Fred nudged him for an ear scratch. Then Ginger. Ryder took a picture of the sunset through the trees. Then he stared at his phone, picturing Elizabeth with all her curls, bright eyes, and wide, even smile.
Dude, just call her. Pops D. was right. She’d be a hard one to catch. If he even wanted to catch her.
“What do you think, Fred? Ginger? Call her? Just to say hello? She’s coming home tomorrow.” Ginger raised her eyebrows. “I agree. Too desperate-looking, which I’m not. Sure, I can’t stop thinking about her, but that doesn’t mean I love her. Fred, what? Your tongue is hanging out. Are you saying I’m lying?” On cue, the large German shepherd barked. “Okay, what do I say? Can I pick you up from the airport? Pops didn’t say she needed a ride. I’m sure he’s got it. Oh, stop looking at me like that. I’ll call her.”
He dialed before he changed his mind. When she answered, he nearly hung up.
“Hey, Ryder,” she said, rather loudly over the clink of glasses and cacophony of voices and laughter. “Just a second. Liam, move.” Her laugh was buoyant. “I can’t hear with all your big mouths.” Ryder heard a male voice, shuffling, then quiet. “Sorry, it’s so loud in the restaurant. I had to step outside. What’s up?”
Yeah, what. Is. Up. Ryder? “I think I’m taking the job in Colorado.” Did you just lie to her?
“What?”
“The job, in Colorado. I’ve been thinking and?—”
“Really. Wow, okay.” Her voice faded. “Are you all leaving? Okay, night, it was great to see you guys.” Then back to Ryder. “Sorry, some of the gang had to go.”
“Your Pops said you were coming home tomorrow.”
“I am. A couple of my friends from MIT surprised me with dinner. They stuck with me during my illness. I miss them.”
“Good friends are hard to find.” Ryder pictured her, smiling, flushed with excitement. She was with her people. “Wharton won’t be too far away for a weekend visit.”
“I’ll be too busy. Are you really going to Colorado?”
“It’s a good opportunity. Good pay. Better advancement than here.” He had to commit to the lie. He’d put it out there. He should’ve said I was calling to see if you needed a ride from the airport, but it sounded so lame in his head, so he dropped this whopper of a tale.
“I get it. Our careers are important to us.”
“Absolutely. Hey, I’ll let you go.”
“Is that it? You just called about the job?”
“And to, well, see if you needed someone to pick you up from the airport.”
“Will is picking me up.”
“Then I’ll see you when I see you. Glad you’re okay too. No antibodies.”
When he hung up he looked at Fred, then Ginger. “Not a word. Not one word.”
In the Dorsey family, one didn’t need a reason to throw a party. So when Elizabeth came downstairs for work on Wednesday morning, Granny announced a Friday Night Guitar Pull.
“Will ran into Buck Mathews on a break from his tour.” Granny handed Elizabeth her lunch, packed with grilled salmon, garden salad, and fruit. She made it her job to bolster Elizabeth’s diet. She harped on her about getting enough sleep too. “They got to reminiscing about the old days when your Pops used to host guitar pulls and serve the best smoked ribs known to man. Next thing I know, Pops comes home with ten tons of meat, telling me we’re throwing a party.”
“With Buck Mathews? Playing in your backyard for free?”
Granny grinned. “Who do you think taught the boy to play?”
“Pops?” She grew up hearing about her grandparents’ influence in this small southern town sitting in the shadow of Nashville, but apparently it stretched farther and wider than she knew.
“One and the same. Then Bill Hobbs took over with lessons, but Pops handed Buck his first guitar.”
“That’s exciting but I have to work at the diner, Granny. Tina covered for me when I went to Boston, and she has plans with her grandkids.” Elizabeth reached for her bag and headed for the door. “Save me some ribs.”
“I called Tina. You have the night off.”
“Granny, you can’t just call my boss and ask—” The look. Granny’s Are you talking back to me? face, and nothing, nothing terrified her grandkids more. “Let me know what I can do to help.”
