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He laughs. “No, really. This dinner I had tonight—you have no idea—” He grips the steering wheel tightly and rubs his thumbs back and forth. “I did not want to go to it. I practically prayed for a reason to get out of it tonight, and then there you were—a crazed woman with a fishing pole. My answer.”
His answer. I could get used to that. “What kind of dinner was it?”
“It was a stupid dinner.”
“You didn’t ditch on a date or something, did you?” I throw my hand over my chest like I’m totally appalled, but it’s really just my way of seeing what his answer will be.
“Nah. It was a big gathering of friends, and this one friend in particular was doing this big thing.” The way he says the word friend makes it obvious he has only distain for that person. “It’s better that I wasn’t there. But I couldn’t say no to my other friend…”
He’s being so cryptic it’s painful. “Okay, okay. I get it. Sort of.”
The truck rolls to a stop and I’m surprised to find us in my driveway. How did we get home so fast? I’m so not ready for him to go. But it’s not like hooking a guy in the face the day after you reject him is a way to win his heart. Now I’ll probably only see him when I hand him the rent money each month.
“Sorry, again,” I say, reaching for the door handle. “But I’m glad to help you ditch a stupid dinner.”
He gives me a big grin. “Just don’t tell anyone I cried, okay? Especially Miranda because she will tell Marcus and it’ll all be over then.”
“Ha!” I point at him. “That’s a pretty big lie, I’m not sure I can uphold it.”
His bottom lip curls out. I want to grab it in my teeth. “Please?” he whines, using his slightly closed eyes and curled out bottom lip as ammunition against my defenses.
I bite my lip. “Your secret is safe with me.” I bounce on the toes of my feet as I stand here, my hands resting on the passenger door from the outside. Shit, I’m flirting. I have to play it cool and not lay it on so thick. “Miranda won’t be home until after midnight and by then, I will have forgotten.”
Tyler looks past me and at the dark windows of my house. “She’s not here?”
“No, she’s working at the diner. She likes the late shift,” I say.
“So you’re all alone tonight?” There’s something in the way he asks it that makes my stomach flip over with excitement. Yes, I’m available to make out with you, Tyler. Just say the word.
“Yep, all alone. All by myself.” Ugh, that was laying it on thick! God, Robin!
“Get back in.” Tyler reaches across the truck and opens my door from the inside. “I’m starving. Let’s get dinner.”
Chapter 7
I feel like I’m stepping out of a limo and onto a red carpet event as I walk through the parking lot with Tyler next to me. The only thing missing is dozens of flashing cameras, and, well, a limo and red carpet. But that will be solved soon. All the diner’s regulars will see me walking in with Tyler and know we’re on a date. That’s better than being a celebrity at a movie premiere.
Tyler holds open the door for me just like a perfect gentleman should. Miranda’s face lights up when she sees me. She’s wearing a purple Salt Gap Diner shirt and a pair of jeans. She’s a copy of Elizabeth, only younger and with a makeup covered broken nose. “Hey!” she squeals, giving me a little wave as I walk up to the hostess stand. “Would you like a menu, or are you a regular guest?” She says it in this goofy voice as she elbows me in the ribs.
“I’m a regular,” I say to humor her.
“Of course,” she says, still in that stupid voice. “I’m a regular too. Because I live in Salt Gap. Let me take you to your table.”
“I, uh—” I say, pointing behind me. “He’s with me, too.”
Miranda’s eyes bulge out of her skull in a totally obvious way. “Hey Tyler,” she says. “What the hell happened to your face?”
He glances at me. “Someone hooked me in the eye, but I took it like a man.”
“No crying whatsoever,” I add.
Miranda’s eyes shift from him to me. “Riiight. Follow me.”
She sits us at the table in the back. The same one she and I sat for dinner in our first night at Salt Gap. I know this isn’t a coincidence. It’s surrounded by empty tables and is the perfect place for talking and getting to know each other. Which I know is exactly what Miranda wants us to do.
“So tell me about real estate,” Tyler says after our waitress delivers our food without so much as a word. Guess not every waitress in Salt Gap is like Elizabeth. This woman is much older and looks like she hates everything about her job. “It sounds fascinating.”
“Fascinating?” I ask, trying to gauge if he’s being sarcastic or not.
