“Probably a good thing,” I conceded.
“I’m going to run into the diner across the street to grab an iced tea for the road and use the restroom, so I better let you go. Text me when you get home safe.”
“Will do. You do the same.” I paused, not quite wanting to say goodbye again. “I’ll talk to you this week, sweetheart.”
“Okay,” she answered softly. “Be safe, Nash.”
Nash:Made it home to Burton. House feels emptier than usual, which is crazy, but there it is. I’m meeting Reggie for dinner at Kenny’s. Hope your drive is going well.
Peyton:I’m home safe, too. Peg cooked up fried chicken and greens, which are my FAVORITE, so I’m dropping my bags at home and then walking down to her house to eat. Who is Kenny?
Nash:Fried chicken is my favorite, too, with chicken and dumplings a close second. Bet you had a great meal. Kenny’s is the local diner here in Burton. It’s owned and run by Kenny and his wife Darlene, and they make the best food around, especially their pie. Reggie and I had a good time—he’s thrilled about Jared, already heard from the Bradys’ attorney. Looks like the deal is going to go through thanks to you. <3
Nash:I’m heading to bed now, but before I sleep I wanted to say that I wish it was last night again, and that my arms were wrapped around you. Good night, sweetheart.
One weekafter the reunion
Peyton:Oh my God, I just got home after dinner with Peg and Charlie. I love them both, but they won’t get off this ‘save Peyton’ kick.
Nash:Save you from what?
Peyton:From myself, apparently. They think I don’t have a life, and they’re trying to convince me to get on a dating app.
Nash:That’s got to be annoying. I don’t want to state the obvious, but maybe they’d lay off if you mentioned to them that you have a pretty serious text relationship with a guy who would really love to see you this weekend.
Peyton:I almost did tell them. But now I feel like they’d be hurt I didn’t say anything until now.
Peyton:Do you really want to see me this weekend? Where?
Nash:Haven’t I made it clear to you that I want to see you whenever, wherever, however? But in this case, how about you come to Burton? We could have dinner at the Road Block and I can show you around the town.
Peyton:Well . . . the store is closed on Sundays, and I don’t have plans for this weekend. I could drive down on Saturday afternoon after I close up . . . if you can recommend a place where I could stay, that is.
Nash:I think I can recommend some overnight accommodation with very special, personalized service.
Peyton:Color me intrigued. Send me the address for the Road Block, and I’ll meet you there at six.
Nash:Counting the minutes.
Chapter Eleven
Nash
“So tell me about this place.”
I looked up from the menu, gazing across the table at Peyton. She was watching me, wearing that same half-smile that had intrigued me since the first day I’d seen her back in freshman year. She was especially beautiful tonight, with her hair caught back away from her face, showing off those luminous green eyes. She’d dressed down tonight at my suggestion, wearing a simple light green scoop-necked tee with a pair of jeans that fit her in a way that made my mouth water.
“Ah . . . the Road Block.” Sitting back in my chair, I tossed the menu onto the table. Not like I needed it, anyway; I knew Mason’s offerings by heart. “Mason Wallace is a local boy with a real gift for music. After high school, he moved to Nashville, but as he tells it, he realized he was more suited to finding talent than to being a star. He started working for a production company, discovered some of the stars who are household names today. He married one of them, they had a baby, and then she died. She was killed in an accident.”
“Oh, my God. That’s so tragic.” Peyton covered her mouth. “That poor man.”
“Yeah, and right around the same time, his mom, who still lived here, got a cancer diagnosis. So Mason moved home to help her, and he decided to open up his own place where some of the musical acts he knew were rising stars could come play. He started up the Road Block as a bar and a dance club, a musical venue, and then later, he added a lunch menu on weekdays.”
“Did his mother recover?”
“Oh, yeah, she’s doing really well. Total remission. And Mason met someone a little while after he moved back—they got married and have a bunch of kids.” I spread out my hands. “Everything turned out well for him.”
“This place is pretty great, too. Do you come here a lot?” Peyton tilted her head.
