“Nope, but I jokingly told her to give it a chance and put an emphasis on the word chance.”
“That is sneaky. What was her reaction?”
“Her eyes lifted some, she frowned, then she twisted to look at the bar.”
Her husband laughed. “And that gave you the answer you wanted, right?”
“Yep. I need to meet this guy, but he wasn’t there. If he were, I’m positive he would have come to the table.”
“How many times are you going to ask her to lunch before she catches on?”
“I won’t do it again. But you and I can try to go there one night for dinner without her knowing. You can point him out to me.”
“Sure,” he said. “We can do that.”
“Happy wife, happy life.”
He leaned down to kiss her cheek. “And you’ll be happy when all your kids are settled. Jocelyn might be easier than Jayce and even then I’m not convinced.”
“Let’s not talk about my other son whom I rarely see let alone talk to.”
“He’s living his best life,” Jim said. “His day will come.”
“With a bang, I’m sure. But for now, you’re right, best to focus on Jocelyn.”
15
STAND MY GROUND
“The girl you were sending googly eyes to the other night was in here for lunch.”
Chance turned from where he was grabbing some food before he got behind the bar.
He didn’t need to start his shift until five, but got here at four.
He woke up at two, showered, had a cup of coffee and some toast, did laundry and other chores that he’d gotten behind on having spent time with Jocelyn over the weekend.
No way he’d trade that to wash his underwear.
“What girl is that?”
“The one you went to school with,” his grandmother said. “She picked up lunch a few weeks ago, then came back and sat at the bar that one night. This time came in with her mother.”
“How do you know it was her mother?”
“Because I heard them talking. Something about men in her life.”
He frowned. “Did you hear what was said?”
“Nope. I wasn’t listening that carefully. Didn’t know if she was seeing someone or not and was just coming here to hangout. Or maybe it’s you she wants to see and hopes to have in her life. Though she’s not the type I’ve seen you with before.”
“So you’ve said,” he said.
He threw a burger on the grill away from where his chef was cooking, then dumped some fries in the basket to set into the hot oil.
“What’s going on with her?”
He could lie to his grandmother, but he never did if he could avoid it.
