“You should leave. Maybe whoever you were with last night would enjoy your company because I sure don’t.”
He actually had the balls to smile. “Jealousy isn’t a good look for you, Kate.”
She was practically shaking at that point. “Get over yourself. You’re delusional if you think I’m ever going to take back your lying, cheating ass.”
His face hardened, and he leaned in close. “Careful, Kate. I’ve been patient, but even I have my limits.”
She couldn’t help it. She laughed, the sound more like a bark-slash-hiccup because he was being so ridiculous.
He didn’t like that. His lips curled up in the hint of a smirk. “It’s not like you have a lot of options.”
“I only need one, and that’s my choice to keep my self-respect, thank you very much.”
“Fine.” He turned on his heel and headed for the door. “You know where to find me when you come to your senses.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” she muttered. She wasn’t a violent person by nature, but the mental image of her grabbing one of the new torque wrenches and throwing it at his arrogant ass was appealing.
She was still seething when her phone vibrated a short while later.
“What?” she growled into the device. The ensuing silence was her first clue that she should have checked the caller ID.
“Kate?”
Her anger was immediately replaced with mortification. “Chris?”
“Is everything all right?”
“Yes, fine. I’m sorry. What’s up?”
Her heart pounded as she waited for him to answer, counting three beats and then four. Not a long time in the overall scheme of things, but it felt roughly the same length as an eternity.
“Are you free for dinner on Friday?” he finally asked.
Her relief was instantaneous. “Friday is perfect.”
“I was hoping you’d say that. Since you’re more familiar with the area, why don’t you pick the place?”
She leaned her hip against the counter, her earlier angst gone, replaced by anticipation. “Hmm, okay. Got any preferences?”
He laughed. “I’m not picky. Whatever you want is fine with me.”
She tried to imagine the type of place he’d like. He struck her as a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. Simple but substantial fare. And big guys usually had big appetites.
“I know just the place. Great food, lots of it, and very casual.”
“Sounds good to me. Pick you up at six?”
“Perfect. I live right across the street from the store. Two-story gray American Foursquare. Can’t miss it.”
“See you then.”
“See you then.”
She disconnected the call, feeling almost giddy. Her good mood carried her through the morning. Even her father noticed when he came in from plowing the lot.
“What’s got you in such a good mood?”
“I’ve got a date this weekend.”
“Glad to hear it.” He beamed. “Where’s Luther taking you? Someplace nice, I hope.”
She hesitated, debating on whether or not to tell him the truth. It was a brief debate. She might not tell him everything, but she’d never lied to him, and she wasn’t about to start now.
“I’m not going out with Luther, Dad.”
“Oh?” He raised his eyebrows. When she didn’t say anything more, he added, “Are you going to tell me who, or do I have to guess?”
“I’ll tell you, but fair warning: you’re probably not going to like it.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“Chris Sheppard.”
His brows pulled together. “Don’t recognize the name. Do I know him?”
“Kind of. He was in the other morning. The one who bought the tickets to the spaghetti dinner.”
His frown deepened. “You’re right; I don’t like it.”
“You haven’t even met him.”
“No,” he agreed. “What about Luther?”
She exhaled. “I know you’ve pinned your hopes on us getting back together, but it’s not going to happen. He’s not the man for me.”
“And this guy is?”
“I don’t know, Dad. I barely know him. What I do know is, he’s been very nice, extremely polite, and well mannered.” She smiled wryly. “He’s also the only man who’s asked me out in two years. Trust me, okay?”
“I do trust you. It’s him I don’t trust,” he grumbled. “But ... it’s also been a long time since I’ve seen that sparkle in your eyes. You really like this guy, huh?”
“Too early to tell, but he shows promise.”
“All right, Katy-belle.” He pulled her in for a quick hug. “Just be careful, okay?”
“Always. Thanks, Dad.”
~ * ~
When five o’clock on Friday rolled around, Kate zipped home and took a quick shower. She dressed in the one pair of jeans she had that made her ass look fantastic and paired it with a tank top beneath a light three-quarter-sleeved V-neck sweater. A bit of mascara and lip balm, and she was ready to go with twenty minutes to spare. After setting out fresh water and kibble for Duke, who’d been MIA all day, she paced anxiously in front of the window, waiting for Chris to arrive.
His truck rumbled up fifteen minutes early. She wondered if that meant he was looking forward to dinner as much as she was.
I can hope.
She grabbed her coat and scarf and met him as he was coming up the steps.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” He smiled. “I’m a little early.”
“That’s okay. I was ready early.”
He offered her his arm in an old-fashioned gesture, which she thought was a nice touch. “Shall we?”
“We shall.”
She held his arm down the steps, acutely aware of how solid it was beneath the layers of outerwear. She wasn’t petite by any means, but she felt like she was when she was next to him. She didn’t want to let go when they reached his truck.
Keeping with the gentlemanly theme, he opened the passenger door and then waited for her to get in before closing it and walking around the front to the driver’s side. Instead of getting in, however, he held up his index finger in a wait gesture and then crossed the street and went into Handelmann’s.
He came back out a few minutes later and slid his big body behind the wheel.
“Do I want to know what that was about?”
“I saw your father watching us through the window. I wanted to reassure him that you were in good hands.”
Her heart melted a little. “I’m sure he appreciated that.”
Chris shrugged and pulled out onto the street. “If you were my daughter, I would. So, where are we going?”
She directed him past the Sumneyville town limits and into the next town. Andy’s was exactly the kind of place she thought he’d like—with the added bonus of fewer prying eyes. She wanted the chance to get to know him without being under the scrutiny of the town watchdogs, and Andy’s was, by unspoken rule, considered neutral territory. It was kind of like Vegas that way, only on a much smaller scale. Everyone minded their own business. If you were there and saw someone else, you didn’t talk about it.