Page 92 of Where Roads Lead

“I’m an extrovert, Will,” I explained. “I need more than sitting near people to feel socialized.”

“Then, I’ll—”

“Hey, Elsie.” Theo appeared at the table.

“Hi, Theo,” Will said in a gruff voice, beating me to it.

“Hi, Will,” Theo said, staring pointedly at the chair he was occupying. “Mind if I sit?”

“Sure, drag a chair over,” Will responded.

Was Will right about Theo trying to date me? I didn’t think so. If he was, he really wasn’t that good at it.

Not that I wanted him to be—I wasn’t anywhere near being ready for a relationship again, and if I was, I wouldn’t choose a guy from a town I was only staying in temporarily.

“Does no one here work anymore?” Ava huffed, but then pulled a chair over herself. “What? It’s slow!”

Will glanced over, and seeing no one in line, shrugged and returned his attention to our table.

“How’s it going, Aves?” Theo grinned at her from across the table. She relaxed back into her chair.

Ava seemed more at ease when Theo was around. I guess it was because he always seemed so at ease all the time. Like he was navigating the world on easy-mode, somehow.

“Would be better if my co-workers didn’t keep abandoning me to chat with customers,” Ava said, staring only at Theo.

“Like you said,” Will muttered, looking away, “it’s been slow.”

“Aw, give him a break,” Theo said. “Will’s been helping me out with something.”

Will scowled, apparently irritated by whatever it was. I sent a look in his direction, but he just shook his head, refusing any answers.

“How’s that going, by the way?” Theo asked Will at the same time Ava asked, “What are you helping him with?”

“Nothing,” Will said quickly, and then, turning to Theo, raised his shoulders in a casual shrug. “It might be a dead end.”

Will settled back into his seat, apparently pleased to be done with it, but Theo didn’t look put out by the status. He cracked his knuckles and leaned forward, eyes meeting all of ours. “Hey, what do you say the four of us hang out?”

“The four of us?” Will snorted. “Pass.”

“Double pass,” Ava agreed, staring blatantly in my direction.

Yeah, that semi-truce we’d called during the babysitting fiasco had been dead and buried.

So, as it turned out, I was in dire need of some friends in town.

“Sure,” I said, thinking Theo was as good as anyone to pass time with.

Well, maybe not as good as Will, but he didn’t seem the type to hang out for the pleasure of it. I had a feeling, if it wasn’t running errands or fixing something, or some other insanely productive thing, Will wouldn’t be interested.

“Sure?” Will echoed my words back to me

“Why not?” I lifted my shoulders. “It’s not like I have much else going on.”

“Great.” Theo clapped. “Since it’s just the two of us, then—”

“I’ll come,” Will interjected.

“I thought you said you didn’t want to.” Ava stared at him.