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"Glad you're a fan," I say. "I've been told I might get in trouble with the Weston sisters for not sticking to the rules of the Regency era."
She laughs. "I work with Honey at the diner. I've never seen her get mad at anyone."
"I eat at the diner all the time. How come I haven't seen you?"
The dance forces a pause in the conversation as we spin. When we're together again, she shrugs. "Must have just missed each other. I'm working on my grad degree at the college, so I only work at the diner part time."
The song ends, and the crowd shifts, moving back into the parallel lines that begin the regency dance. My partner fans her face. "I need a drink. How about you?"
"Sounds great." I follow her off the dance floor, the night looking up. Since I've been back in town, enough women have flirted with me that I know I could get a date if I want one, but I wanted to get settled in town first. I've never been a one-night stand kind of guy.
I'm settled now, but I work too damn much and I haven't put myself out there the way I should. It's been way too long since I've dated. Way too long since I've enjoyed the feel of a woman under me. Way too long since I've had any romance in my life. I love romance almost more than I love sex.
She smiles as she hands me a cup of punch. "How long have you lived in Catalpa Creek?"
My phone chooses that moment to buzz in my pocket. "I've got a call I need to take. I should just be a minute."
She nods. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm starving."
The look she gives me suggests she's not thinking about food. "I'll be right back. I promise."
I hurry out of the ballroom and stop in the cool, quiet hall that leads to the front door just as my phone vibrates again. I put it to my ear. "What's up, Amelia? Harper okay?"
"She's fine. It's Mom and Dad. I stopped by to pick up a doll Harper left over there and they were eating fast food."
I run a hand through my hair. "I thought Dad understood he's not supposed to eat that stuff. It can't be good for his diabetes."
"It's not. And he does know that, it's just hard for him to break old habits. Believe me, I've been trying to get him to change his ways for years."
There it is, the reminder of how much time I've spent away from home, of how much my sister had to take on in my absence, even with a child of her own to care for. Amelia doesn't mean it that way, but she's definitely let me know not only did I leave her in the lurch when I ran away from home at eighteen without looking back, but I'm going to make it up to her by taking over caring for our parents.
Not that they need constant supervision or anything. They're adults, fully capable of caring for themselves. They just aren't doing a great job of it, because they both have physically demanding jobs and their health insurance barely covers their medical issues. Dad has diabetes and Mom has high blood pressure, so they need a lot of appointments and meds.
"What can I do?"
"Their refrigerator is totally empty again. Neither one of them likes to cook and they're tired after work, so they just get take out. Can you stock up their fridge and make sure they have some easy to prepare meals and lots of fresh produce?"
She doesn't need to know my shift at the Riverside Bar starts in ninety minutes, or that I've been eating pasta and peanut butter every night for dinner because I'm saving for the gym. I owe her and I owe my parents. Never again will I let them down. "I'm on it. You and Harper need anything while I'm out?"
"If you have a potion to make her sleep through the night, I'll take it."
"Aren't three-year-olds supposed to be good at sleeping?"
Amelia sighs, her exhaustion clear through the phone. She works hard as an animal control officer and even harder as a mom. "I think she's going through a growth spurt and she's been having nightmares since we watched The Gnome's Adventure last week."
"I told you that movie seemed creepy as hell."
"It's rated G. I figured it would be safe."
"I'll take care of Mom and Dad. You just worry about getting enough sleep to be able to make better choices in the future."
She growls. "God, you're still the most obnoxious person I know."
"Love you, too, Sis."
I hang up and realize I've paced all the way to the front door. I make my way back toward the ballroom so I can get my dance partner's number before I take off.
As I'm passing the living room, I hear my name. Just past the entrance to the room, I pause. Because I'm that curious cat who can't look away.
