A Texas-Sized Secret

A couple of seconds ticked past and then the diner customers returned to their meals, though most of them looked to be having hushed conversations. It didn’t take a genius to guess what they were talking about.

He gave Naomi’s hand a squeeze, then took off his hat and smiled at Amanda Battle as she hurried over. Married to Sheriff Nathan Battle, who was doing everything he could to find out who this Maverick person was, Amanda owned the diner, along with her sister, Pam.

“Well, hi, you two,” she said with a deliberately bright smile. “Booth or table?”

“Booth if you’ve got it,” Toby said quickly, knowing Naomi wouldn’t want to be seated in the middle of the room. Hell, he still half expected her to make a break for the door.

“Right. Down there along the window’s good.” Amanda gave Naomi a pat on the shoulder and said, “I’ll get you some water and menus.”

They walked past groups of friends and neighbors, nodding as they went, and Toby felt Naomi stiffening alongside him. She was maintaining, but it was costing her. She wasn’t happy, and he couldn’t blame her. Hell, he hated this whole mess for her.

The familiarity of the diner did nothing to ease the tension in Naomi’s shoulders. The Royal Diner hadn’t changed much over the years. Oh, it had all been updated, but Amanda and Pam had kept the basics the same, just freshening it all up. The floor was still black-and-white squares, the booths and counter stools were still bright red vinyl, and chrome was the accent of choice. The white walls held pictures of Royal through the years, and it was still the place to go if you wanted the best burger anywhere.

Once they were seated, Amanda came back quickly, set water glasses in front of them and handed out menus. Smiling down at them, she said, “I guess congratulations are in order.”

“Oh, God,” Naomi murmured, and her shoulders slumped, as if all the air had been let out of her body. “You’ve seen the video.”

Amanda gave her a friendly pat and said, “I’m not talking about the video, honey. Don’t worry about that. That nosy bastard has been poking into too many lives, so everyone here knows they could be next. Looks like this Maverick is moving around pretty quick, so he’ll be onto someone new before you know it and you’ll be old news.”

Toby could have kissed her. “She’s right.”

Naomi looked at him, and he read resignation and worry in her eyes. “Doesn’t help much, though. The whole town knows I’m pregnant now.”

“Naomi, most of us guessed anyway,” Amanda said. At Naomi’s stunned expression, Amanda added, “You’ve never worn loose shirts and long cover-ups in your life.”

Toby grinned. “She’s got a point.”

Naomi blew out a breath and gave him a rueful smile. “So much for my brilliant disguises.”

“Oh—” Amanda waved one hand “—it probably fooled the men.” She gave Toby an amused glance. “You guys don’t really notice much. But women know a baby bump when they see one being hidden.”

Naomi nodded. “Right.”

“But I wasn’t congratulating you on the baby anyway,” Amanda continued. “Though sure, best wishes. I was talking about your engagement to Toby here.”

Now it was his turn to be stunned. “How did you find out about that already?”

“Remember where we live, honey,” Amanda said with a shake of her head that sent her dark blond ponytail swinging behind her. “Naomi’s mother called one of her friends, who called somebody else, who called Pam’s sister-in-law, who called Pam, who told me.”

Naomi just blinked at her. Toby felt the same way. He had always known that gossip flew in Royal as fast as the tornadoes that occasionally swept across Texas. But this had to be a record.

“We just left my parents’ house twenty minutes ago,” Naomi complained.

“What’s your point?” Amanda asked, grinning.

Helplessly shaking her head, Naomi said, “I guess I don’t have one.”

“There you go,” Amanda said. “And so you know, most everybody’s talking more about the engagement than that video. I mean, really.” She laughed a little. “Maverick thought he was being funny, I guess, but him mocking you like that? Didn’t make sense. People in Royal know Naomi Price has got style. So making that woman look so big and sloppy just didn’t have the smack he probably thought it would.”

Toby saw how those words hit Naomi, and once again, he could have kissed Amanda for saying just the right thing. She was right, of course. Naomi, even with her pregnancy showing, would be just as stylish as ever. That video was meant to hurt her, humiliate her, but he knew Naomi well enough to know that after the initial embarrassment passed, she’d rise above it and come out the winner.

“But you two engaged,” Amanda said with a wink. “Now, that’s news worth chewing on.”

“I hate being gossiped about,” Naomi muttered.

“In a small town,” Amanda pointed out, “we all take our turn at the top of the rumor mill eventually.”

“Doesn’t make it any easier,” she said.

“Suppose not, but at least people are pleased for you,” Amanda said.

“Well, it’s good the news is out.” Toby spoke up, getting both women’s attention. “And to celebrate our engagement, I’ll have the cowboy burger with fries and some sweet tea.”

“Got it. Naomi?”

“Small salad, please,” she said. “Dressing on the side. And unsweetened tea.”

“That’s no way to feed a baby,” Amanda muttered, but nodded. “And not even close to a celebration, but okay. Be out in a few minutes.”

When she was gone, Toby took a drink of water, set the glass down and said, “She’s right. That baby needs more than dry lettuce.”

“Don’t start,” she warned, and turned her gaze on the street beyond the window. “I’m not going to end up waddling through the last of this pregnancy, Toby.”

Irritation spiked, but he swallowed it back. Naomi had been on a damn diet the whole time he’d known her. In fact, he could count on the fingers of one hand how many times he’d seen her actually enjoy eating. She was so determined to stave off any reminders of the chubby little girl she’d once been, she counted every calorie as if it meant her life.

But it wasn’t just her now. That baby was going to need protein. And once she was living with him on the ranch, he’d make sure she ate more than a damn rabbit did. But that battle was for later. Not today.

“Fine.”

“I can’t believe people already know about the engagement,” Naomi said, looking back at him. Reaching out, she grabbed her paper napkin and began tearing at the edges with nervous fingers.

“At least they’re talking about us, not the video,” Toby pointed out and took another sip of water. His gaze was fixed on hers, and he didn’t like that haunted look that still colored her eyes.

Scowling, she muttered, “I don’t want them talking about me at all.”

Toby laughed, and laughed even harder when she glared at him.

“What’s so funny?” she demanded.

Scrubbing one hand across his face, he did his best to wipe away the amusement still tickling him. Keeping his voice low, he said, “You, honey. You love being talked about. Always have.”

When she would have argued, he shook his head and leaned across the table toward her. “You were homecoming queen and a cheerleader—at college you were the president of your sorority. Now? You still love it. Why else would you have your own TV show? You like being the center of attention, Naomi, and why shouldn’t you?”

“I didn’t do all that just to be talked about,” she argued.

“I know that,” he said and slid one hand across the table to cover hers. “You did all of it because you liked it. Because you wanted to.” And because it was the attention you never got at home and that fed something in you that’s still hungry today.

“I did. And I like doing my show, knowing people watch and talk about it.” She leaned toward him, too, even as she pulled her hand from beneath his. “But there’s a difference, Toby, between people talking about my work and talking about my life.”