He thanked the Thompsons for having Sammy. He wanted to go say goodbye to Sammy and lecture her about manners and safety, but she was laughing with Sarabeth and she looked…
Happy. Without a care in the world. Like a fifteen-year-old should. Likehe’dbeen able to be. And Dani hadn’t, because even then she’d been set up with impossible expectations. He knew Dani didn’t want that for Sammy, and he didn’t either.
He got in his truck, then pulled out his phone and sent off a quick text:Be good. Be polite.Then, he quickly tacked on: Have fun. Love you.
After a minute, she sent him a series of emojis. Including the vomit one.
But also a heart.
So he drove away from the Thompson house, still worried and nervous, but with a smile on his face. And when he drove past the gravel turnoff to Dry Road, he didn’t turn onto it to check out a certain abandoned house.
He wanted to.
But he drove on.
After all, he had a date.
“Why the hellam I doing this?” Lia demanded of her two friends as she stood half dressed in her bedroom. She’d enlisted their help since she hadn’t been on a date in—maybe a decade. And thosedates, looking back, hadn’t exactly been normal.
“Beats me,” Albennie said, so unhelpfully, sprawled out on Lia’s bed while Franny rummaged around in Lia’s closet.
“Because Gard is nice and good-looking and you like him,” Franny said, sending Albennie a somewhat disapproving glare.
“You’re just saying that because of Royal,” Albennie accused, mentioning Franny’s boyfriend, who worked as a deputy at Bent County.
“And Royal would know that Gard is a good guy, since Gard trained him and they’re friends.” Franny appeared from the closet with two clothing items hanging from hangers. “You could wear this dress with a sweater over it.” She overlaid them so Lia could see the vision.
Lia bit her lip. “We’re just going to Fairmont.”
“It’s hardly a ball gown, Lia,” Albennie said disgustedly. “It’s cute and casual and the perfect first-date outfit.”
It was Albennie’s no-nonsense approval of the outfit that had Lia taking it and moving into the bathroom and putting it on. She’d already done her hair and makeup. Nothing fancy. Just a little color on her face and actually letting her hair down—something she never did just because baking required it back and out of her face, and she’d gotten used to pinning it back every day.
When she returned to her room, Franny clasped her hands together and studied Lia critically.
“You look perfect,” she declared.
Lia tried to smile at the compliment, but her mouth felt stiff and weird.
Franny slung an arm over her shoulders and gave a squeeze. “I’ve never seen you nervous like this. It’s so cute.”
“She’s nervous with the kid too, so the wedding bells are a little misplaced. The Fairhursts just make her jumpy.”
Franny scowled at Albennie. “Why do you hate romance?”
“Because men suck?”
“I know plenty of men who don’t suck,” Franny replied loftily.
“Yeah,andplenty of men whodo.”
“Gard doesn’t suck.” Lia studied herself in the full-length mirror on her closet door. She was worried it was a little too fussy, but it wasn’t bad. When she glanced at her suddenly quiet friends, they were both studying her with questioning gazes.
“What?”
“You’ve got itbadfor someone going on a first date,” Albennie said, but she didn’t sound dismissive like she had been.
“I don’t know that it’s a first date exactly. I’ve had dinner with him a few times. Sammy’s been there, so it wasn’t like an official date, but still it was…kind of.”
