By the time Trudy’s came into view, I felt that low-level flutter kick up in my stomach—the one that came not from being with him, but from beingseenwith him. Typically I had Winnie’s presence to answer any questioning looks, but now I had to field them alone.
Austin pushed the door open and let me step in first. Warm air and the smell of hamburger patties greeted us like an old friend. The bell above the door jingled.
“Selene, hey!” Trudy’s daughter, Marnie, chirped from behind the counter, her apron slightly askew, lipstick smudged like she’d just taken a bite of something buttery. “Is Winnie with you?”
“No, she’s with her dad this weekend,” I said, sliding into a booth along the window.
Marnie’s eyes flicked to Austin as he followed me, settling in across from me with that easy grin of his. “Is Brody joining you?” She set down a third plastic menu.
“No, he ... um ...” My eyes pleaded with Austin, unsure of what to say.
“Oh ... I thought maybe—never mind,” Marnie said with a laugh and swat of her hand.
Austin chuckled. “It’s just us today.”
“I mean—great.” She flushed. “That’s fun.”
“Thank you,” he said, smoothly enough to leave it ambiguous. His gaze flicked to mine, unreadable.
Marnie seemed to recalibrate. “Well. Anyway, what can I get you two?”
We ordered—a patty melt for him, a double cheeseburger for me, Diet Coke all around—and once she was gone, I leaned back, feeling something unfamiliar twist behind my ribs.
“Are you okay?” he asked, watching me carefully.
“She thought you were here with Brody,” I said with a crinkle in my nose.
“I got that.” Austin leaned back in the booth like he was comfortable simply existing in his own skin.
“I didn’t know how to explain—” My hand flicked across the table between us. “This.”
He picked up his fork and traced a lazy circle on the table. “Would an explanation have made a difference?”
I opened my mouth, then immediately closed it. I didn’t have an answer that didn’t feel heavier than I wanted it to be.
Marnie returned with our drinks, and Austin thanked her, flashing that smile that could disarm just about anyone. She flushed again, and her appreciative eyes lingered a moment too long before she walked away.
Something pricked across my scalp.
The reality was that Marnie herself was closer in age to Austin than I was. It felt almost absurd to think anyone would assume he and I were anything other than a frazzled single mom and her devastatingly handsome nanny. It would be far more believable if it were Marnie sitting across the booth from him ...
Jealousy. Real, bone-deep, breath-catching jealousy bloomed under my skin.
What the hell is that about?
He didn’t notice. Or maybe he did and chose not to call it out. Either way, I didn’t like how exposed I suddenly felt. I clasped my hands in my lap to get myself under control.
“Do you ever think about staying here longer than just a rental?” I asked, a little sharper than I meant to.
“Star Harbor wasn’t exactly part of the five-year plan.” Austin’s head tilted as he shrugged. “But, like I said, it’s growing on me.”
“What is?” I asked. “The plan?”
He looked down at his drink. “I think I’m still figuring that out.”
I hummed as Marnie silently dropped off the food. “And Brody?”
His smile faded just a bit. “That’s a little different. He’s my brother, but ...”
