He nodded.
“Do you want to get back with her?” She held her breath, waiting for his answer.
“Not really—”
Yes!
“But maybe I should give her a chance. Just to see if there’s still something there.” He paused. “What do you think?”
I think you should be with me.But she couldn’t tell him that, not when he was considering getting back with this girl. Woman. Whatever. She couldn’t believe he was actually asking her for advice. Anita Bedford, the last person on the planet who should be giving romance tips.
Knowing the oven timer wouldn’t save her again, she decided to take his question seriously. “You should only go out with her if you really want to. There’s nothing worse than stringing someone along.”
I should know.
Although that wasn’t fair. Tanner had no idea she was attracted to him. Even the kiss they’d shared in the closet back in high school had been under duress, for him at least. It had been magical for her.
“You’re right. I’ll let her know I’m not interested. I don’t have time to date anyway. Between working at the diner and the catering business and...” He paused again. “Thanks, Anita. I guess I’d better start cleaning up now. I’ve been working since noon, and I’m pretty beat.”
Although she wondered what the “and” was on his list, she had been nosy enough for one night. “Yeah, I’mreallytired too,” she said, faking a yawn. He’d given her an out to leave and nurse her disappointment. But it wasn’t in herDNA to leave a mess behind without offering to clean up. “Do you need some help?”
“Nope. But I can wrap that pie to go if you want.”
Even though her appetite had disappeared the moment she heard him utter the wordgirlfriend, she nodded, not wanting to reject the offer. It only took him a few minutes to put the pie in a plastic container, and he came out of the kitchen and handed it to her across the counter. “See you tomorrow,” he said.
“See ya.”
She picked up her purse and hurried out of the diner, not stopping until she reached the end of the corner. She glanced at the pie container. The wordsThank Youwere scrawled on the top in black Sharpie. Despite herself, she smiled. On top of everything, he was thoughtful too.
As she walked home, she felt restless. Why was she still holding on to these feelings for Tanner? If he could talk to her so casually about dating someone else, then it was obvious he wasn’t romantically interested in her. Even if he was, he’d straight out said he didn’t have time to date. Although if he was considering getting back with his ex, he would find time if the right person came along.
Clearly Anita wasn’t that person.
Her restlessness wasn’t only about Tanner, though. She enjoyed being a waitress, loved her little house that she rented from Mabel, who also worked at the diner, and cherished the preschool Sunday school class she taught. But she was twenty-six and lately had been feeling like her life was standing still. Maybe that’s why she couldn’t get the café idea out of her mind, even though she didn’t have the courage to pursue it.
When she reached her house, she unlocked the door and started to go inside.
Meow... meow...
Not again.
For the third time this week she looked up on the roof and saw Peanut, her little white, orange, and black calico cat, perched on the edge. Actually, Peanut wasn’t really her cat but a stray who had started hanging around Mabel’s house two months ago. Anita had put out a bowl of food one evening a few weeks ago when it was cold. Unfortunately, she was allergic to cats and couldn’t bring him inside. Which was too bad, because when he was on the roof, he wouldn’t stop wailing until Anita got him down.
She went to the backyard, and as expected, he scurried over the pitched roof and met her there, the light from the streetlamp shining behind him. “This isn’t funny anymore,” she said, planting her hands on her hips. “I’m tired of climbing up to get you.”
He lifted a paw and licked, completely unbothered.
She trudged to the shed she and Mabel shared, a wooden structure that held the lawn mower, tools, and a ladder. The shed was never locked, and a few minutes later she was scrambling up the ladder.
“Come here, you little furball.” She held out her hand and Peanut walked over to her, positioning himself to be carried down the ladder. “I swear you do this on purpose.”
Meow. He tucked himself into the crook of her arm and purred.
After she’d climbed down and set Peanut on the ground, made sure his food and water dishes were full, and put theladder away, she went inside her house and set her purse on the round table in her small kitchen, her mood tanking even more than before. Even her little home, decorated with the things she loved, wasn’t welcoming tonight.
She thought about #3 and the café again. About Tanner. About her friends accomplishing things with their lives while she sat in a rut. She’d had exactly four dates since high school, all of them forgettable, and zero since Tanner started working at Sunshine. That number wasn’t going to change anytime soon.
The most exciting thing in her life right now was rescuing her cat.
