“Dad’s particularly proud of his golf game.”
“I bought the drinks after.”
“Well then.” I didn’t know what else to say.
I knew nothing about golf. I wanted to know nothing about golf. Except Dad liked to play it and he took every opportunity to improve his game.
“Lasagna?” he asked, his tone lightly teasing.
“Dad grills. That’s all he does. Someone had to feed your family.”
“My mum cooks and there’s a town full of restaurants,” he pointed out.
“Your mum needs to chill.”
“She needs things to do to keep her occupied.”
I twisted in my seat to look at him. “Sometimes it’s better to think things through, Dair.”
“She can think and do at the same time, lass,” he returned. “But she’s always been a busy person. Even during holidays, she’d find reasons to bustle about. It’s her safe space.”
“Oh.”
“If she wants, let her cook tomorrow for our last night.”
Their last night.
Why did that sting?
I sat forward and mumbled, “Of course.”
He drove for a while before he asked, “Hear from your superhero friends?”
“Yes. They don’t mess around. Mission complete. Apparently, Mum’s already gone. But they checked anyway and sent pictures. All is in order.”
“That’s good, lassie,” he murmured.
It was.
Actually, it was a huge relief.
“Do ye ken where your mum went?” he asked.
“No, I don’t know. I also don’t care. Just as long as she’s leaving Alex and Rix alone.”
“How long are they gone?”
“They’ll be home the Sunday after next.”
“Good long honeymoon, then,” he muttered.
“Yes,” I confirmed.
There was small talk the rest of the way into town, mostly about how we spent our days, and Dair found a precious parking place close to the popular restaurant.
I picked Farm Provisions, and I was surprised he could get a reservation at such short notice, because it was so popular. Maybe it was because it was a weeknight. Maybe it was because of his deep voice and accent, and the person who took the booking was gay or a female.
What it wasn’t, was romantic.
