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Hale was going to have to walk. He’d driven Elisa’s rental, and they’d agreed that since he’d kissed her in front of the entire dining room at Trio, that it was only fair she ride with Van. He’d made sure everyone saw him helping her into the Jeep.
He was not going to be left behind. It was what he’d been thinking about since Elisa had moved to the table to talk to Mel and Cassidy. He’d decided to help behind the bar, and Hale had sat there brooding until Max and Rye had some weird therapy session with him and he’d become Mr. Take Charge.
Hale was making connections. His best friend was changing, and what the hell was he going to do if Hale didn’t need him anymore?
He wanted to forget about that for the night and concentrate on the most intriguing woman he’d met in forever.
“Oh, I don’t think he meant it to be intimidating.” She looked incredibly pretty in her puffy coat, a wool hat on her head. He couldn’t see a single curve, but he still thought she was sexy as hell. “He seems to be a nice man. Odd, but nice, and his wife is lovely.”
She hadn’t been there when Mel had stared him down and told him he would be watching. Cassidy had frowned at him, reminding him they’d had a run-in once. One he’d thought he’d won, but circumstances had changed.
“You think that because Cassidy has never decided you were an alien life-form. I mean, damn, mention you don’t like beets once and she never forgets.” He’d had to explain that he’d worked at a beet farm over a summer when he was sixteen, and he’d never recovered. Sometimes he was sure his fingertips were still purple.
He looked out over the parking lot, but Hale had turned down another aisle searching for a space.
“I don’t understand the whole alien thing,” Elisa admitted. “But I liked them anyway. Once we got Cassidy off aliens and she started talking about what it was like to be raised around here, it was a lovely conversation. My dad didn’t get here until he was older. It’s weird. I’m calling him my dad and we’re not even sure it’s true.”
He had no doubt that man was her father. He’d watched her, and even some of their expressions were the same. “Why would your mom lie in a journal she never expected anyone to find?”
Elisa seemed to think about that. “I know. The truth is my mom was a lot of things, but she never lied. Even when it would have been far kinder than telling the truth.”
He got the feeling her mom hadn’t been the greatest. He’d had problems with his parents, too, but his mom would never have knowingly said something that would hurt him. If anything he could have used a bit more discipline.
Was Max right about he and Hale sinking into roles that put them both in corners? If Hale was the broody, moody asshole, then did that make him the always smiling clown?
“I’m sorry I messed up our date tonight.”
He frowned, turning back to her. He needed to get his head in the game. Because this didn’t actually feel like a game. He was interested in her, and now they had some time to explore the connection between the three of them. “I’m glad you got to spend time with him. It’s okay. If I’d met my long-lost dad, I would have wanted some time with him, too. So you think you’re going to hang out for a while?”
“I’m in a weird place. Like in my life. I don’t know what I want to do next, but I also know I want some change. My sister keeps pointing out that I have a chance a lot of people don’t ever get. I don’t have anything holding me back. Not family. Not money. I can take some time and figure out what comes next,” she said. “I know that sounds amazing, but it also feels a little sad.”
He understood. “Because the things that would hold you back are all the things that make life worthwhile?”
“Yeah. I thought I would have a kid by now.” She winced. “I shouldn’t talk about that with the guy I’m about to hook up with. That would be a rookie mistake.”
He needed to make a few things plain to her. “I thought we settled this. One quick night isn’t what I want. I know it’s not what Hale wants.”
That seemed to throw her a bit. “That feels like pressure.”
“It’s the opposite. I don’t want you to feel any pressure at all. Not for sex. Not to have a relationship with us. All I want to know is that you’re open to seeing where it leads.”
“And if all I want is to blow off some steam tonight?”
