“Hi, Dexter. Nice to meet you.” She watched him closely, not altogether sure she cared for the outward display of cockiness.
“You, too, Mrs. Stewart.” He extended his hand and Sarah accepted the tentative handshake, noticing how his gaze darted away an instant after they made eye contact.
Nice manners, a little unsure of himself in spite of what he’d like others to believe, and possibly even a little afraid of her. All good.
Following a flurry of phone calls, during which either Sarah or Jonathan spoke to the other four parents, everyone piled into the two cars for the drive downtown to the pizza shop. Sarah pulled in next to Jonathan and rolled down her window in time to hear him remind the group that they’d be back to pick them up and drive them home in an hour.
“One hour,” he repeated.
All six kids disappeared inside, swept along in a stream of laughter and easygoing banter, leaving Sarah sitting in a puddle of mixed feelings. She had wanted this for her daughter, the friendships, the fun, even the flirtations. Now that it was happening, she wouldn’t mind turning back the clock, just a little.
Jonathan’s passenger window rolled down. “We could go back to my place for coffee.”
“Let’s make it my place. I need to let the dog out for a while.” Petey was becoming a bigger part of their lives every day. She and Casey hadn’t talked about the situation, aside from discussing the fact that the work at the animal shelter was still ongoing, but the writing was on the wall. Casey and the dog had a serious case of mutual infatuation, and Sarah was starting to believe it was contagious. Plus she still didn’t know where this thing with her and Jonathan was going, but if they started spending more time together, it might be good for Casey to have the companionship of a four-legged friend.
Jonathan waited until she had pulled out of the parking lot and then followed her home. As she drove, she kept checking the rearview, noting the headlights at a safe distance behind, thinking ahead to how they might spend the next hour. Coffee would be the appropriate thing, no question. She wasn’t even close to being ready for anything more serious, even though they had already kissed, twice. They’d also shared details about their personal lives and talked about their kids, and they danced well together. What they hadn’t done was simply be in each other’s company, unencumbered by all that other stuff.
That’s what she needed. Coffee and calm. She glanced again at the lights in the mirror. She hoped that would be enough for Jonathan, too. At least for now.
KATE SLID INTO the U-shaped booth, squeezed between Henry and Brody. Brody put his arm around Alycia right away and she leaned against him. Across the table, Dex’s arm stretched along the back of the seat behind Casey. Henry kept his arms to himself, folded on the table in front of him. He was shyer than the other two boys, but she still hoped that making the first move wouldn’t be up to her.
“Will two pizzas be enough?” Kate asked.
“No way,” Brody said. “Better get three. I can eat one all by myself.”
“Seriously?” Casey’s laugh was laced with disbelief. “You can eat an entire extra-large pizza?”
“Trust me,” Alycia said. “He can.”
“Don’t forget Kate’s a vegetarian.”
She was grateful to Casey for reminding everyone.
Dex and Brody groaned, but Henry smiled down at her. “I’m good with that,” he said. “Bring on the veggies.”
It wasn’t the same as having his arm around her, but it was a start.
The server came and took their order and returned a few moments later with a round of soft drinks.
“So...” Alycia said with dramatic emphasis on the first word. “Did anyone else see Casey’s mom have the last dance with Kate’s dad tonight? That’s got to be weird.”
Kate and Casey quickly exchanged glances across the table. Their mutual plan to get their parents together was their secret, and they’d also sworn not to tell anyone about the kiss.
Kate shrugged. “I don’t think it’s weird. I mean, our families live next door to each other. Our parents are both single and they were both chaperoning tonight—” Which was also something she and Casey had instigated. The best part was that it seemed to be working. Casey would almost certainly get to keep the dog. Kate’s dad had changed his mind about letting her go back to help at To the Nines, and she was sure Sarah had a lot to do with that. He let her come here tonight with her friends, something he almost certainly wouldn’t have done a week ago. If she had to guess, she’d say their parents were together right now, and the more time they spent together, the easier her life was going to be.