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Chapter 7
Clara decided maybesharing something about herself would make him more comfortable.
“My dad left my mom when I was young. Mom had six kids and a farm to run. Life was hard, but I only know that because looking back, I understand what a single woman would have been facing with six kids and all that work in front of her. But at the time, it just seemed like a lot of fun. And when Dad left, that took all the stress and anger out of the house. Even though I missed him, I didn’t miss tiptoeing around, hoping not to make him mad.”
“Yeah. I know a little bit about that.” He blew out a breath, almost as though he were pushing the thoughts aside, and reached over to grab the bag their meals were in. “Did you save room for these?”
She laughed, because usually it was saving room for dessert. “Of course. Griff is known for his desserts and for his awesome burgers.”
“Wish I had known that. I would have ordered a burger instead of allowing you to order my usual chicken.”
“The chicken is pretty good too. It’s just the burgers that people usually come to the diner for.”
“I can branch out.”
Like she knew that. “I guess if it hadn’t been so crowded, I wouldn’t have ordered for you. And I would have taken the time to explain.”
“Yeah. I was giving you a hard time. We didn’t want to hold them up. Especially when that was probably the busiest day they’ve had all year.”
“I’m sure it is. Small towns live for their festivals. Anything that brings tourists and their dollars in is a win.”
“I have a little bit of trouble wrapping my head around the fact that you were painting and planning a booth while still doing your job with me. And I didn’t know anything about it.”
“The subject didn’t naturally come up.”
“You could have brought it up.”
“I just tried to talk about your parents and your childhood, and you kind of gave me the cold shoulder. It makes a girl think that maybe personal issues aren’t welcome in our conversations.”
“My personal issues aren’t welcome. Yours are.”
“Is that a new rule?” she asked, pulling her burger out of the Styrofoam container, grabbing a fry, and sticking it in her mouth.
They were better when they were hot. One drawback to eating dessert first. The strawberry tarts would have been just as good if they would have eaten their regular food first.
“It’s always been the rule. I’m sorry I wasn’t more clear about it.”
“Well, I guess I feel uncomfortable saying that my personal items are fair game while getting no access to yours. So maybe we should just stay professional. And talk about business only.”
He had just taken a bite of his chicken sandwich, and he chewed it while staring at her thoughtfully. “I guess that isn’t fair, is it?”
“No.” She lifted her chin. She didn’t usually match him head-on like this. Typically, whatever he said, she did. But this wasn’t a typical lunch. It was a Saturday evening in her hometown, and they weren’t in the office or doing business.
“All right. You can ask me whatever you want to. And I’ll answer you. But you will agree to the same.”
