Chapter 5
HUNTER
Ifollowed Seraphina’s car out of the school parking lot and through the Friday early evening streets of Willet Cove, three cars behind her, close enough to keep track of the turn signal on her white Volvo.
Tyler was in the passenger seat. I could see the back of his head, still in his cap, and occasionally the gesture of his hands.
I really hoped Seraphina didn’t mind that I was joining them for dinner a second night in a row. But I could tell she’d been raised in the south. Her manners were impeccable. If she’d wished I’d decline, I’d never have known it.
Marco’s was located just north of city center. I was just behind them as I pulled into the lot in back of the restaurant. I got out of my truck, checking my back pocket to make sure I had my wallet. There was no way I was letting her pay tonight.
Marco’s on a Friday afternoon was busy, but nothing like it would be this coming summer when the tourists descended like flies on a cow patty.
We grabbed a just vacated booth. Tyler slid in first, plopping himself smack in the middle of his side, making it impossible for me to do anything but sit next to Seraphina.
I tried to keep my thigh from brushing hers, but I was a big man.
It would take a lot of effort to keep my leg even an inch from hers.
“Okay, so I love the meat lovers one,” Tyler said. “But Mom likes the barbecue-chicken. So we usually get a medium for me and a personal size for her.”
“You can eat a whole medium pizza?” I asked.
“Without even trying,” Tyler said, grinning. “What kind of pizza do you like? Cause I can try something new.”
“That’s okay. I love the meat lovers one,” I said.
“You do? For real?” Tyler searched my face, looking for cracks.
“For real. That’s what I get every time I’m in here.”
“Maybe a large then?” Seraphina asked. “And I’ll get the barbecue?”
“Perfect,” Tyler said.
“We should share a Greek salad,” I said. “Otherwise Margaret will scold me for not having any vegetables.”
“No onions, though,” Tyler said. “The red ones last for days in my mouth.”
Seraphina laughed. “So true.”
“I absolutely hate that,” I said. “A person should not wake up tasting the dinner they ate the night before.”
“Right?” Tyler asked, looking pleased that I agreed.
A server came by then to take our order.
Seraphina and I each got a glass of red wine.
Tyler a root beer. Someone brought glasses of water, which I was grateful for.
My mouth had gone dry. It might have been the scent of the woman beside me.
She smelled floral with a hint of vanilla.
And she looked so cute in her baseball cap.
She had her hair in a ponytail with it sticking out of the back of the cap, and I had the urge to tug on it. Fortunately, I restrained myself.
“So, how was your day?” Tyler asked me.
I smiled. This kid tickled me. “It was actually stellar.”
“Really? How come?” Tyler asked.
Beside me, Seraphina shifted slightly to get a better look at me.
“I wrote a song this morning. Just came out of nowhere,” I said. “Which hasn’t happened in a long time.”
“How did it come to you?” Seraphina asked.
“A phrase popped into my head. Then more came during a run. And more in the shower. I grabbed Georgia and started playing around and it just came out.”
“Georgia?” Seraphina asked.
“My guitar.” I felt the back of my neck grow warm. “Musicians often name our instruments.”
“Georgia was my mother’s name,” Seraphina said. “Weird, right?”
I didn’t know what to say. Goosebumps traveled up my arms. What were the odds? “That is weird.”
“Kind of like the number sixty-one,” Tyler said.
Tyler was watching us like a ping pong match, with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Mom named her keyboard. She has this weird outer space looking ergonomic one.”
Seraphina dropped her face into her hands. “Don’t tell him about that.” But she was laughing.
“I saw it yesterday in your office. C’mon, you have to tell me what you named her.” I held up a hand. “Wait, let me guess.”
“Fine.” Seraphina took her cap off, leaving it on the table. A crease had indented her forehead. If only I could smooth it out with my thumb. “What you got?”
“Okay, I’m thinking it’s a she,” I said. “Objects are always women.”
“That’s correct,” Seraphina said.
“And it might be something sentimental. Or someone you admired?”
“Nope, not it,” Seraphina said.
“Is it ironic?” I asked.
“I don’t think so,” Seraphina said. “Actually, I don’t even know when I started calling her that.”
“Okay, let me take a guess about Madam Keyboard. Tippy? Like Typey?” I made a typing motion with my fingers.
They both laughed.
“No. Think less on the nose,” Seraphina said.
“I need a hint,” I said.
“Think about what you might name a cow,” Tyler blurted out, clearly loving this game.
“A cow? Hmmm, let me see.” I thought for a moment. “Daisy? Petunia? Oreo?”
“Definitely not Oreo. Or the flower names,” Seraphina said.
“Bertha?” I asked.
Seraphina turned all the way toward me. “How in the world did you just guess that?”
“I don’t know. It just popped into my head.” I shrugged, laughing at the disbelief on her face.
“You knew it already,” Seraphina said. “You had to.”
I threw up my hands. “Okay, yes. I heard Delphine teasing you about Bertha, the ugly keyboard that you bring on vacation.”
“She hates Bertha,” Seraphina said. “It’s very hurtful. Especially since Bertha saves my arms from carpel issues.”
We were all laughing as the server brought our drinks.
I took a sip of Chianti. Kind of dry for my taste, but good enough.
“What’s the name of your new song?” Tyler asked. “And are you going to give it to Ivy James?”
“It’s called, “Or Something Like That Anyway.” And I already sent it to her. In fact, she may have texted me already, but I’ll check later.”
“Does she ever hate them?” Tyler asked.
“I wouldn’t say hate. But sometimes she doesn’t think they’re right for her.”
“That makes sense,” Seraphina said.
“Interesting title,” Tyler said. “My mom says that all the time. Usually after she says something too personal.”
I stared at him for a moment. “She said it the other night. That’s where it came from.”
Tyler’s mouth dropped open. “No way. Oh my God, that’s the coolest thing ever. Can we hear it?”
“Maybe some time. We’ll see what Ivy thinks. Wes thought it was good. We recorded it today in Wes’s studio and sent it over to her.” I turned to Seraphina. “Ivy’s coming next week to spend some time with Wes and me. We’re hoping to do some writing.”
“Oh, that’s nice,” Seraphina’s expression had shuttered into something protective.
“There’s nothing between them but friendship,” Tyler said. “I already asked.”
Seraphina went pink. “That’s none of my business. Or yours, Tyler.”
“Sorry, Mom,” Tyler said, not sounding at all repentant.
The server arrived with our pizza, which gave Seraphina a moment to recover her composure.
We ate. Tyler applied himself to the meat lovers with serious dedication.
Seraphina took small bites of her barbecue chicken and asked me about Ivy—how we’d met, how long we’d been writing together.
I told her about the early Nashville days, two broke musicians in a city full of them and how we’d met at The Meadowlark Café. ”
“I’ve always wanted to go there,” Seraphina said.
“It’s a very special place,” I said.
“Hunter says we can meet Ivy when she’s here,” Tyler said, adjusting a piece of pepperoni before taking a bite.
“I’ll probably make a complete fool of myself,” Seraphina said. “Are you sure she wants to or has time?”
“She’s always happy to meet friends of mine and fans,” I said. “Plus, your mom’s her type of person.”
“How so?” Tyler asked, leaning into the table.
“She likes other boss ladies,” I said.
“The other kids and I noticed you were on Second Chance,” Tyler said, super casual.
“How do you know?” I asked, embarrassed.
“Because a match came through for Mom today, and it was you,” Tyler said. “Robbie used his compatibility predictor, and you two have the best rating so far. Ninety-nine percent. Isn’t that crazy?”
I shifted, uncomfortable.
“How long have you been on there?” Seraphina asked.
“Recently.”
“How recently?” Tyler asked.
“A few nights ago,” I said under my breath.
“What made you go on there?” Seraphina asked.
I looked at her, knowing I should just fess up. “I made a profile so I could see yours. That’s the truth.”
She looked at me for a long moment through narrowed eyes, her shoulders lifted. “Why did you want to do that?”
“I was curious,” I said. “And hoping to get to know you better.”
An awkward silence ensued where we all pretended to be really into our food.
“I wrote her profile,” Tyler said finally. “I think I did a great job.”
“I agree,” I said. “Especially putting in her favorite song.”
Seraphina nudged me with her elbow. “Now, don’t tease me about that. The song’s sacred to me.”
“I would never tease you about loving one of my songs.”
“Did you see any profiles on there that interested you?” Seraphina looked back up at me, unflinching this time, a twinkle of flirtation in her eyes.
“Only one. I didn’t need to look any further.”
“Is that right?” Seraphina asked.
“I’m kind of a one profile at a time type of man,” I said.
Tyler glanced from one of us to the other, and then seemed to make a decision. “I see some friends up front. I’m going to say hello.”
After he was gone, neither of us spoke. Finally, she said, “I think Tyler might be a one profile type of guy, and yours is the one he’s set his heart on.”
“Is that a problem?” I asked.
“I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. These kids are kind of pushy.” She placed one elbow on the table top and rested her cheek in her hand, watching me.
“I find it hilarious they took it upon themselves. But their success rate is climbing, so maybe they’re on to something?”
“Maybe.”
“I’m thinking we should just give in. Admit defeat. We’ve been set up.”
“The guitar lessons?” Seraphina asked.
“What do they call that in romance novels?”
“Forced proximity.” She smiled, shaking her head. “These kids are too smart.”
“Do you think baseball practice really ran late the other day?” I asked.
She made a face. “I didn’t even think about that.”
“Would you like to go out with me? Just the two of us?”
Seraphina shifted, removing her elbow from the table and taking hold of her wine glass. “It’s been a long time since I let anyone in. I’m not sure if I remember how.”
“Me either.”
“Really?”
“We’re at the age where we’ve loved and lost,” I said. “It makes us more cautious than we should be, maybe?”
“Maybe. Or maybe not.”
“I haven’t dated since my divorce. I’ve not been in the head space to try again,” I said.
“Same.” She turned her wine glass slowly, staring at the table. “I’ve just focused on my work and my son. I tell myself that’s enough. Most days it is.”
“Is it hard writing romance when you have none of your own?” I asked. “I’ve been wanting to ask you that for a while now.”
“Sometimes. Sometimes I feel sad, thinking about all the happy endings I’ve written, but have yet to find my own.”
“Do you believe it’s possible?” I asked.
“I always believe love is possible.”
“Is that a yes, then? You’ll let me take you out?”
She tugged on her ponytail, smiling. “It’s a yes.”
“You have plans on Sunday?” I asked.
“No, Sunday evening’s free.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at six.”
Before she could answer, Tyler galloped back to the table carrying a pizza box, reminding me slightly of Trevor.
“What’s up?” Tyler asked, sliding back into the booth.
“Are you done with your dinner?” Seraphina asked.
“Yep. You?” Tyler asked, looking between us, his eyes sparkling.
“We are, yes.” Seraphina said, with a quick glance up at me.
“Hunter, do you want to take some of this home?” Tyler gestured toward the remaining pizza.
“Go for it,” I said.
“Great. Because sometimes I get hungry before bed.”
“Enjoy that metabolism while you can,” I said.
“Why do grown-ups always say that?” Tyler asked, as he lifted the lid of the box.
“Bitterness mostly,” I said, laughing.
I slid out of the booth and offered my hand to Seraphina. She took it, meeting my gaze for a split second, as I helped her to her feet. Tyler walked ahead of us, opening the door. The sky had darkened, but there were only a couple stars visible, as well as a sliver of the moon.
Tyler spotted someone from the team across the parking lot and went to say hello, leaving us standing by Seraphina’s car.
“Thanks for today,” she said. “The game. And this.”
“Thank you for letting me crash both.”
She looked up at the sky for a moment, then back at me. “Sunday then?”
“Yes, Sunday.”
She held my gaze for a beat, then reached up to brush something from my shoulder. “Stray pepper flake.”
I moved a little closer, forgetting where I was for a second, my gaze on her mouth. What would it be like to kiss her? Would I ever have the chance to find out?
Tyler materialized at her elbow. “You ready, Mom?”
“Yes, I’m ready.” She opened her car door.
Tyler remained by my side. “Hunter, I know you probably have a lot of places to be, so thanks for coming to my game. It meant a lot.”
“I’ll look forward to the next one.”
“Yeah, okay, cool.” He grinned, then headed around to the passenger side and got in the car.
I stood where I was until the Volvo’s taillights turned onto Harbor Street and disappeared. Then, I got in my truck and headed home, feeling lighter than I had in ages.
As I pulled into my spot in the garage at Wes’s my phone buzzed with a text.
Ivy
Holy smokes. Your new song’s the cat’s meow. Can I have it for real?
Hunter
It’s yours. Make it a hit, okay?
Ivy
I’ll do what I can. I’m glad you’re writing again. Feeling better?
Hunter
A bit, yeah. I’ll tell you everything when you get here next week. But let’s just say, I’m back.
Ivy
Thank the good lord.