“That why you were running late?” He raises his brows.
“Hmm? Oh … no.” I place a hand over my mouth and swallow. “I was looking for a DVD on self-defense. I need it for class today.” I take a sip of my coffee. “Do you want a bite?” I ask, offering him a piece of my muffin before I scarf it all down.
He shakes his head. “No, thank you.”
“Thank God.” I smile. “’Cause this is way too good to share.” Both of us laugh.
His expression changes to serious, and he clears his throat. The concern on his face begins to worry me.
“What is it?”
“I’ve been meaning to ask,” he says, folding his hands. “Did you ever hear from that boy you were dating, the old neighbor?”
I shake my head. “Everything’s still the same.” I frown. “He hasn’t contacted me.” Just like that, my mood turns sour.
“You haven’t heard from him at all?”
“Nope.” I drop my gaze to the table, unable to look him in the eye. I’m embarrassed.
He sips on his coffee. “So what’s next then?”
“What do you mean?” I furrow my brows.
“Will you wait for him?”
“He basically sent me a Dear John letter. There’s nothing to wait for.” I play with my cup.
He watches me carefully, making me nervous. “Is there someone else?” It’s like I’m being interrogated.
“Are you going to arrest me if I answer that?”
He laughs. “It’s the investigator in me. I don’t mean to be nosey. I’m still learning how to be a dad.” He winks, making me grin.
I give him what he wants. “Well, there’s this friend.” I pause, chew on my lip. “He’s been good to me the last few months. I’m having him over for dinner tonight, which is a step.” I lift my brows. “It’s sort of like a double date thing.”
He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “It could be a nice distraction.”
“A distraction,” I say, tilting my head. “What do you mean?” I glance at the time. “Shoot! I need to go.”
He scoots out his chair. “Let me walk you.”
“So, what are your big plans for the night?”
His eyes crinkle at the sides. “I’m going to church.” He shrugs, hands in his pockets. The man I knew before would have never stepped foot in church. The changes I see in him continue to blow my mind. “Why the face?”
“I just never thought I’d see the day—you going to church,” I tell him.
He nods. “I guess I learned that life’s too big to handle without a little help.” He leans in and gives me a warm hug.
“Thanks for the coffee,” I tell him.
“Have a good day at work. You be careful.”
“I will.”
His voice shakes nervously when he says, “I love you.”
I’m still not comfortable telling him those words. “Okay, bye.” I climb in and start the engine, watching his reflection disappear as I make my way out of the parking lot.
“That seat’s taken,” Logan says from his chair. Gia and I prepared a spaghetti and meatball dinner, with salad and French bread.
Sean freezes in his spot. He’s holding a full plate of food, trying to decide if Logan means it. Knowing Logan, he means every word. He wants to be an ass, and he’s good at it.
I shoot daggers from across the table, grabbing Sean by the arm, tugging lightly. “You can sit. Logan’s kidding.”
“No, I’m not. That’s Luke’s spot,” Logan replies, pointing his fork in Sean’s direction. The table moves abruptly when Gia kicks him, but he doesn’t even flinch, like it’s something he prepared for. She and I exchange a worried glance.
“Speaking of Luke,” Sean replies, buttering his bread. “Where is he? It’s funny, I can’t seem to get a straight answer out of Reese.” His eyes move from Logan to me. “Does he disappear often?” There’s no hiding the bite in his tone. I want to crawl under the table and hide. This is not what I had in mind.
As I try to think of a way to change the subject, Logan says, “Why don’t you ask him, when he gets back and finds you moving in on his girl?”
Gia fakes a laugh. “You’re such a jokester. Would anybody like a glass of wine?” The last part nearly comes out as a growl. She glares at Logan, but he doesn’t spare her a glance. There’s a challenge in both boys’ expressions. The testosterone is thickening by the second.
I glance at Sean who’s back to enjoying his food like nothing ever happened. “Do you like it?” I ask.