Chapter 4
Ty dabbed her mouth with a napkin as she eyed Lucas across the dinner table. Sandwiched between Holly and Margo, channeling all the excitement he could muster, Lucas told them about how awesome the guy who gave them a ride was. Boy, had he taken an instant liking to Memphis. But then again, so had Ty.
“And you know what?” Lucas was saying to the women. “He likes to race sports cars as a hobby!”
“No way,” Holly said after a gasp.
“Expensive hobby,” Margo said, sparing an inquisitive glance at Ty before leaning over the table toward Lucas. “He sounds like a super cool guy to me,” she said.
Lucas fisted his sloppy joe with both hands. “Yep! And he’s fixing our car tomorrow and then coming over for dinner at our house on Wednesday. That’s my short day.” He took a giant bite before smearing the back of his hand across his face.
Ty pretended not to notice her friends’ prying looks as she snatched a napkin from the center of the table and handed it to Lucas.
“Thanks,” he said after gulping down the bite. He traded his sandwich for the napkin and cleaned the dripping juice from his small fingers. “This is so good, Holly,” he said as he smeared the messy napkin over his face next. By the time he plopped the napkin back onto the table, a new splotch of sauce sat high on his cheek.
Holly beamed like a proud grandmother. “I’m glad you like it.”
Lucas was already reaching for the sandwich once more.
“So…” Margo said in a sing song voice as she leaned a little closer to Lucas.
Ty already knew where this was going. She focused on keeping a straight face for the questions that would ensue.
“This super cool guy from your mom’s new job helped you two out today and he’s helping you again tomorrow. Then on Wednesday he’s coming to dinner at your place.” Margo moved her gaze to Ty now.
Lucas only nodded as he chewed, which left Ty in charge of supplying an answer before Lucas could finish his bite and offer even more details.
“Yes. It’s not easy for me to accept help from people, so I wanted to do something in return. It’s that simple.” Ty cringed at the defensive nature of her response. Margo would see right through it.
Of course, there were other facts she hadn’t exactly shared. Nor did she intend to. Like the fact that Memphis might just be one of the most unassuming, well-mannered, and naturally charming men she’d met in a very long time. Ty couldn’t wait to get home, put Lucas to bed for the night, and replay all of the adorable little things she’d noted throughout her time with him. Like the way he nearly shocked himself with the jumper cables as he moved from his open hood to hers. Or the way he fessed up to only hearing about it or seeing it done.
He was a gentleman too. When he’d approached her about accepting his help, he’d done so in a manner that displayed both courtesy and consideration. And concern too. He’d given her predicament a lot of thought, and she could tell that he genuinely wanted to help.
“You areseriouslygoing to dish the details, friend,” Margo said with the shake of her head. “Just because you have this little buffer here…” She nodded to Lucas. “Doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.”
Ty pinned her lips closed and grinned. Thank heavens Margo, with all her often-inappropriate girl talk, was respectful around Lucas. The little guy caught onto a lot more than most gave him credit for. Margo and Holly knew that as well as she did by now.
“Well,I’dlike to hear more about how school is going,” Holly said.
And as Lucas retold the story he’d shared with her and Memphis upon hopping into his truck, something to do with the new friend he’d sat with at lunch, an odd desire came over Ty—shewantedto talk to Margo about Memphis. This was as unlike her as the interest she’d taken in him.
“Hey,” she said in a whisper, gaining Margo’s attention as Holly and Lucas talked.
Margo’s eyes went wide. “Yeah?”
“You never showed me that patio chair you refinished. Let’s go see it.”
Her friend was quick to hop up from her chair. “Right, yeah.” She grabbed the half-empty bottle of wine from the table and nodded for Ty to get their glasses. “Be right back, Ma.”
Ty slid her fingers around the stem of her glass, then secured Margo’s in her other hand.
Holly spared a knowing look at her before grinning back at Lucas. What a gift it was to have people like this in his life. Her parents might not be near, but they had support here all the same. From people who were, always and forever, family in her eyes.
Margo led the way, stepping through the back patio door and onto the covered deck.
Ty followed, a flock of birds fluttering in her chest. It had been years since she gushed about a guy. And wasthatwhat she intended to do just now?
“So, Memphis, huh? He’s one of the twins?” Margo asked as she poured more wine into each glass. She rested the bottle on the table and nodded to the shaded chairs at either side.
