Chapter 10 #2
She walked down the hallway and opened the front door.
The sky was starting to darken. Without the sun, the air had cooled.
She walked over to where her grandfather parked his car and pulled off the cover.
The green paint sparkled in the setting sun.
She opened the door and slid behind the steering wheel.
The seats were covered in buttery-soft leather.
She slid the key into the ignition and started the engine.
The motor purred to life. She put the gearshift into Drive and headed down the lane that connected the house to the main road.
She stopped at the end of the road and gripped the steering wheel with both hands.
Lucy sat for a moment and asked herself a single, important question.
Was she ready to go forward?
Prime was Red Grove’s newest restaurant.
Located three blocks from Aiden’s apartment, it had an impressive list of bourbons and cuts of steak.
It opened at the beginning of the summer and had been booked every night.
Since the restaurant was owned by an old high school friend, Aiden was able to get a table.
Was it a lot for a first date? Maybe.
But he wanted to impress Lucy.
Standing outside of Prime, he leaned against the wall. The bricks had been warmed during the day. Even though the sun had set, they still radiated heat. Main Street was filled with cars and pedestrians both. Classes at the university started on Tuesday and most of the students had returned.
A group of young women, their arms linked into a chain, walked by laughing.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the time. 7:05 p.m.
He was supposed to meet Lucy at 7:00 p.m. Five minutes wasn’t really late, he reminded himself. The street was clogged with cars. She lived miles out of town. She was on her way. Or so he hoped.
“Hey,” called out a familiar voice. “Aiden.”
He turned to see his sisters, Kelly and Matti, walking up the street. They were dressed for a night out. Matilda wore a blue sundress. Kelly had on jeans and a blazer.
“Hey, you two.” He hugged Matti and then Kelly. “What are you doing?”
Kelly pointed to the door to Prime. “Going to grab a drink and then dinner.”
“What are you doing?” Matti asked.
“Going to Prime, too.”
“We planned this dinner weeks ago. How’d you get a reservation?” Kelly asked.
And at the same time, Matilda said, “You look nice. Who are you going out with?”
Aiden was a T-shirts and jeans kind of guy. But for tonight, he’d put on a button-up shirt and khaki pants. He ignored their questions and asked instead, “Where’s Ryan and Sammy?”
“Ryan’s working and Mom came over to stay with Sammy. When I left, they were cuddled up on the sofa, eating pizza and watching a movie.”
Aiden scanned the street, looking for the truck from the Five Steers Ranch. It wasn’t there. He refused to look at his phone again, even though he could feel the seconds slip away like grains of sand through his fingers.
Finally, he asked, “Either of you have the time?”
Kelly wore a smartwatch. She rotated her wrist and numbers appeared. “Ten after,” she said. And then, “Who are you meeting?”
“Someone new,” he said. “I don’t think you know her.”
“But someone you like,” Matilda guessed.
He shrugged. “I’m not sure if she’s even coming.”
“We can keep you company,” Kelly offered. “Our reservation isn’t until seven fifteen.”
“And if she doesn’t show, then you can hang out with us,” said Matti.
“Thanks guys,” he said. “You’re the best.”
And really, his family was amazing. But what he really wanted was to see Lucy again.
“So.” Kelly stood next to him, leaning a shoulder on the wall. “Have you talked to Dylan lately?”
Dylan was Aiden’s twin brother. He was the one who left Red Grove. After joining the FBI, he started working as an undercover agent. It meant that the family went for long periods of time without any word. “I haven’t heard from him in weeks,” said Aiden. “A month maybe.”
“I just thought that maybe he would call you after what happened last night,” said Kelly.
Like a lot of twins, they knew things about each other. Felt each other’s pain. There was a time when Aiden’s shoulder started to hurt, only to find out that Dylan had torn his rotator cuff.
“Or maybe his head hurts and he thinks I should be checking on him,” Aiden joked.
“You want to come upstairs with us?” Kelly asked. “If your friend shows up, they can meet you up there.”
Aiden looked at his phone again.
No missed calls.
One missed message.
He opened the text. It was from his friend who owned the restaurant.
Do you still want the 7:00 reservation? I usually only hold the seating for 15 minutes. But I’ll keep it open if you’ll be here.
His gaze went to the road again. Vehicles moved up and down the street. None of them belonged to Lucy. She wasn’t coming. Defeat settled on his shoulders, making it hard to stand.
He typed in a new message and hit Send.
Give away the table. I appreciate everything.
With a sigh, he shoved the phone back into his pocket. “I’m going to head back to my apartment. You two have a good night, though.”
“We won’t enjoy ourselves now,” said Kelly. She linked her arm through Aiden’s. “Let your big sister take you out to dinner.”
“Cal took me out to lunch today already. And I have a rule that only one sibling a day can pay for a meal.”
“Oh yeah?” Matilda challenged. “Since when?”
“It became an official rule about twenty seconds ago.” He pushed off the wall and took a step toward his apartment. “You two have fun. Let me know what you think of the restaurant.”
“Are you sure?” Matilda asked, calling after him.
“I’m positive,” said Aiden, giving a wave. As he walked, he tried to feel upbeat. But what was the point? The only good thing about being stood up was that he’d be able to get in bed early.
A mint green car with rounded fenders pulled up next to the curb.
He slowed as the door opened. Lucy stepped onto the sidewalk. Her blond hair was in a braid that trailed down her back. She wore a blue shirt that skimmed over her body like a waterfall.
“Sorry,” she said. “I know I’m late. There was more traffic than I expected, and Grandpa Rusty loaned me his car. He’d never forgive me if I got a speeding ticket while driving this. Anyway,” she exhaled. “Sorry again.”
“I’m just happy to see you,” he said. And then he paused. “To be honest, I was worried that you weren’t going to show up.”
She let out another breath. “There was that, too. I usually don’t do this kind of thing. Date. Go out to dinner. I always worry that I’ll have another panic attack. After what happened last night, leaving the ranch seems, I don’t know, reckless. But…”
“But?” he coaxed.
“But I like you too much.”
“I’m glad that you came.” He reached for her hand.
“Yeah,” she said, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth. “Me, too.” She paused a beat. “You’re the expert on Red Grove. Where did you want to eat?”
He thought about Prime. The extensive menu. The fancy drinks. The rooftop bar. He’d wanted to impress Lucy with an expensive meal at a trendy place. But really what he wanted was to get to know her better. “I have a question,” he asked. “What do you think about eating at a diner?”