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Twelve of us gathered around. Some helping out in the kitchen and the others hanging over the serving window. Our laughs rang through the shelter.
“What I remember is the day Sienna announced we had to find a new place to sleep,” Nathan said. “Cops raided the tunnel two hours after we cleared out. I’m still twisting myself up trying to figure out how you knew.”
Sienna got lemon-butter sauce on her temple, tapping her head. “It’s my gift, Nathan. Twists me up sometimes too.”
“Nah, I still don’t believe it,” said Mandy, a thirty-year-old veteran of the crew. “Make a real prediction, Blaine. Like that there will be a plane crash on October third. Or the Channel Seven cameraman will drop his pants and moon all of Cinco tomorrow. Come on, something that no one but a psychic could know in advance.”
“Wish I could, Mandy, but my gift doesn’t work like that. I get a sense of the future of people I interact with. I’ve never met our nudist weatherman, or a pilot that may one day crash.”
Mandy scoffed. “Always got a reason.”
“How about this?” A voice broke in. “Predict when we’re going to get some damn food.” A thin, stringy-haired brunette appeared behind Mandy, glowering at the lot of us. “Oh, I’m sorry. Am I interrupting the party? Dinner was supposed to start twenty minutes ago.”
“That was my fault, Solana. I made a complete mess of it and Kenzie had to come in here and save me,” River said. His smile was all charm. “Sienna’s plating it up now. We’ll be ready in five minutes.”
She muttered something under her breath and wandered off.
A stray thought consumed my mind, asking me what would happen if Genny did decide to take these women under her wing. River represented compassion and safety. Genny was all fire, rage, and vengeance. I wonder which one they wanted more right now.
Sienna finished plating as promised. We carried it out, serving our residents to hums, oohs, ahhs, or silence. Afterward, I piled a plate with leftovers and made for the kitchen rear door.
“Where do you think you’re going, Blaine?” River appeared out of nowhere and slipped my plate out of my hands. “I’ll take that.”
“What? I can’t get any?”
“Not a bite,” he said. “You and I are having dinner somewhere else.”
I arched my brow. “Oh, we are, are we?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Grinning, he backed toward the door. “Tell Sienna not to wait up. I’ll meet you out front in five minutes.”
Electricity hummed beneath my skin. Was this really happening? After all the flirting, arguments, lies, moments, and waiting, was River finally taking me out on a date?
I raced out of the kitchen. Sienna was eating in the back, seated with a group of women that weren’t a part of the crew. I bent over her shoulder. “Si, I’m going out with River. You have instructions not to wait up.”
She snorted. “It’s about time. Give him instructions from me too: Don’t buy Kenzie’s demure act. She wants to ride you like a carousel horse. Tell him I said that.”
“I will not.”
Her laughter followed me out of the dining room. I turned to go outside, stopped, and bolted to the bathroom. An hour and a half standing over a steaming stove, I was not date-ready. A look at the red-faced, frizzy mess in the mirror confirmed it.
Moving fast, I finger-combed my hair, then twisted it into a bun. A tube of lip gloss rolled around in my purse. I swiped some on and checked myself out. I was still wearing my clothes from work—strappy wedges, red skirt-pants, and a top cut above my midriff.
Not bad.
Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and walked out. River and I collided like Ping-Pong balls.
“Oops—”
“Sorry—”
“I didn’t mean—”
“Are you okay?” Grasping my shoulders, River set me on my feet. His hands skated down my arms, stopping when they reached mine. “I think you’ll like where we’re going.”
My pulse raced under his stroking fingers. It was guaranteed he felt it, giving my nervousness away. “Do I get a hint?”
“Not one.”
“How far is it?”
“Pretty close.” River draped my arm through his elbow, leading me out. “I’m lucky you chose tonight to drop in on me. If you came tomorrow night, our first date would be on the wharf.”
He said it. Date. I thanked the steam for making my face red. River wouldn’t tell the difference.
“Why the wharf?”
“We don’t get the stars in Cinco, but we are gifted the most beautiful sunrises coming over the Leighbridge wharf. Because it’s Leighbridge, they have churro and organic soda stands on the pier. We’d have filled up on treats while hanging our feet off the docks—the waves coming off the speedboats splashing our ankles.”
“That sounds perfect.” I bumped his shoulder. “So, that’s the date to beat, Delaney. Better hope I love plan B, or you’ll have to take me to the sunrise wharf to make it up to me.”
