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“Because it’s about time someone did!” he said and walked out of the house. He wasn’t going to stick around here, where he’d feel pressure to apologize for speaking his mind. He was going back to Ellen’s to have a burger with her, Brant and Talulah. That was where he’d wanted to be in the first place.
Ellen felt her jaw drop when Hendrix walked onto the patio carrying a big bag of chips and a six-pack of beer. He’d let himself into her backyard and lifted the chips in lieu of a wave as he approached.
“Is...is something wrong?” she asked him, confused that he’d reappear after leaving.
His lips curved into the charming smile with the dimples. “Nope. My plans changed, that’s all. Turns out Leo was the only one who had to be somewhere else, so I decided to come back and join you—if that’s okay.”
Brant was grilling burgers a few feet away; she and Talulah were putting out plates, silverware and the salads—one pasta, one fruit—they’d just made in the kitchen.
“Of course it’s okay,” Brant said, speaking up right away and using the tongs in his hand to motion toward the cooler. “Grab yourself a cold beer. Burgers will be coming off any second.”
Ellen was glad Brant had answered so quickly. Otherwise, there might’ve been an awkward silence. She was too shocked to manage a welcome.
“Smells good.” Hendrix put the chips on the table before taking the beer he’d brought to the cooler. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
While he had his back to them, Talulah shot Ellen a look that was part “what the heck” and part “this is so exciting.” Ellen’s response was more heavily weighted toward “what the heck.” Having Hendrix show up and want to join them for dinner was nothing she’d ever expected. Leo wasn’t even around. She could see it if Leo was still there and Hendrix stayed to have a burger while picking him up. But coming back all on his own?
“Brant just has to toast the buns,” Talulah told him. “Then we’ll be ready to eat.”
Ellen knew she should say something, too. That would be the polite thing. But what? She’d never been particularly good at small talk. Instead of reaching for an uncomfortable “glad you came back” or something similar, she simply handed him a plate. “Here you go. I’m just... I’m going inside to slice the lettuce, tomato and onions.”
Once she was in the safety of her own kitchen, she drew a deep breath. She was grateful to be alone and took as much time as possible to prepare the burger toppings. Talulah and Brant were certainly capable of entertaining Hendrix. It was Talulah who’d invited him, after all.
She heard the door as she finished arranging sliced jalapenos on one of two plates.
“Hey, you,” Talulah said, entering the kitchen. “What’s taking so long?” She lowered her voice suspiciously. “You’re not hiding out in here, are you?”
“Of course not,” Ellen said.
Talulah gave her a disbelieving look. “Youhavebeen hiding out in here. But your time is up. The burgers are done.”
Ellen leaned over to take a quick peek out the window. Brant was carrying everything over from the grill and Hendrix was standing behind one of the chairs across the table, talking to him. “Why do you think he came back?” she whispered as she grabbed the tomatoes and onions.
Talulah picked up the plate of lettuce and jalapenos and started out ahead of her. “Because he’s starting to like you.”
“There’s no way that could be true.”
“You’ll see.”
“I don’t want to see!” she snapped.
Talulah turned back before opening the door. “Come on. He’s on his best behavior. I say we just...roll with it.”
“He and I can’t be friends,” Ellen insisted. “I don’t trust him.”
“Maybe it’s time to let the past go, Ellen. Maybe that’s what he’s trying to do.”
Ellen got the same impression. But Talulah didn’t understand that this wasn’t really about being friends. It was about the sudden crazy attraction that’d welled up, making her want more.
Talulah and Brant had a lot more to say than Ellen did. As Hendrix visited with them, she ate quietly, listening. But he could feel her watching him when she didn’t think he was paying attention. She was wary of most people, guarded in general, which was why she tended to be such a loner. Given who he was, and how things had gone through the years, particularly since she’d moved to town and they’d basically become open enemies, he could see why she wouldn’t give him a chance.
Why did he suddenly want to be one of the few people she liked and fully accepted? He had no answer to that question. By getting close to her he’d only be asking for problems, and he knew it.
But every time he tried to mentally dismiss her, to get himself back in line and focused on life as he knew it, he failed miserably. Probably because she’d been on his mind for a long time. It’d become a habit to think of her on an almost daily basis. And now that his perspective had shifted, and his emotions were drifting toward the positive, he felt unsettled and hungry for a better resolution.
“We have to get going,” Talulah said as they finished cleaning up after the meal. “Brant promised his parents we’d stop by tonight.”
Ellen’s eyes flew wide. “You’re leaving? Rightnow?”
