worked better than any over-the-counter medicine I could buy for the stress headaches that’d been popping up for years. I hadn’t gotten them until I’d started at King Oil. After I’d fucked up and taken on more work to keep mistakes from happening again, they’d gotten worse.

“We’re here.”

Damn. I parked and got out. She slid out and charged inside.

Once we were settled at a booth, I set my phone on the table. The screen flashed on. Full of notifications. Dad had insisted I shut off all the bells, dings, and vibrating alerts. Then he’d checked all my devices to be sure I had complied.

Nothing’s that urgent, Aiden. We’re in the oil business, not the ambulance business.

I hated to admit that I didn’t miss a single one of those sounds. But I kept the visual notifications, and dread piled on my shoulders whenever I saw the screen. Emails. Messages in at least four apps. Missed calls.

The server came over and dropped off menus and water. Neither Kate nor I looked at them.

“How’s work?” I asked. Another notification lit my screen and I suppressed my groan. I had a survey from a special advisory and consulting company I was supposed to finish by tomorrow. Something about what the focus of the company’s future was from a CFO’s point of view.

This CFO wanted a quiet meal with his wife.

Kate’s gaze dropped to my phone and she waited a beat, like she was seeing if I was going to tend to business. When I didn’t, she said, “Work’s good.”

Was she purposely not elaborating? She loved her job.

She fiddled with the edge of the menu she wasn’t reading. The dark purple shirt she wore molded over her breasts and it took an obscene amount of effort to drag my gaze up. The ball on the top of her winter hat jiggled with each movement of her head. She hadn’t taken it off.

“Aren’t you hot?”

“Hmm?” She prodded her hat. “No. Well, yeah, but I showered earlier. Didn’t think I’d be seeing anyone for a quick milk run.”

“You look fine, take it off.”

“No, thanks. My hat head would be criminal.”

“Kate, I’ve seen you worse.”

She tilted her head, her eyes solemn. “Have you though?” Before I could ask what she meant, she slid out of the booth. “I’ll be right back.” She headed for the restrooms.