Not that it was like…a date. Sammy was going to be there. It was just a friendly invite. They were all…friends.
“Six o’clock at HJs in Fairmont. Meet us if you can.” He took a step back from the counter, then another, holding her gaze ashe backed away.Clearlyenjoying himself and what had to be the shell-shocked expression on her face.
Then he turned and walked out the bakery door.
And Lia knew she would spend the next hour going back and forth, knowing she shouldn’t go, but wanting to.
Chapter Seven
“You invited Lia?” Sammy repeated, clearly surprised as they drove into Fairmont. They’d gone home and Gard had showered the day off of him. Sammy had, wisely, not brought up the party or calling Sarabeth’s mom.
Shewould, but the girl knew how to time things when she wanted to. Like the current question.
“Yeah, I did. That okay?”
“Uh,yeah, but…” She trailed off. He couldfeelher narrow-eyed stare. “You’re just trying to put off calling Sarabeth’s mom.”
Maybe. But it was a hell of an excuse. He was also using it as an excuse to distract himself from the fact he was waiting for a call or text from Dani’s manager at the restaurant with the name of whatever customer had offered her a job.
“Look, I’ll call her,” Gard said reluctantly. “I promise. I’m glad you have friends you want to hang out with.” He wasn’treally, but he knew heshouldbe. “Were you friends with them last year?”
Sammy sat back in the seat, maybe lookingalmostmollified. “I kind of avoided making friends last year. It’s not like Mom could have driven me places or whatever with her work schedule, and she got all weird if I hadguyfriends.”
“Count me among the getting weird if you have guy friends. Why is this party coed, by the way?”
Sammy rolled her eyes. “We’resixteen, Gard. Not babies.”
He didn’t point out that while Sarabeth had turned sixteen, Izzy and Sammy had yet to join her there. Because Sammy was still talking, and maybe fifteen wasn’tbabieseither, but still…
“Besides, Sarabeth plays softballandbaseball. She’s really good. The boys are just her baseball teammates—at least the ones who aren’t jerks. And her parents won’t let boys sleep over, even though Sarabeth gave them this big presentation on how it’s totally sexist gender essentialism to ban an entire gender.”
Well, at least Sarabeth’s parents sounded like reasonable people. He definitely wasn’t going to ask what gender essentialism was though. He’d look it up it later. Or maybe he’d live in ignorant bliss.
“Besides, if you let me go, it’s the perfect excuse. You can finally ask Lia out. Just you and her.”
Gard choked on his own saliva since he hadn’t seenthatsegue coming. “Excuse me?”
Sammy waved a dramatic arm. “Oh, please, like it’s not obvious you want to.”
“Sammy.” He had no idea what to say to that. What heshouldsay. They did not…discuss his personal life.
“Andshe wants you to,” Lia added.
Gard desperatelywantedto demand how she knew that. But he wasnota teenager, and neither was Lia. This wasn’t high school. He was Sammy’s guardian, which meant this wasn’t about him and Lia. It was about…her.
“Why are you matchmaking?” he asked, trying to sound reasonable and unaffected.
“Why not?”
“I can handle my own dates, Sammy. It may shock you to know, but women tend to find me attractive.”
She groaned and made a vomit gesture. “Whatever. The point is, ifI’mwhat’s holding you back on that score, I shouldn’t be.”
“You’re never holding me back, Sam.”
“You don’t have to lie.”
He pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, shoved the truck into Park, then twisted in his seat so he could look directly at her, without the distraction of driving.
