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“Why are we going so slow, Hendrix?” As happy as Leo was to be out, he was growing impatient. He wasn’t as enthusiastic about this part of town, where the businesses were more spread out. He wanted to roll through the main intersection so he could see who was visiting the shops and eateries.
Hendrix slowed even more as they passed the Coyote Lodge, one of only two motels in town. “I’m looking for something.”
“For what?”
“A car,” Hendrix told him.
“What kind of car?”
“An Audi.” He wanted to make sure Dr. Forbes had left town and wasn’t hanging around to cause more trouble.
“What’s an Audi?” Leo knew truck brands; he didn’t know many car brands.
“A high performance car.”
He looked confused. “What for? Are you going to buy it?”
“No.” Hendrix relaxed when he didn’t see Jordan’s car. He hadn’t found it when they drove past the Welcome Inn on the other side of town, either. Chances were Jordan had checked out and left like he was supposed to.
Leo probably would’ve followed up with another question. His curiosity knew no bounds. But they were approaching the Western wear shop at the edge of the central district—and then the bank—signaling that they were close to where he wanted to be.
“Hi, Chelsea!” he called out as the woman who cut their hair crossed the street in front of them while they waited at one of only two stoplights in town.
Chelsea looked up and waved.
“I’m out for a ride with my cousin,” Leo told her, yelling louder since she was moving away from them. “We’re looking for an Audi.”
“Have fun!” she called back.
Probably because she couldn’t really hear him, she hadn’t askedwhythey were looking for an Audi, and Hendrix was glad. The fact that he’d been checking to see if Dr. Forbes was gone wasn’t a national secret or anything, but he wasn’t eager to explain that he’d beaten up some guy who’d gotten too forceful with Ellen. The details of where and when it happened would be weird, given that everyone believed them to be sworn enemies.
And they were enemies. Of course. They always would be, except...he wasn’t feeling nearly as antagonistic toward her as he’d felt before. Truth be told, she was entering his thoughts far too often—and not in a negative way.
The light turned green while he weighed the cost-benefit ratio of telling Leo not to mention the Audi again and decided against it. That would only give his cousin more reason to remember it. Then he might make it part of every conversation he had today.
They passed two people Hendrix didn’t recognize. Apparently, Leo didn’t know who they were, either, but that didn’t stop him from yelling out to them. “Hello! My name is Leo.”
Startled, they looked over as if he’d thrown something at them, but Leo didn’t seem to notice that they found his greeting a little too exuberant. He was grinning and hanging as far out the window as his seat belt would allow when they came to Talulah’s Dessert Diner.
In his peripheral vision, Hendrix saw two people sitting out front, but there were always people at Talulah’s on a Saturday morning. He was paying more attention to the traffic than what was happening elsewhere on the street. He was prepared for Leo to beg him to stop and get a treat and knew he had to say no; he wasn’t prepared for Leo to yell, “Stop! That’s Ellen! She’s right there. See, Hendrix? That’s her!”
Sure enough, it was Ellen. She looked over to see what all the fuss was about, and Hendrix saw her eyes widen when she realized it was them. She was wearing a tiered dress with a bulky sweater, big hoop earrings and work boots, and she looked so feminine, despite the boots, which weren’t the type most women would pair with a dress, that Hendrix felt slightly out of sync. What was going on with him? He was starting to think she was pretty—reallypretty. It was also becoming more and more appealing that she was bold and uncompromising and did things her own way even when it came to fashion.
Unfortunately, the car in front of them had to stop for someone at a crosswalk, bringing them to a standstill right in front of her and Talulah, who was sitting at the table with her. And as if Leo wasn’t drawing too much attention already, he began to bang on the outside of his door. “Hi, Ellen! It’s me, Leo! I can help you at the diner today. I’m here. Want me to help?” He tried to take off his seat belt as if he’d jump out and join her right then and there, but Hendrix stopped him.
“No, buddy. You have to leave that on while I’m driving. You know that.”
Leo didn’t get a chance to respond before Ellen yelled back, every bit as loudly, “Hi!” She didn’t seem to care if she turned every head on the street. She even got up and hurried to his side of the vehicle to give him a quick hug while they were stopped. “I’m not working today,” she told him. “But you can come tomorrow, okay? We’ll give Talulah a break and take over the diner for a few hours.”
“You want me to come tomorrow?” Leo looked immediately at Hendrix. “Can I? Will you drive me over, Hendrix? Will you? Please?”
Hendrix shifted his gaze away from his cousin’s pleading eyes and met Ellen’s instead. He expected to see the old hostility in them. But he didn’t get the impression she was feeling hostile at all. What he saw was confusion. Things were changing between them, and she could feel it, too.
The car in front of them drove off, so Hendrix was free to go. But he kept his foot on the brake for another moment. Stuart and Lynn wouldn’t like him fostering a relationship between Ellen and Leo, but the two seemed genuinely drawn to each other. “Sure,” he said. “What time?”
“Did you just tell Leo that you’d let him help you here at the diner tomorrow?” Talulah asked when Ellen walked back to their table.
Ellen was almost as surprised as Talulah was. The invitation had tumbled out of her mouth before she could think of all the implications—or even ask her friend for permission. “He loved being in the kitchen so much last time that... I don’t know. Sunday afternoons are usually a little slow. It won’t hurt to let him come, will it? If you don’t want to take the time off and leave the diner to us, maybe he and I could join you for an hour or so, and I’ll chaperone while he does a few things to help.”
