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“You’re the first. The others are still upstairs.”
“Thanks.” He moved to study the old pictures of Lyntacky.
“You square-dance?”
“My mom used to, but not me.”
“But you know how?”
“Not really.”
“No matter. You’ll get the hang of it.” She smiled.
“I will?” Ford did not like the sound of that.
“It’s tradition” was all she added.
The others arrived, with Ritchie and Autumn last. There was something off about her, but he just couldn’t figure out what or why. She’d seemed fine when they got off the plane, and he’d been with her since then except when she went up to her room with Ritchie.
“Let’s go,” Luke said. “The others are at the diner, where they have really good coconut cream pie.”
Ford’s mouth watered at the thought of pie.
“How’s your room, Ritchie?” He fell in beside the boy and his mom.
“It has a view of the park!”
“So does mine.”
He chatted with the boy, and Autumn stayed silent. What was going on with her? Had her ass-faced ex made contact again? He’d ask her when he got her alone.
The town was humming with people when they arrived, and music blared down Main Street. Ford made a mental note to make sure that if he heard the first bars of “Grapevine Twist,” he’d find somewhere to hide ASAP.
The diner had a large sign identifying it as the Do Si Do, and a couple was dancing under the words. Stepping inside, he walked straight into the sixties.
“Hi, Linda,” Luke said to the woman coming toward them.
She had skin like one of his leather saddlebags and wore a bright pink uniform. Her hair was so tall he wasn’t sure what was holding it there.
“Your brothers are in back,” Linda said with a smile, her eyes passing over all of them. They stopped on Autumn and widened.
Luke introduced them, finishing with Autumn.
“You look really familiar,” Linda said.
“I must have one of those faces.” Autumn’s laugh sounded nervous to Ford.
“I guess so,” Linda said. “Now you go on, and I’ll be down to take your orders.”
They found the other members of the Ryker Falls party seated in booths in the rear of the diner.
“Mom, can I sit with them?” Ritchie said, pointing to where the Trainer and Howard kids were sitting.
“Of course. You show good manners while you’re there.”
“Yes, Mom,” he said in that way that suggested he’d heard those particular words a time or two.
They greeted the others, and there was hand slapping and hugs; then Ford sat in one of the booths with his brother, Luna, Mandy, and Ted. Autumn hovered, watching Ritchie, but as there wasn’t room for her in his booth, she had to find another place to sit. The only one free was next to Ford.
