“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 youseriouslyasking 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 – butthischance with both hands. She had been the one to ask Joe out, she’d been theone 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.
Eleven
JACK
Jack watchedHeidi walk across the yard back to his grandmother’s home and couldn’t help but marvel at the ornery woman who captured his thoughts. She was headstrong, persnickety, and incredibly aggressive at trying to take control of things – or so he picked up from their conversations. In fact, she was quick to correct him or anyone, putting them back in their place, and that is kinda what caught his attention to begin with. Sure, she was gorgeous – but it was that fire, that spark, that kept him wishing for more.
Even tonight, he expected her to slam his suggestion into the ground or expected her to chew him out once they were out of earshot of his grandmother… because it had been his idea about the closed-down shop in town. It was a desperate move, but at the same time – exceedingly smart.
He had to act quickly in order to get Heidi to stay long enough to get to know him, while at the same time giving his grandmother something to look forward to, something to get her up and moving about instead of just sitting there, in the silence. She’d gone from a fierce and feisty woman to apainfully lonely one, making him wonder if bringing her to live with him had been the wrong idea after all. After his mother had died from breast cancer and his father had drunk himself into an early grave, his grandmother was all he had left. Heck, even his Great-Aunt Ruby – whom he wasn’t very close to – had passed away in Yonder. No, his circle of family was getting smaller and smaller, and someday, it would be just him.
Sighing heavily, Jack stood there still thinking while the crickets continued to sing around him in the distance. He’d bought this place on a whim several years ago, wanting to bring Mimi to live with him… and wanting to find someone to settle down with, except everywhere he looked, it was people he already knew. Sure, he could have done one of those dating services or moved out to Tyler, but things were so different from the stories that people used to talk about.
Fate had been a bustling town long ago, according to his grandmother, and he remembered his parents talking about how they met at the berry festival – but they hadn’t really had one in years. It was almost like they were all waiting for a spark to ignite a fire within all of them. There used to be celebrations, town hall get-togethers, garage sale days, harvest festivals, and even a snow carnival – according to his parents and his grandparents… but for the life of him, he could barely remember any of it. He’d been a young boy at the last berry festival, and his memories were fuzzy at that.
Driving by today in his patrol car, he’d seen his truck in front of the building, and it brought a smile to his face. Just like the look he’d exchanged with his grandmother over Heidi’s head as she’d been making that egg gravy that Mimi loved so much. His brief talk with Mimi before Heidi joined them had taken root in her mind and flourished. When he’d finished his route, he saw the truck was still there; that’s when he decided to pick up dinner for everyone.
“And now we’re dating,” he whispered aloud in wonder, smiling. “Will wonders never cease…?”
