“I guess I’ll be seeing you at the restaurant on Saturday?” Kaden says, almost shyly.
“We’ll be at the table with plates of fried zucchini flowers and chocolate fudge cake,” I tease.
He releases a soft laugh and looks at my son. “Well, Zac, it was great meeting you today. I hope you’re ready to build the best model house your school’s ever seen this Sunday.”
Zac grins, nodding eagerly. “Everyone’s going to be blown away!” he says.
Kaden gives a playful wink before opening the door and climbing in. We step back to give them room to reverse out of the driveway, waving goodbye as they pull away. Once they’re completely out of sight, Zac lets go of my hand and looks up at me.
“I really like your new friends, Mum.”
“I like them, too, bud.” I smile warmly at him.
He storms off to the backyard to head back inside, while I quickly check the mailbox for any new mail. Fifteen minutes later, I’m in the kitchen about to grab a glass of water, whenmy phone pings with a new notification. I check it and see it’s from my bank.
My heart almost stops when I notice four hundred dollars has been returned to my account. The exact amount I paid Kaden for the outdoor bench.What the heck?
Me:Am I mistaken or have you just refunded me the money for the bench?
I text him, and he replies almost immediately.
Kaden:Not mistaken at all. I gave it back to you.
Me:What? No! You can’t do that. It’s money well spent for all your hard work!
Kaden:I just did, and no arguing. I don’t charge my friends.
Me:OMG, Kaden! I don’t even know what to say right now! I have to repay you somehow.
Kaden:How about lunch or dinner sometime?
Me:Is this your way of trying to bargain a date with me?
Kaden:I was thinking more along the lines of a friendly lunch, but I’ll let you call it whatever you like.
Me:I still feel like you’re at a greater loss here, but a friendly lunch I can definitely manage. And it’s on me, so don’t even think about paying.
Kaden:LOL! Okay, deal!
Me:See you this weekend.
Kaden:Catch you later, Miss McKenna!
So I guess that settles it. Not only did I gain two new friends, but I’m going on a friendly date—uh, I mean lunch, with one of them. How on earth did my life get like this?
Chapter 25
Kaden
“Okay, spill,” Jason demands as he follows me into my apartment after helping deliver Hope’s garden bench.
The drive back to my place was quietly awkward, with Jason casting me one too many strange looks as if he were trying to unravel the mystery of what just happened at Hope’s house.
I haven’t told him how I know her, or why we speak like we’ve been friends for years. I never imagined I’d see her again, so it never crossed my mind to tell my best friend anything. To him, Hope is just a friendly stranger who offered her expertise on plants for my apartment—nothing more. But the way he’s been silently watching me tells me he suspects there’s more to my connection with Hope than I’ve admitted.
“Spill what?” I ask, pulling two bottles of flavoured water from the fridge and handing him one.
“Who is that woman? And why did she seem a little too comfortable around you, like she already knew who you were?”
