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“Not a problem. It just makes sense. And I should probably explain myself so that you don’t go thinking that your mom’s interfering.”
She pressed her lips together, wondering how he knew that was exactly the conclusion that she’d jumped to.
“I ran into Smoke last night, and he said that he’d see me today since he was coming to pick you guys up after you drop the truck off. There really is no need. You two should figure out what you’re doing and then let me know when’s a good time for you.”
“That’s so kind of you, thank you. It won’t take as long – I think we can get out to the dealerships this afternoon.”
“Well, like I said, take your time. Don’t just buy something this afternoon because you think you need to. In fact, I don’t want the truck back before next weekend – how about that? That’ll give you time to test drive a few different vehicles so that you get what you want.”
“Are you sure?”
He chuckled. “I am, darlin’. But forgive me, I have to go. Give me a call next Friday, how about that?”
“Okay, thanks so much.”
“No problem. Talk to you then. Bye.”
~ ~ ~
Xander was pleased that they’d ended up having the day to themselves. He didn’t know Clay MacAdam, but he sounded like a great guy – and his offer to let them keep the truck for a week only confirmed that impression of him.
As it turned out, Russ and Ria wouldn’t have been able to take them to look for a new vehicle this afternoon anyway, so everything had worked out for the best. Tori had been a little anxious about it at first, but she had soon brightened up when Xander had suggested that they should make the most of the day and go out exploring the area.
When they’d checked the map, she’d pointed out another small town that was close by – Stanton Falls. It was a little way farther up in the mountains. From what Tori had read to him off her phone, it had a cute, quaint downtown area. Apparently, the whole town went all out for the Christmas season – not that it made much difference to them right now. But the idea had caught Tori’s imagination, and so he was happy to drive her up there.
He wasn’t too worried about where they went or what they did, as long as they did it together and she was happy and relaxed. She was already more relaxed in Summer Lake than he’d expected her to be. Part of him hoped that she might relax enough to want to stay – he’d taken a liking to the place.
“What do you think? Do you want to stop at Four Mile Creek since we have to go past there?”
Her question brought him back to the moment, and he smiled. He really didn’t care. “Do you want to?”
“Yes. I wouldn’t mind. I told you that Bentley, Willow, and I stayed over there. It’s nice. I’d like to show you around. It’s funny, I don’t exactly think of it as my place but at the same time, I like the idea of being able to show you somewhere that I know, and you don’t.”
“Then we’ll stop. You said that there’s a lodge and a shopping center, right?”
“Yes, but there’s so much more. It’s like a whole new community. There’s a small subdivision with some big, lovely houses down by the water and more houses scattered over the hillside. The lodge is really nice – it’s more upscale and modern than the resort – and the shopping area, they call it the Plaza, is themed like a Mediterranean village. It has cobblestone walkways that all lead down to a central square – there’s even a café and a clock tower in the square.”
Xander grinned. “It sounds as though you like it over there.”
“I do. I don’t know if you will, though.”
Xander wasn’t sure that he would either. He preferred the down-home feel of Summer Lake itself over modern and upscale, but he was happy to check the place out. “Well, let’s go and find out.”
When they got there, he was pleasantly surprised. The place really did have the feel of a Mediterranean village. After they parked the truck, he took Tori’s hand, and they wandered up one of the cobbled walkways. The stores were all high-end boutiques – he didn’t see this as being a place where people actually lived, just where they vacationed.
Tori tugged on his hand. “I can’t believe that I forgot about this place. Come on, let’s go see the wine bar.”
“There’s a wine bar?”
She nodded eagerly. “We went in there one night when we all came to visit. The couple who run the place are really nice.” Her smile faded. “I hope they’re still open. They were struggling. They’ve never run a business before.”
When they got there, he held the door open for her. The place was open, but they only had a handful of patrons. Xander could see why; the place had no character and no atmosphere.
Tori took his hand again and towed him toward the bar. There was a young woman standing behind it, polishing glasses, looking miserable. Xander could see why the wine bar was struggling – the woman’s demeanor seemed to sum up the whole air of the place.
“Hey, Rachel!” Tori exclaimed with a bright smile. “It’s good to see you again. Remember me?”
Rachel looked lost for a moment, but then a smile transformed her features.
