“What’s wrong?”
He looked up from his internal diatribe to find Amanda watching him. “Nothing.”
“Judging by the way you stomped back to the table, something’s up.”
Landon figured he might as well come clean with her, because there was no point in trying to hide the fact that he’d enjoyed an active social life in the past. “I dated the woman at the counter for a month or two about five years ago. Apparently, I’m an ass for coming here with you while she’s working. Or something like that. Who knows?”
Amanda ran her hand over her mouth as her eyes glittered with amusement.
“You think that’s funny?”
“I do.”
“I’m glad you do. The next time we go out, it’s not going to be in Butler.”
“Even in this cell phone-free never-never land, I’m sure word is getting out that Landon Abbott is on a date with someone they don’t know. Hearts are shattering all over the Northeast Kingdom as we speak.”
“Har-har. It’s not like that.”
“Isn’t it?”
He appreciated that she seemed more amused than annoyed. “Not really.”
Her raised eyebrow expressed a world of skepticism. “Hmm.”
When Jessica brought their food, the plates landed with a clatter on the table. “Can I get you anything else?”
“No, thanks,” Landon said.. “I think we’re good.”
She turned and walked away.
“Chilly,” Amanda said as she poured Italian dressing on her salad.
“She has no reason to be. The thing between us was no big deal, and it was over years ago. Why’s she acting like that?”
“Is that a rhetorical question, or do you really want to know?”
“I really want to know.” Landon took a bite of his pizza, hoping Jessica hadn’t laced it with poison, and chased it with a sip of ice-cold beer. Damn, that was good.
“If I had to guess,” Amanda said, casting a subtle glance at Jessica, “what you deem to be ‘no big deal’ might’ve been a big deal to her.”
“No way. It was nothing. We skied together a few times in a big group, hung out after, partied a little here and there. It was never a thing.”
“Did you sleep with her?”
“Well, yeah, but…”
“There you go. It was a big deal to her. You probably broke her heart when you moved on.”
“I’ve never picked up that vibe from her, and I see her all the time. I’m in and out of here a couple times a week, and she’s never acted like she has tonight.”
“Because you’re usually by yourself, and she’s still hoping you might come back around to her. Let me ask you this… When was the last time you came here with a woman?”
He gave that some consideration. “I don’t think I have.”
“Aha. Just as I suspected. Tonight, you’re with me, which means there’s no chance for her. At least not right now.”
“Not ever. That’s over.”
“For you. That’s not necessarily the case for her.”
Frustration threatened to overwhelm him. He was on a date with her, and here they were discussing his track record with other women. That was the last thing in the world he wanted to talk about with her. She must think he was a complete asshole. Suddenly, he felt a desperate need to fix that—if he still could. “I don’t want you to think I’m a man-whore. I swear I’m not.”
“Okay,” she said with a small smile that indicated she hardly believed him. And, really, why should she with the evidence she’d accumulated to the contrary in the last thirty minutes?
Fucking hell. This date was turning into a full-fledged disaster. Wait until Hannah got ahold of this nonsense. She’d have a freaking field day with it.
Thankfully, they got through dinner without further encounters of the female kind, but he’d utterly failed in using the time to get to know Amanda better. However, she’d certainly learned more about him—all things he didn’t want her to know.
Chapter Seven
“I think I've lived long enough to understand that plans really are very overrated.”
—Viola Davis
Landon had hoped Amanda would tell him about the to-do list she’d made for her second chance at life. After that intense make-out session earlier, he had even more interest in helping her to check a few of those items off her list.
As if that was going to happen now. She was probably disgusted by him, and who could blame her? On the way back to the truck, he again lifted her over the mud puddle and deposited her into the passenger seat. When he walked around the front of the truck to the driver’s seat, he glanced into the restaurant and saw Jessica glaring at him as she cleared the plates from their table.
Ugh.
It had never once occurred to him that she or anyone else had taken their time together seriously. How could they when he never made promises or committed to anything other than a good time in the moment? He’d been all about having fun and trying to make sure no one got hurt. Apparently, he’d failed rather miserably at that last part—and now Amanda knew that, too. Great.
His stomach was tied up in knots, and for the first time ever, pizza had given him heartburn.
“Where’re we going?” Amanda asked as he drove them on dark, winding roads.
“To Dani’s place. Luc is staying there.”
“Oh cool, but I was hoping to see the farm.”
“I’ll take you there in the daylight.” That was, if she was still interested in hanging with him after tonight’s train wreck.
The outside light was on at Dani’s when they arrived. Landon parked next to Lucas’s truck, the navy blue version of his. Landon had delivered Luc’s truck to Dani’s when he heard Lucas would be coming there when he got out of the hospital. He realized it would be difficult for Amanda to climb the two flights of stairs to Dani’s apartment. “I’ll give you a lift up the stairs.”
“I can do it.”
“No need. I’ve got you covered.”
He scooped her up out of the passenger seat and stepped through squishy mud, taking care not to fall and possibly injure both of them. They went up the stairs to the landing on the third floor, where he put Amanda down and again waited to make sure she was steady before knocking.
Dani came to the door with Savannah in her arms. Petite and curvy, Dani had reddish-brown hair and big, expressive eyes. The baby was blond, rosy-cheeked cuteness. “Come in.” She led them into the small apartment, where Lucas was on the sofa, covered by a down comforter that Landon recognized from the store. Luc’s broken left arm rested on a pillow.
“Have a seat,” Dani said. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, thank you,” Amanda said. “We’re fine. We just wanted to check on you guys.”
“We’re doing great.” Dani took a seat next to Lucas, who’d made room for her. When Savannah strained toward Lucas, Dani handed her over to him, careful to avoid his injured arm. “Except for his arm, the patient is doing really well.”