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Gemma started to laugh. “Seriously, though. Three years. Riley gets grumpy if we don’t do it for three days.”
“I guess it’s hard being a single dad.”
“Obviously.” Gemma wiggled her brows.
Cassie opened her mouth to reply, but right then the door to the diner jingled open and Delilah walked in. She was wearing a green flowery dress, her hair up in bunches, one of them a little higher than the other. Her face lit up when she saw Cassie sitting with Gemma.
“Hi Cassie!” She ran over. “Guess what?”
“What?” Cassie leaned forward, all ears.
“I’ve been picked for the choir. To sing. I get to make my de-boot next month.”
Cassie grinned at her pronunciation of debut. “That’s wonderful. Congratulations.”
“But I want my hair in a fishtail braid,” Delilah said. “Can you do it for me? Daddy can’t.”
From the corner of her eye she saw Presley walk in, with his parents and brothers. She’d only seen Hendrix once, but apart from his blonde hair, he was a carbon copy of his two older brothers.
All three of them were wearing suits. They looked devastating. Heads turned to watch them walk.
Presley’s eyes caught hers and he smiled. She smiled back.
“Hey.” He put his hand on Delilah’s shoulder. “Is she disturbing you?”
“Not at all.” She shook her head, feeling ridiculously pleased to see him. “How was church?”
“Tolerable.”
Gemma kicked her under the table, and she kicked her back.
“Daddy, can we sit with Cassie?” Delilah asked.
“There’s not enough seats,” Presley said. “And anyway, she’s with a friend.”
“That’s not a friend. That’s Gemma.” Delilah rolled her eyes at him. “She says hi every time I go into class.”
“Sorry,” Pres said to Gemma, who was openly staring at him. “She’s a little overexcited.”
“I mean, she isn’t wrong,” Gemma said, smiling at him. “I am just Gemma.”
“Hi Cass,” Marley said, coming to join them. He’d already loosened the knot on his tie and unbuttoned the collar of his shirt. He looked about as comfortable in a suit as Presley did.
But they were both hot. In every single way.
“Hi.” She smiled at him. “You look fancy.”
“Mom insists on dressing up for church. Usually I’m at the station but Pres called and told me that if he had to go to church, I did too.” He shrugged. “Anyway, did this animal get you home okay last night?” he asked, bumping his shoulder against Presley’s.
“Yeah. It was all good.” She gave him a smile.
And then the rest of the family walked over. She got an official introduction to Hendrix, and Presley’s mom and Gemma started talking about the annual dance show they put on every Christmas.
“You want your check?” their server asked Cassie and Gemma, because the diner was filling up.
“Hey, Rina,” Maddie said.
“Hey, Maddie.” Their server grinned. “I didn’t see you there.” She looked around. “Want to take the big corner booth?”
