While I was checking on Asher, who’d happily buckled up and was practically buzzing with excitement, Calum quickly walked around to the driver’s side. Once he was seated, he turned to address us both. “I thought we’d take a little drive after lunch at the Codfather. What do you say?”
“That sounds good,” I managed despite the tightening in my throat.
He grinned at me before his wrist turned, the engine rumbling to life. He put it in reverse and checked his mirrors, his arm going behind my seat as he backed out of my driveway.
I tried not to dwell on the fact that Asher and I regularly frequented The Codfather. It was one of the best restaurants in town, and it was only open for three seasons out of the year. People were bound to recognize us, and the gossip mill would start churning.
I ducked my head, buckling up as I tried to rationalize with myself. Calum used to have fish and chips with his grandfather every Sunday, so I knew this was important to him. And what did it matter if people talked, anyway? The locals would eventually find out about it—and it would be big news in the music industry, too.
That thought made me feel more than a little sick as we headed downtown to the fish and chips restaurant. He found parking, and we walked in together, coming to a stop in front of the hostess booth.
Mahone Bay was a small town, so the wait staff were familiar enough with me to recognize me in the streets, and everybody seemed to know who Calum was.
It felt like every eye in the restaurant was on us, and anxiety began to thrum through me. A lot of familiar faces were watching us with keen interest. Drawing in a deep breath, I tried to calm my nerves.
“If you want, we can get it to go,” Calum suggested, his mouth close to my ear so that only I’d hear him. His breath was warm on my lobe and sent tingles straight to my toes.
He placed his hand on the small of my back, and I somehow felt the heat through my thick winter jacket.
Our eyes connected, my heart pounding in my ribs.
“No, it’s fine,” I breathed, sending him what I hoped was a convincing smile. We were there now, and it would look worse if we turned tail and ran. He looked at me with hooded eyes—and I couldn’t tell if he could see the small lie. I was mildly uncomfortable, but I was going to have to adjust to it eventually.
The hostess returned wearing a friendly smile as she took in Asher and me before coming to a sudden stop when she realized who our third party was. She gawked; her eyes wide with awe as she took him in. Ariel was a friend of Shelly’s, and the youngest—and shyest—daughter of the Davies, who owned The Codfather.
“Table for three, please,” Cal said warmly, breaking her reverie. She nodded, trembling hands reaching out for three menus. She quickly led us to our table, a booth in the more secluded area of the restaurant. Asher jumped into one of the booths, and I sat beside him while Calum sat down across from us.
“Adella will be with you in just a few moments,” Ariel informed us with a shaky voice. Her hands trembled as she set the menus down in front of us, her eyes darting from Calum to me. She gave me a tight smile and backed away, accidentally bumping into the table behind her.
“Thank you, Ariel,” Calum replied, reading her name tag and flashing one of his charming smiles.
She let out a little squeak and fled to the waitress station, where her older sister Adella was standing. They whispered amongst themselves for a moment before the older girl whisked over, her dark braided hair slung over one shoulder.
“Hi there! Welcome to the Codfather,” she smiled, her eyes moving from me to Cal and back again with unveiled curiosity before settling on Asher with warmth. Adella had worked at her parents’ restaurant for as long as we’d lived in Mahone Bay. She’d just turned twenty, and she was in her second year of college. “Hey, Asher—what can I get you today? Chocolate milk?” She asked sweetly, smiling warmly at him.
“Can I get a root beer?” Asher said, pulling my attention away from my ruminating. He was looking at me with pleading eyes.
“Uh, sure,” I answered, still a little distracted. Normally, I didn’t let Asher drink pop, Adella knew this from the times we’d eaten there. Her eyebrow quirked, and the corner of her lips twitched as she wrote it down.
Flicking her long dark braid over her shoulder, her cordial gaze moving to me. “And for you?” she asked with a smile.
“Iced tea would be nice,” I answered.
“And what will you have?” She buzzed, relishing in the opportunity to focus on Cal’s handsome face.
This sort of thing had always happened with Cal, even before the fame. Women were drawn to his good looks and brooding, offhanded charm. I imagined it would be worse now that Calum was more than a high school student in a garage band. Women in all demographics would openly flock to him now.
“Iced tea sounds good,” he replied, glancing at me with a playful grin that weakened my knees. When he looked at me like that—I still felt as if I was his gravity, his home, and that sense of completeness made me want to fade into him every time.
“I’ll be right back!” she chirped, breaking the spell I’d fallen under before she disappeared to grab our drink order. Unable to withstand the heat of Cal’s steady and purposeful perusal, I glanced at our son, giving him my full focus.
“Would you like chicken tenders and home fries?” I asked, aware that I was creating a buffer; but it was a necessity. I needed to stay grounded.
“Yes, please!”
“I take it you guys come here a lot?” Calum remarked. I looked up, catching him glancing around at the other patrons; most who were openly watching.
“We do. Mostly with my parents, or Ellery. I’ve been a few times on dates, too.” I replied offhandedly, pausing to sip at my drink, hoping that last bit struck a nerve.
