I believed that to be true.
That was the reason I had started this whole dating campaign in the first place.
“Yes. I do believe that,” I said. “But did you do it because you felt guilty about what happened with Edward?”
“I won’t ever feel guilty for doing what I believe is right. My actions may not always have the best outcome, but as long as I have good intentions, that’s what matters most. Plus, imagine marrying that guy. Could you really see yourself with the last name of Butts?”
I laughed. “No.”
“Ruth Butts. It kind of has a nice ring to it. Can I get you anything else, Mrs. Butts? Butts, party of two! At your wedding, the guests will say, ‘Wow, I’ve never seen so many Butts in one place!’”
I laughed again. “Please . . . I don’t even want to imagine what kind of a nickname they would come up for me at work if that was my last name. No, thank you.”
“Do they have a nickname for you now?”
I nodded. “Ruthless.”
He chuckled. “Why am I not surprised?”
“What can I say, I guess I earned it. What about you? Do you have a nickname?”
“Does Nick have a nickname?” He grinned. “See what I did there?”
“Yes, corny and maybe a little cute.”
“A little? Anyway, in college, some of the girls called me Nick-fil-A.”
I laughed. “I should have seen that one coming. Any others?”
He smiled. “When I was younger, I had two nicknames, actually. One was Knick-knack-paddywhack.”
I laughed. “That’s cute.”
“The other one was not so cute.”
“What was it?”
“Well, I had a weight problem as a child and some of the other kids called me Moby Nick.”
My jaw dropped open. “That’s horrible! Kids can be so cruel.”
“They can be, yes. What about you? Any nicknames as a child?”
“No comment.”
“Okay, now you have to tell me or I’m going on strike. Do you want the gazebo installed or not?”
“Speaking of which, don’t you need to get back to work?”
“Says the workaholic who’s hanging out at sushi restaurants like she has absolutely nothing to do. Which I have to say is quite surprising and refreshing, actually. But back to the topic at hand, I gave you two of my nicknames as a child. I’m only asking for one from you.”
I sighed. “Think candy bars . . .”
Nick shook his head. “I’ve got nothing.”
I winced. “Baby Ruth.”
Nick erupted in laughter, a deep, hearty laugh. It was so infectious, I started laughing myself, even though I hated that nickname with a passion.
He wiped his eyes. “Good stuff. By the way, where did you find Edward?”
“Online dating, where else?”
He nodded. “It looks like you’re not having much luck. It’s the second day in a row that you’ve had a date with someone at a restaurant but didn’t actually eat with the person.”
“You think that’s bad? Then there was the first date of the week where I wolfed down the food as fast as I could and practically ran toward the exit.”
“Sounds like you’re looking for the wrong type of guy.”
“Sounds like I need to get back home if you’re going to start giving me dating advice.”
He threw up his hands in defense. “Fair enough, but I have the perfect solution for your dating woes.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.”
“Well, if you change your mind . . .”
I smiled. “Thanks for the sushi.”
“My pleasure. I’m just going to pay, and I’ll be right behind you.”
I walked out of the restaurant, placed the food in the back seat of my car, and got in.
I started the engine and sat there thinking while the car idled.
What just happened in there? I felt relaxed.
For a moment or two or even ten before I walked out of the restaurant, it almost felt like Nick and I were having a completely normal conversation.
And I enjoyed it.
There wasn’t any frustration.
I wasn’t on edge.
And I actually laughed.
I glanced back toward the front door of the restaurant, my mind on Nick.
What the hell was going on?
Chapter Seventeen
RUTH
Dee and I were still eating sushi in the kitchen, one of us occasionally glancing outside toward Nick and Brandon as they worked in the backyard. I had no doubts that the guys were talking about us, but that would make us even, since we were also talking about them.
“What’s going on with you today?” Dee asked in a low voice. “Why do you keep looking into the yard?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“Who’s more pathetic, me or you?”
“It’s a tie, for sure.”
We laughed.
Dee pointed outside. “Let’s go talk to them. Maybe, if we sneak up on them, we can hear something juicy.”
“How old are you?”
Dee scratched the side of her face. “Mentally or physically?”
We both laughed again and then stepped outside, walking quietly toward them.
Nick pointed to part of the gazebo. “Tighten up that bolt there.”
“Got it.” Brandon grabbed the drill and tightened the bolt. “So, let me get this straight, you like her now?”
Like who? Like me?
“Hey, guys!” Dee said, even though she was only looking at Brandon.
I wished she had waited a little longer so I could have heard more and found out if Nick was talking about me. I guess I’ll never know.
“How are you two doing?” I asked. “Wow, this is coming along nicely. Not bad for someone who takes extended lunches.”
“I can skip my lunch tomorrow to make up for it.” He winked at me.
“You’re asking for trouble.”
“I’ll take your warning into consideration.”
I tucked some hair behind one ear and smiled. “You’d better. And thanks again for the sushi recommendation. We loved it.”
“We did.” Dee smiled at Brandon. “Have you tried it?”
Brandon shook his head. “No.”
“Oh—we should go some time, if you want.”
“I would love to.”
“Did you have questions about the project?” Nick asked.
I waved off his question. “No, no. I trust you with that.”
“We were just wondering what happened to Karma,” Dee said.
“I was going to ask you earlier and forgot. I assumed she was back with the owners since you didn’t bring her with you today.”
Nick nodded. “Yes, she’s back with them. She spent the night with me last night, which I admit I quite enjoyed, but the owners finally called me back this morning. Their daughter went into labor early yesterday and they all rushed to the hospital, leaving the dog in the backyard. They ended being at the hospital for almost twenty-four hours because of complications.”
“I hope everything turned out okay.”
“They had a little bit of a scare with the birth, but it looks like mom and baby are going to be just fine after some recovery time. As for what happened to Karma, someone was supposed to stop by the house a few times to check on her while they were at the hospital, but there was miscommunication, the gate was left open, and then the dog escaped. Luckily, I found her, and nothing happened.”