by Rose Pressey
I hurried and began picking up the items. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t worry about that,” she said as she helped pick up the candy. “So what do you say about dinner tonight?”
I placed the last of the candy bars back on the display shelf. She wasn’t going to let this one go and I didn’t think there was any way out of it. If answering yes meant that I could get out of there right now I would agree. I could always call and cancel, right? I walked toward the door and she followed me. When I reached the entrance I knew that I had delayed long enough.
I released a deep breath and finally said, “Okay, I’ll see you for dinner tonight.”
A huge smile spread across her face. I’d had no idea it would make her this happy. Now I felt guilty about thinking I could just cancel on her. That would make her so unhappy and I didn’t want to be responsible for that.
“I’m so glad you are coming. How about seven? You still remember how to get to the house, right?”
I’d never seen her so excited. “Yes, I still remember how to get there.”
I wanted to ask if Grant would be there, but I already knew the answer. She was trying to play matchmaker and she wasn’t being very subtle about it. How bad would dinner be though? I could try to steer the conversation to more general topics. It wouldn’t be so terrible. I’d been through worse things. Not much worse, but worse.
“I’ll see you at seven.” I waved over my shoulder.
She clapped her hands together. “All right. I’ll see you at seven.”
I stepped out of the door feeling as if I’d just been in a hurricane. What the hell had just happened to me? How had I let that happen? I obviously was no match for Hurricane Elaine. When she wanted something she was definitely going to get it. I had put up a very weak fight though. Not that it would have mattered. That whole exchange with his mother had been extremely awkward. What would Grant say when he saw me at his parents’ house? He’d probably think it was my idea. Well, I’d tell him a thing or two about that. I would make it very clear that it wasn’t my idea.
I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face though. I guessed it was kind of sweet of his mother to want to get us together, but it just wouldn’t work. I supposed that was a mother’s job.
I headed in the direction of the clothing store, where I’d been going in the first place. Now I needed to find something to wear to dinner.
What was Grant’s favorite color? Oh, yeah—green.
Chapter Six
Grant’s coming to dinner
I wasn’t sure why my mother had invited me for dinner tonight. She never prepared anything for us on week nights. I hoped it wasn’t bad news. My brothers hadn’t been invited, which I found even more peculiar. All she had said was that she had a surprise for me.
It wasn’t my birthday, so it couldn’t be that. What else was there? The teasing tone of her voice had suggested that she had something up her sleeve. I hoped it wasn’t another one of her attempts at setting me up with a blind date. Last time it hadn’t worked out so well and she’d promised never to do it again.
My parents lived in a two-story brick house with a small tract of land. I pulled up to the driveway, but wasn’t expecting to meet a car pulling out. It wasn’t just any car either. I knew right away that it was Chloe. Then I saw her sweet face behind the wheel of the car. Our eyes met and she looked slightly panicked. She pulled out on the road and avoided looking over at me. What was she doing at my parents’? Now I knew what my mother’s surprise had been. How had she tricked Chloe into coming over?
I was sure once Chloe had found out I would be there she had decided to leave. I wheeled my truck into the driveway and backed out onto the road again. Punching the gas, I caught up to Chloe. She looked in her rear-view mirror, so I knew she was aware that I was behind her. I wasn’t holding out hope that she would stop to talk with me though. With that thought she actually sped up and I had to push the gas again. I was hoping she wouldn’t crash her car just trying to get away from me.
Maybe I needed to ease up so that she wouldn’t feel the need to speed. Just then my phone rang. I reached over and retrieved it from the seat. The caller ID flashed my mother’s number. She had some explaining to do, but right now I didn’t want to chance answering her call. I’d return her call later though and see what she had to say about this stunt.
At least Chloe wasn’t speeding any more. She’d actually decided to follow the speed limit and slow down. We were quickly approaching the more populated area of town and speeding wouldn’t have been a wise choice.
I flashed my headlights at Chloe, but not surprisingly she didn’t stop. She was probably cussing me for following her. Even so she could at least stop and talk to me for a second. She could tell me what scheme my mother had used to get her to her house. I was stubborn and Chloe knew that. But if she didn’t stop soon then I would stop following her. I didn’t want to cause her any more stress than she already had.
The lights of town came into view as we approached. She would have to slow down more now that we had reached the congested area.
I didn’t expect her to speed up again, but she did. She made a right turn onto Sycamore and I followed. But when I got onto the street I didn’t see her car. I couldn’t believe that she had actually lost me. I had to give her credit for the awesome driving skills. She had outsmarted me. That was what I got for following her in the first place. I should have taken the hint and left her alone.
When I made it to the next light I looked to my left and my right. That was when I spotted her again.
So she hadn’t gotten too far away. I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel and impatiently waited for the light to turn green. When it finally switched colors, I turned left and attempted to catch up with her. It didn’t take long until I was behind her again. She made the next left and I figured she was headed back to her hotel room. She was probably beyond pissed with me for following her like we were in some kind of police chase. If she’d just talk to me, then I could try to explain.
Sure enough, within a short time, she was pulling into the hotel parking lot. I pulled in right behind her. She whipped her car up to the hotel room and I wheeled into the nearest parking space I could find. I was preparing myself for the tongue-lashing she was about to give me. Chloe looked sexy when she was angry. Something told me she wouldn’t want to hear that though. She probably wouldn’t offer a smile either. I’d take any expression other than a sneer as a good sign.
When she opened her car door I shoved my truck into park. I jumped out of the truck and ran after her. “Chloe, wait. What is your hurry?”
When she reached her room door she whipped around and glared at me. “Why in the hell are you following me?”
Wow. I hadn’t expected to get that much of an evil glare. She looked like she wanted to punch me in the stomach. I had really pissed her off this time. Like she wasn’t already mad enough with me. This hadn’t helped.
“I want to talk with you.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “Well, you’ve got me now. What do you want?”
“Why didn’t you stop?” I asked.
“Because I didn’t want to? Why would I stop in the middle of the road to talk with you?”
She did have a point there. “You could have pulled over somewhere so we could talk,” I said.
“We’re talking now, but all you’re saying is why I didn’t stop.”
“I was just surprised to see you pulling out of my parents’ driveway. I guess my mother got to you somehow. I really shouldn’t be surprised. She’s sneaky like that.”
A slight smile crossed Chloe’s lips. “She is sneaky. She’s very good at it. Why were you really following me?”
“I told you I want to talk.”
“Do you know that was trying to get away from you?”
“I sensed that by the speed race you had going on back there,” I said with a smile.
She bit her lip. “I was just trying to get out of ther
e.”
“Before I got there, right?”
Her right eyebrow shot up. “You got it.”
“Why did you go in the first place? You had to know that she was trying to set you up.”
“She invited me for dinner. How could I say no?”
“She does have a way of making you feel guilty.”
“Yes, she does have a talent for it. Anyway, I thought it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. But then I decided it was a bad idea after all.”
“What made you decide that?” I asked.
Chloe looked down at her feet. Apparently she wasn’t going to answer me. But I knew what made her come to that decision without her answering. She didn’t want to face me. I had forced her to do that now. I had to admit that the dinner probably would have been awkward with my mother trying to play matchmaker all evening.
“Why did you decide to go?” I thought I’d try again to get that answer from her.
She shook her head. “You know why, so stop trying to get me to tell you.”
I shoved my hands in my pockets. “Sorry. Don’t blame my mom, okay? She was just trying to be nice. I know she didn’t mean any harm.”
Chloe nodded. “Of course not. I know she just wants the best for you.”
Yeah, and the best for me as far as my mother was concerned was Chloe. I couldn’t say that I disagreed with her either.
Chloe stared down at her feet again and then finally said, “I should go now.” She met my stare.
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m sorry about following you.”
At least she’d talked to me for a few minutes. After another few seconds she smiled and then turned to open her door. I watched as she stepped inside. She turned and looked back at me. I smiled and she gave a little grin then closed the door. I stared at the closed door for a moment longer before finally turning around and climbing back into my truck.
I released a deep breath and cranked the engine. I couldn’t believe my mother had invited her. I thought my mother knew that we weren’t really on friendly terms. Hell, I wasn’t sure where we were. Our connection was awkward to say the least. I had to give my mother credit for trying though. I wouldn’t put it past her to try again either. Chloe would have to keep her distance if she didn’t want to fall victim to my mother again. But she’d probably already figured that out.
As I got ready to pull my truck out of the parking lot, I spotted a car leaving. It had turned its lights on and pulled out from a parking space nearby. I hadn’t even noticed that anyone was sitting in the car. When had they gotten in? When I looked closer, I thought I recognized Porter. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him at the hotel if what I’d heard about him was correct. He liked to meet the ladies where their husbands wouldn’t see them. But still I didn’t trust that he hadn’t been watching Chloe. The creep had some explaining to do. What the hell was his problem?
When he pulled out I turned right onto the street and followed his car. He wasn’t driving fast like Chloe and he didn’t seem to care if I followed him or not. I’d like to ask him a few questions, but I doubted he’d give me a straight answer anyway. I wouldn’t follow him for long, but I was curious where he was headed. Plus, I wanted to make sure that he didn’t go back to the hotel tonight. He needed to stay away from Chloe and I was going to make sure he knew that.
A red light caught me as he drove on through. There was no way I would catch up with him. When the light finally turned, I took off, but I didn’t see his car anywhere. I thought about turning back and checking the hotel one last time, but if Chloe caught me driving by again she would surely never speak to me again. Besides, he was probably going home now that he knew that I had followed him out of the place. I hoped that Chloe had locked her door. I’d drive by in the morning and check on her—well, not actually go up to the door, but just make sure her car was there and the inspector’s car wasn’t. But right now I decided to go home. It had been a long day and I needed to crash.
The night was dark and only the headlights of my truck sliced through the black as I headed home. I drove down my street, but didn’t turn into the driveway. Instead I drove on past and pulled into her uncle’s place. I wasn’t surprised to see that there weren’t any lights on and his car wasn’t in the driveway. It didn’t hurt to check though.
When I walked in my door I threw my keys on the table and went straight for the fridge to grab a beer. I plopped down on the sofa and flicked on the TV. When my phone rang again I grabbed it and checked the caller ID. It was my mother again. This time I was going to make her explain her little plan. The plan that had backfired on her. Plus I needed to persuade her never to try anything like that again. Who was I kidding? That would never happen. She was about as stubborn as Chloe. I’d never realized how much they had in common.
Chapter Seven
Chloe’s determined
The diner was at the end of Main and Elm. It was one of those places that served everything with a good helping of grease. I usually made a feeble attempt to absorb some of it with my napkin, but who was I kidding—smashing a napkin on my food would make little difference to the healthiness of the cuisine. Gina had picked the place to eat though, so I would make the most of it.
She whipped the car into the parking space and cut the engine. “I don’t have much of an appetite lately,” she said as she unfastened her seatbelt.
I opened the car door. “You need your strength, so just try to eat what you can.”
We walked through the door and the smell of bacon and coffee smacked me in the face. The place had been remodeled since I’d been there. Apparently there was a new owner. Windows lined three walls, letting in light from almost every angle. Booths were along the walls and tables were in the middle of the space. It was a typical retro-style diner.
Gina pointed at a booth across the way. “How about there?”
“That’s fine,” I said, looking around at the gawking faces.
Surprisingly, I recognized a couple people. Well, I guessed I shouldn’t be too surprised. Most people never left Belle Grove.
The waitress didn’t speak as she dumped the menus on the table. Maybe it was just me, but she seemed a bit hostile.
“Does she not like us?” I asked.
Gina picked up a menu. “She used to date your uncle.”
Oh… I looked over at the woman as she stood behind the counter. She wore the diner’s uniform of a blue shirt and black pants. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail.
“I take it she knows that you are seeing my uncle,” I said.
Gina nodded, but didn’t look up from her menu. “Yes, she knows. I don’t know why she cares, she broke up with him anyway.”
I stared at the woman for a moment until she looked over and caught me. I grabbed the menu and buried my face in it. This situation was too awkward.
The sensation that someone was standing next to the table grabbed my attention. As much as I didn’t want to I know who was there I had to look over. I peeked over the top of the menu, expecting to see the waitress. A man was staring at us from the next booth over. A couple of men sat across from him with their backs facing me.
Gina looked over just then and frowned.
“Who is he?” I asked.
“That’s Porter Brennan, the building inspector that Taylor had words with the other day. He’s the reason for our fight.”
The man watched me for a moment longer and then said, “How are you, ladies? Are you new in town?”
I stared at him. “No, Belle Grove is my hometown.” What business was it of his?
“It must be nice to be home.” He flashed a fake smile.
I nodded. “Yes, it is.” Trying to avoid more conversation, I studied my menu.
“That’s really nice, real nice,” he said.
I glanced at Gina and she frowned. What exactly did this man want?
“So, you’re a long way from your new home. I bet you can’t wait to get back.” He still scrutinized my every move.
When
I looked at Gina, she shrugged.
He continued to talk in spite of the fact that I wasn’t engaging in the conversation. “Yes, I bet you’re ready to get out of Belle Grove.”
That was strange. If I didn’t know better I would have thought he was trying to tell me something. Like that it was time for me to leave.
“Well, enjoy your breakfast, ladies. My eggs are getting cold.” He nodded and flashed a fake smile.
When he stopped watching me, I asked Gina, “That was strange. Do you know him?”
She nodded. “Not very well. I know he is the one who approves all new buildings in Belle Grove.”
“Even new houses?” I asked.
She took a sip of her water, then said, “Yes, I’m sure he handles that as well.”
“I imagine that my uncle had to get permission from him to build the new house.” I wondered how that had gone.
The waitress made her way back over to our table. “Gina, how are you?” She didn’t seem too sincere when she asked.
“I’m okay,” Gina mumbled.
No other words were exchanged as we placed our orders. I decided on toast and eggs while Gina had the French toast.
“I guess she isn’t happy with you. Should we be worried about our food?” I asked.
Gina shook her head. “I think she’s harmless.”
Well, just to be safe I was going to look for anything in my food that I didn’t think was supposed to be there. Better safe than sorry.
The waitress brought the food back and not so gently placed it on the table in front of us. “Anything else?” she asked hastily.
I wasn’t about to ask for ketchup. “No, thanks,” I mumbled.
After she’d gone, I grabbed a bottle of ketchup from another table and poured a mountain of the tangy sauce over the top of my eggs. “So she was dating my uncle and then they broke up?”
Gina leaned in closer. “She doesn’t date anyone exclusively, if you know what I mean.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I think I know what you mean. Why is she so upset then if she didn’t even want him?”