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We hadn’t even left the house yet, and it was already off to a great start.
“Do you have everything you need?” I asked her.
Ellery nodded.
With that, I reached out and took her by the hand. She didn’t hesitate to allow me to lead her to the front door and out of the home.
After we locked up, we were in the car and on our way to the local ski resort. But there was one stop I wanted to make beforehand.
When I pulled up outside Grant’s Deli, Ellery asked, “What’s going on? I thought we were going snowtubing.”
“We are, but we didn’t pack anything to eat. I’m not keeping you out all day without feeding you, so we’re grabbing lunch from Grant’s Deli and taking it with us,” I explained.
“That’s smart,” she replied. “And sweet, too.”
I grinned.
Yep. We were definitely on the right track.
I exited my truck, made my way to the opposite side, and met Ellery there. A minute later, we were standing at the counter in the deli.
“Hey, Kane.”
“Hey, Mallory. How’s it going?” I returned.
“Not bad. We’re just getting ready for the lunch rush,” she answered. “What’s going on with you? Not working today?”
I shook my head and placed one hand at the small of Ellery’s back. Extending one hand forward, I said, “Ellery, this is Mallory. She owns Grant’s Deli. Mallory, this is Ellery.”
“It’s lovely to meet you,” Ellery said.
“Likewise. So, what can I get for the two of you today?” she asked.
A wave of disappointment washed over me at Mallory’s question. Nothing would have made me happier than to already know what Ellery would have wanted, but I just didn’t know those types of things about her yet.
At that realization, I did have a moment when I had to pause. While there was a big part of me that could see where Ellery stood, there was the other part of me that couldn’t ignore one simple fact.
She was technically married.
And though the two of us hadn’t crossed any lines, the bottom line was that I didn’t think I’d stop myself if and when the time came.
That was one of the things that seemed to have changed about me once Ellery stepped into the picture.
Never would I have ever considered taking a married woman out.
I had to remind myself that even though she was married, she made it clear she wasn’t happy and wanted a divorce. If that’s where things were headed, I didn’t need to feel bad about trying to foster a deeper connection with her.
“Do you have any suggestions?” Ellery asked me.
“It’s all good,” I told her. “You can’t go wrong with anything you choose.”
She gave me a nod of understanding, returned her attention to the menu that was posted on the wall behind the counter, and finally declared, “I guess I’ll have the BLT club.”
Mallory slid her eyes to me. “Make it two.”
“Anything else?” she asked, something extra chipper in her voice.
I looked at Ellery, and there was a hopeful look on her face. “Mozzarella sticks?”
