“We’ll see,” he said. “Thanks for dinner. I’ve gotta get back and do my own homework.”
He backed away.
Desperate for just another minute with him, my mind raced for something to say. “Hey! I hate to be that girl, but you still haven’t apologized for the rock,” I pointed out.
He flashed that little half smile, one foot on the porch, one foot on the top step. “Guess I’ll have to do that next time.”
Next time.
My stomach did the nervous swoopy thing again.
“I’ll see you around,” he said.
“Yeah. See you,” I said breathlessly. I stood there like an idiot and watched him amble down the walk before cutting across the driveway to his yard.
“Next time,” I whispered.
I went to bed that night with a smile on my face, Ruark and Shanna temporarily forgotten.
The next morning when I left for school, I couldn’t help but notice that Lucian’s dad’s truck still wasn’t in the driveway. But the front lawn had been mowed.
6
Breakfast Ambush
Sloane
Thank you, Lou,” I mumbled with the hair tie in my teeth.
Lou Witt, Naomi’s dad, held the diner door for me as my hands were full trying to tame my hair into the semblance of a knot on top of my head.
“Looking a little frazzled this morning,” noted his wife, Amanda, the new part-time counselor for the school district.
I glanced down at my oversize sweatshirt with its fresh coffee stains. Stains achieved after dumping half a mug down my front when Mom had texted to remind me I was meeting her for breakfast.
My leggings had a hole in one knee, and I’d forgotten to change out of my slippers.
Crap.
“One of those days,” I said, securing my bun.
Actually, it was more like weeks.
“That’s to be expected, sweetie,” Amanda assured me with a sympathetic arm squeeze. “Don’t forget to take care of yourself.”
“I won’t,” I promised before waving the Witts off and heading inside. I spotted my mother in one of the back booths and hurried toward her. “Sorry I’m late. Naomi called. She and Eric finally found the missing garter snake from the petting zoo Wednesday night. He was in the window wrapped around a pothos plant—”
I came to a screeching halt and stared open-mouthed at the man sitting opposite her.
Mom smiled up at me as if she weren’t sharing a table with my mortal enemy. “I asked Lucian to join us since he was still in town.”
Lucian didn’t look very happy about this turn of events either, but to be fair, the man rarely looked anything other than aggressively constipated.
“Sit,” Mom said, gesturing toward Lucian’s side of the booth.
“You know what? I forgot I have an appointment with someone about something—”
“Sloane, sit your rear end down now.”
She’d deployed the mom voice. Unfortunately, being a grown adult hadn’t come with an instant immunity to that tone.
Lucian reluctantly scooted in. Great. Now I had to play along too or look like the bigger, more immature asshole. I sat gingerly with one butt cheek on the vinyl, one foot in the aisle in case I needed to make a fast escape.
Mom interlaced her fingers on the table and looked at us expectantly. She looked tired and sad, which made me feel like a petulant child. I settled more comfortably in the booth and picked up a menu.
“So what’s with the breakfast meeting?” I asked.
“I’m heading back to Washington today,” she announced. “I said my goodbyes to your sister and Chloe this morning. Now it’s your turn.”
I put down the menu and ignored the way the right side of my body seemed to be absorbing Lucian’s body heat. “Mom, there’s no rush. If you want some peace and quiet, you know you can stay with me.” She’d split her time in Knockemout between my place and my sister’s while we’d planned the services. I’d enjoyed having her as a roommate. It made the house seem less empty. Plus she bought really good snacks.
She shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but it’s time for me to get back. Your father left me a very explicit list of things I need to take care of.”
“Let me help.” I was suddenly desperate to keep her in town. I didn’t want her dealing with everything on her own. I also didn’t want to be abandoned.
“What kinds of things need taken care of?” Lucian asked.
I spared him a glance. Not that it was any of his business, but I was interested in the answer too.