Chapter 10 #3
The moon was high in the sky, and she had never really paid attention to how dark the world was when that blanket of stars covered the world.
A single lamppost in the distance marked the stop sign, and the crickets were humming out their steady rhythm, making her again feel small, unimportant.
Life went on, but it was in these quiet moments that made you feel alone, yet peaceful…
which was almost unsettling until she heard his voice.
“You okay over there?”
Jack.
He stood on the old wooden wraparound porch of his house that was in dire need of a good paint job – and she almost told him as much. Instead, she stepped in the grass, one foot right in front of the other, carrying her plate like this was an everyday occurrence.
“Everything is fine,” she replied simply.
“Mimi is already snoring – and eating alone is against the natural order of things, or don’t you country boys know that…
” her words trailed off just in time to catch his light chuckle of amusement that kept propelling her toward him.
“Laugh all you want, but I’m not eating alone. ”
“Kinda sticks in your craw, doesn’t it?”
“I don’t know what a ‘craw’ is, but yes…” she admitted, taking the steps to the porch one at a time as she watched his shadowy frame move a little closer to a chair, scooting it noisily forward toward her. “I'd better not get a splinter from that chair.”
“If you do, I’ll get the tweezers.”
“You’re not touching my butt with a pair of tweezers.”
“I never said I’d be getting the splinter – just the tweezers.”
“Hmm,” she replied – and sat down in the rocking chair, holding her plate in front of her, and picked up her fork to take another bite… only to hear his own chair move closer. “I guess we’ll eat in the dark.”
“We should, unless you want bugs trying to land on you.”
“It could land in my dinner,” she countered, hesitating with awareness and holding her fork before her as he chuckled softly in the dark beside her.
“Then you’d never see it – and I hear it’s protein.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“Then why are you here?”
His softly spoken question was followed by the sound of his fork scraping his own plate as he took a bite. Her eyes were getting used to the darkness, the shadows, and she inserted her own bite in her mouth, chewing pensively instead of answering him.
“Your car is ready,” he said simply, his voice low as his fork scraped against the stoneware plate once more.
“How much do I owe you?”
“You don’t.”
“I don’t take charity.”
“It’s not charity.”
“Are we really doing this?”
“Talking over dinner as two adults – yes.”
She hesitated and looked to her side, only to see him take another bite as he looked off in the distance.
“So,” he began quietly, putting another bite in his mouth and then talking with his mouth full. “Is this a date?”
Heidi had just been about to take another bite when he said those words – and paused, putting her fork back down in her plate to stare at him. He sat there, not looking at her, and chewing silently as the very corner of his lip curled upward in a slight smile – waiting.
“Seriously?” she retorted in a hushed whisper. “Are you seriously asking me if this is a date again? Don’t you ever learn?”
“Not really…”
“Chew with your mouth closed,” she ordered tersely and hesitated, swallowing back her fear as she grabbed at a chance – not Officer Chance – but this chance with both hands.
She had been the one to ask Joe out, she’d been the one to push for a relationship…
and she’d been the one to walk away when enough was enough. “Yes – it’s a date.”
The amount of willpower it took to keep her from looking at Jack when she felt him turn, his eyes burning a path of disbelief and surprise along the side of her face, that amount of willpower was simply staggering.
It was, in her head, the equivalent of lifting a car off of a person – or pretty much the same amount of strength.
“Good,” he replied and settled back into his seat, scooping up another bite of baked potato with barbecue beef on top. “Good to know that we’re finally dating.”
“It needs work,” she admitted glibly, glancing at him… and their eyes met in that brief second before she looked away. “It shouldn’t be a question for either of us, just so you know.”
“Fair enough,” he said easily, almost like they were discussing the weather. “I guess you’re sticking around for a while, if we’re dating?”
“A while,” she confirmed in a hushed voice and then looked at him again – this time, he was watching her and waiting.
“Good,” he replied softly, his eyes searching hers. “Guess I’ll get to work on honing my dating skills immediately.”
Heidi nodded silently as they sat there peacefully beside each other, the sound of their forks, crickets, and faint creaks from their wooden rockers echoed in the evening air.
They finished their meals, remained a little longer sitting in the dark together, before she stood up and gathered their plates.
“Good night,” she said softly, worried that he would try to make a move or ruin things before it ever got started. Her feet had just left the steps, making her way onto the grass toward the paver pathway between the two houses, when she heard his voice.
“It really is a good night. Sweet dreams, Heidi,” he called out quietly as she walked away – smiling. Jack was right, though she’d never admit it. This evening was the most peaceful evening she’d had in a long time – in fact, the whole day was mind-blowing.
She was staying in Fate – and dating Jack.