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My mother only waved me off. “Oh, no, he’s not usually busy.”
I let it go, still a little weirded out by how guarded my parents were regarding their friend.
Over the years, there had been an endless stream of casual references to the man, but I still had no idea what he looked like, if he was older than my parents, or what his story was. But if he was this important to my family, it would be a good idea to meet him.
I decided to drop it and head to bed. Tomorrow would at least bring me one day closer to being useful with deliveries—I started Saturday morning and had eight clients, which meant I would be busy all day.
Smiling, I sauntered down the hall and considered the last time I felt this happy.
It had been too long to even remember.
* * *
“Doyou think your parents will mind if I crash the dinner? Your mom makes the best pot roast.” Nora walked next to me as we lazily shopped for my mother’s dinner.
Thomas had said no, apparently, but then my father called him and had a private conversation in the garage, after which, the recluse had agreed to show up by seven. Truthfully, the man sounded a little grumpy, and I was apprehensive to meet him.
“Sadly, no, because this Thomas guy is so skittish when it comes to people that he barely agreed to come, but I’ll save you some.”
My best friend let out a sigh. “Better than nothing, but make sure your mother doesn’t open her windows. I swear if I smell that pot roast, I’m going to die.”
Letting out a little laugh, I continued walking down the aisle. My mother had given me a list, most of which I had already grabbed, save for a few things.
“You want to come with me to deliver orders tomorrow?” I asked, grabbing for a can of green beans.
“You know your mom wants fresh green beans, not the canned kind,” Nora warned me, pointing her finger at me as I crouched down to grab the can.
“Pshh, this is for me.”
“Oh my gosh, you don’t still eat green beans with melted cheese, right from the pan, do you?”
Slightly blushing, I aptly ignored her.
“Ewwww, you’re such a weirdo.”
“I am not,” I defended earnestly. “But when you have to live off nickels and dimes for food, you learn to lower your standards. Don’t let me near the ramen aisle.”
She giggled and let out a sigh as we continued to move. “I can’t go with you tomorrow. I have to help my parents, but let’s meet up tomorrow night. I want to get a feeling for the nightlife of this place.”
We both waited a beat before bursting into laughter, because this was Macon; there was no night life, especially not now that a ton of businesses had shut down.
“I did hear there was a bonfire of some kind and alcohol was involved,” Nora offered, sobering.
“Oooh, kinky.” I waggled my brows, reaching for a cold bottle of Diet Coke.
Nora grabbed one too. “Better than nothing.”
Unfortunately, my best friend wasn’t wrong.
* * *
The house smelled divine,and I opened the window closest to the street just to piss Nora off, knowing she’d be outside at some point. She’d punch me for it later, but it would be worth it.
“Rae, honey, is the table all set?” my mother asked, wiping her hands on her apron.
I nodded, grabbing a carrot that hadn’t been cooked.
“Good, he should be here soon. Listen…you should know that Thomas is different. He’s not very social and can seem rude, but really, he’s just nervous.”
