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“Turn the truck on.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I sat back down and put my seat belt on. “Let’s go meet Grace and Piper. Do they hug? Are they huggers?”
Isaac reached out and took my hand. “Piper will definitely hug you. Grace won’t. But she might need one from you anyway.”
Chapter 38 - Isaac
Grace latched onto Carmen like a lifeline while we waited for Rob, standing in a sardine huddle with all the other hungry souls waiting for a table at Chili’s. Grace wanted to know all about GoWithFriends, as she had several friends who had recommended the dating app to her, and Carmen patiently explained every aspect of how it worked.
“I don’t really want to date,” Grace assured Carmen for the second time. “I’m just curious about it.”
“Of course.” Carmen met my eyes for a moment, and we both smiled.
Likely, the thought of meeting up with her ex tonight was driving Grace to think outside her tiny social box. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this was the closest thing to a date she’d had in a very long time.
I had Piper in my arms, and every few seconds she would crane her neck around, looking for her dad.
“What are you going to eat, Piper?”
Piper stopped her scanning to answer me. “Mandarin oranges, and all your fries.”
“Why my fries?” I asked, already knowing the answer to this particular question. We’d been to Chili’s together many times.
“Because fries taste better stolen.”
“That’s right.”
We both grinned at Grace’s irritated expression. Also, part of the routine. “You shouldn’t encourage her to steal other people’s food.”
“But what if that’s what makes it extra delicious?” I asked.
Grace looked to Carmen for help. “This is the kind of company you keep? Fry stealers?”
Piper giggled.
“I may or may not be guilty of the same crime on occasion.” Carmen tugged at the front pocket of my jeans with one finger. It was such a small thing, but Grace zeroed in on it with the proficiency of a nosy older sister with years of experience.
“What are your intentions with my brother, Carmen?” She was only half-joking, and I wanted to kill her.
Carmen and I exchanged looks. I felt like we were on the same page, but that page was new, with hardly any writing on it.
“Should I tell her?” Carmen mouthed.
A hand clapped down on my shoulder. “Her intentions are to get free dinner out of him. Duh. Those are my intentions, too, by the way. But don’t worry, I don’t expect a goodnight kiss.”
“Daddy!” Piper launched from my arms to Rob’s, and I handed her off so she could greet her dad.
In this throng, Rob’s cologne hadn’t overwhelmed as much as usual, but I still should have sensed his presence before he descended on us. Carmen stepped closer to me, trying not to be obvious in her study of Rob. I looked him over the way a stranger would. He was handsome in a weaselly sort of way. He kept his hair longer on top and slicked back with industrial strength gel. He had on his signature Hawaiian shirt and loose shorts, something he wore no matter what time of year it was, and while he never grew a beard, he seemed to have a few days growth on his square jaw at all times.
He hugged Piper to him, rubbing his scruff against her cheek and making her laugh. “So, let me get this straight. Isaac brings a date, and the first thing Grace does is worry about her taking advantage of him? That’s like every man’s dream, Grace. The date with bad intentions.” He turned to Carmen. “How bad are your intentions, missy?”
Grr. I did not like him calling her missy. Some caveman part of me wanted to throw her over my shoulder and carry her out of here, far away from his assessing eyes and his never-closing mouth.
Carmen squeezed my arm twice. Oh, she knew. “I’ll keep that between me and Isaac.”
“Good plan.” Rob shook her hand and introduced himself, awkwardly put his free arm around Grace as he did so, which she tolerated. Mercifully, the coaster in my hand buzzed right then, and we got led to our table.
